Travel and holiday guide

Lying in the heart of Europe... Austria occupies an area of 83,854 square kilometres and is home to over 8 million people. The Alps make up the southern and western parts of the country and peak at the Grossglockner summit.
The powerful Habsburg family ruled Austria from 1278 right up until World War I. Under this dynasty Austria became one of the most dominant political forces in central Europe. The country attracted countless European composers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Beethoven, Brahms, Hayden, Mozart, Schubert and the Strausses all came to Austria at some stage in their careers. Today, this rich musical heritage lives on in the form of the Vienna Philharmonic, the unrivalled Vienna Boys’ Choir, the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus.




The most dramatic Alpine scenery is found west of Graz and Linz in the Tirol. The capital of this breathtaking region is Innsbruck and it makes a great base for exploration.
Winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, the plentiful hiking trails and the opportunity for romantic cruising on the Danube make Austria a year-round holiday paradise. The cities of Salzburg and Vienna are also well worth a visit. Straddling the Salzach river between Innsbruck and Vienna, Salzburg is Austria’s most picturesque city. Vienna, Austria’s capital city, bears the legacy of the 600-year Hapsburg dynasty. Bursting with architectural gems, it boasts an unparalleled musical ancestry.

Top Austrian Destinations Guide

Salzburg
Salzburg is known as the "Rome of the North" because of the sheer number of churches. A compact city, it is packed full of attractions, and should be an essential part of any visit to Austria. Attractions include the Mirabell Palace whose gardens featured in The Sound of Music; the Hohensalzburg, a beautiful white fortress overlooking the city; the Carolino Augusteum Museum; and the High Altar at Franziskanerkirche. Salzburg is also the birthplace of Mozart. Visit the Mozarteum - the college of music where Mozart composed "The Magic Flute."

The Hohe Tauern National Park
The Hohe Tauern National Park is one of the last great wilderness areas in Europe. The area has been immaculately preserved and showcases nature at its best. Taking up an area of more than 1,000 sq.km, it lies at the foot of Austria's highest mountains.The park offers plenty of activities including more than 450km of ski and snowboard slopes and a vast network of nature trails.

The Museum of the Future (Ars Electronica), Linz
Prepare to be visually stunned with five levels of 21st-century technological wizardry. The museum aims to ‘ facilitate and implement the harmonious collaboration of art, technology and society’ and it is this collaboration that is so fascinating.

Eisriesenwelt Caves
First discovered in 1879 by Anton Posselt, the Eisriesenwelt Caves are the largest ice caves in the world. On a tour of the caves you will be given a carbide lamp to guide yourself though the passage. The caves are decorated with all kinds of ice formations including gigantic columns and towers, waterfalls and glaciers. The cave remains frozen throughout the year and even in summer the temperature remains at around 1 degree centigrade

The Benedictine Abbey, Admount
The Benedictine Abbey was founded in 1074 by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg. The Abbey was destroyed by fire in 1865, the world-famous Baroque library was untouched.

Gurk Cathedral was founded by the Benedictine order in the 11th century and is regarded as the most outstanding example of Romanesque architecture in Austria.

The Grossglockner Alpine Road
Since 1935 the Grossglockner Alpine Road has played host to more than 50 million visitors. It is the most famous of all alpine roads and terminates at the highest mountain and the largest glacier in Austria, the Grossglockner (3798m). Driving up the Grossglockner Alpine Road is an experience not to be missed, just sit back, relax and enjoy spectacular views.

Vienna - Top Attractions
The Spanish Riding School of Vienna has been cultivating the art of equitation in its purest form for more than 400 years. It trains both horses and riders according to centuries-old methods. The Lipizzans and dressage have become synonymous with the school and you can see them both at any of the shows or special events held here.

The Austrian National library is the oldest in the world. The palatial room with its mesmerizing ceiling paintings by Daniel Gran is regarded as one of the most beautiful library rooms in the world.


The Belvedere palaces were built for Prince Eugene of Savoy. The Palaces’ architecture and interior design are in the Rococo style. They now house two museums which offer an excellent and comprehensive survey of Austrian art from the middle ages to the present day.

Built in 1279, the Hofburg Imperial Palace bears testament to the wealth and power of the Hapsburgs. It was home to Austria’s ruling family until 1918. Today, the Imperial Palace houses the offices of the Austrian president, an international convention centre, the chapel where the Vienna Boys' Choir perform, the hall where the Spanish Riding School Lipizzan stallions perform as well as various official and private apartments and several museums and state rooms which are open to the public.

The enormous and elegant Schönbrunn Palace is one of Vienna's top attractions. Originally the 1,440-room summer palace of the Habsburgs, it was designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and completed in 1711. Forty of the 1440 rooms are open to the public. The interior is designed in the classic Rococo style of the 18th century with lots of red, white and gold. There are beautiful formal gardens surrounding the palace.

The Vienna Natural History Museum is based in a handsome neo-Renaissance building near the Museum of Fine Arts. This museum has important collections of early Stone Age exhibits. The most famous display at the museum is a Stone-Age body called "Venus of Willendorf," whose unearthing in 1906 confirms Vienna’s ancient origins.

Over over six million foreigners fly into the country each year, Thailand has become Asia's primary holiday destination and is a useful and popular first stop on any overland travel through Southeast Asia. The influx of tourist money has played a significant part in the country's recent development, yet Thailand's cultural integrity remains largely unchanged.

In this country of fifty-three million people, over ninety percent are practising Theravada Buddhists, and King Bhumibol is a revered figure across his nation. Tiered temple rooftops and saffron-robed monks dominate every vista, and, though some cities and beach resorts are characterized by high-rises and neon lights, the typical Thai community is the traditional farming village: ninety percent of Thais still earn their living from the land.


Most vacations start in Bangkok. Thailand's huge, noisy, polluted capital can be an overwhelming introduction to Southeast Asia, but there are traveller-oriented guesthouses here, and heaps of spectacular temples to visit on holiday. It's also the best place for arranging onward travel and visas for neighbouring countries. A popular side-trip from the city takes in the raft houses of Kanchanaburi, the infamous site of the Bridge over the River Kwai.


After Bangkok, many travel north, sometimes via the ancient capitals of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, to the enjoyably laid-back city of Chiang Mai, where they organize treks to nearby hilltribe villages. There's tranquil countryside in bucketloads up in the northern highlands around Mae Hong Son and along the Mekong River in Thailand's northeast (Isaan), where you can stay in village guesthouses and hop across the border into Laos. The northeast is the least visited area of Thailand, but holds two fine ancient Khmer ruins at Phimai and Phanom Rung, and the country's most popular national park, Khao Yai.

After travel, trekking and rural relaxation, most visitors on holiday want to head for the beach - and Thailand's eastern and southern coasts are lined with gorgeous white-sand shores, aquamarine seas and kaleidoscopic reefs. The most popular of these are the east coast backpackers' resorts of Ko Samet and Ko Chang, the Gulf Coast islands of Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Tao, and the Andaman coast idylls of Laem Phra Nang, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta and Ko Tarutao.

The southern island of Phuket and the east coast resort of Pattaya are more expensive, package-tour holiday oriented spots. In the deep south, Thailand merges almost seamlessly with Malaysia, and there are plenty of border crossing points here; the city of Hat Yai in particular offers convenient long-distance bus and rail links to many Malaysian towns. Travel into Cambodia overland is not so easy, but there are two crossings currently open, Poipet and Trat.

Thailand holiday guide can be an extremely hot and soggy place. Its tropical climate is divided into three seasons: cool in November to February, hot in March to May, and rainy in June to October. The seasons are more extreme in the northern regions, where the dry heat can grow quite intense in late spring and the cool can become cold in the mountains. The rainy season is no detriment to travel in Thailand, as the rains can be cool and refreshing.


Thailand, Far East
Important Information

The Nile meanders silently through Egypt past some of the most ancient and beautiful monuments in the world. Much of the scenery you'll see in this wonderful African country has remained unchanged for literally thousands of years - there's a long and breathtaking history here, and the fascinating combination of age-old culture and superb resorts make Egypt an ideal holiday destination!

Choose from the following resorts in Egypt holiday guide

Sharm El Sheik
Nestled between the national park of Ras Mohammed and the calm shores of the Red Sea, Sharm el-Sheikh is the jewel of the Sinai Peninsula.
For many visitors, the most stunning scenery of this region is underwater in the colourful reefs encircling the peninsula. As one of the world's most extraordinary diving destinations, you can snorkel or dive in an underwater playground of coral gardens, shipwrecks and azure blue waters.

Hurghada
Hurghada is virtually a purpose-built resort developed around a water sports industry that you'd find difficult to beat anywhere else in the world. This part of the Red Sea coast is rich in stunningly beautiful underwater flora and fauna, and the warm water is home to a myriad of tropical fish and coral reefs that live out of the view of anyone without access to either scuba gear or a glass-bottomed boat.

Thankfully, both these activities are both available in abundance, as are many other aquatic pursuits over, and below sea level. If there's much to do during the day, then there's even more to do during the night. Hurghada comes alive with bustling bars, restaurants and clubs, and attracts a younger clientele, although revellers of all ages certainly won't feel out of place.



Luxor
You'll soon realise why Luxor has been called the world's grearest open air museum - the sheer number and quality of the monuments in the area is simply unparalleled. A paradise for culture lovers, this is the ideal base from which to visit the awe-inspiring monuments which line both sides of the Nile:

The stunning Valley Of The Kings and the tomb of Tutankhamun, the magnificent Luxor temple, and Karnak - the largest place of worship ever constructed, and built over a period of 1,500 years. Luxor's museum is also one of the best in Egypt and contains a wonderful display of antiquities. But there's more to Luxor than an impressive ancient history; wandering around the city today you'll find colourful cafes and restaurants, and bazaars where you can buy locally crafted alabaster goods and clay pottery. You can ride in a horse-drawn caleche, sail in a felucca, take a sunset cruise, or see the city from a hot-air balloon.

The scent of citrus blossoms fills the air, the hills and valleys are green with vegetation and the cool, sunny days are ideal for hiking and sightseeing. The bustle of the boatyards launching yachts is a fascinating attraction and even Children’s Day festivities are creative, worthy of this cosmopolitan town.