What to See and Do During Your Family Holidays in Austria
August 8, 2009 by Daniel Gibbs
Filed under Destinations
Most people know Austria as the land of Mozart, one of the most famous classical composers of all time. However, Austria is also a country which boasts of a wealth of culture, history and natural scenery. Whether you’re a student of classical music, architecture or film, a historian, or simply a tourist looking forward to a memorable vacation with your loved ones, you’ll find plenty of reasons to spend your family holidays in Austria.
To make the most out of your trip to Austria, one of the things you should do is to pay homage to classical music. You can catch an opera being shown at one of the many opera houses around the country. Better yet, watch the opera at St. Martinstrum, the world’s largest floating opera stage, for a truly unforgettable experience. You can also attend Sunday mass at the Hofburg Chapel so you can listen to the Vienna Boy’s Choir sing – a tradition started in 1498, or simply buy a ticket to an orchestra concert.
You can even listen to the classical pieces of Mozart, Haydn, Schubert and other Austrian composers while watching the famous Lipizzaner horses perform dressage at its finest at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna or at a farm in Piber. If you’re not a musical person, though, you can simply visit the houses where Mozart and his colleagues once lived. These places are now considered must-see attractions in Austria, particularly the Figaro House, where Mozart composed “The Marriage of Figaro”.
Once you’re done with the classical music scene, have your fill of more contemporary music by going to Salzburg and taking “The Sound of Music” Tour. It’s sure to be a fun part of your family holidays in Austria, particularly since you’ll get to see familiar sights from the movie while learning new trivia about it. You’ll visit the Mirabell Gardens where Julie Andrews and the Von Trapp children sang “Do-Re-Mi”, as well as the Leopoldskron Castle and the Nonnberg Abbey.
Afterwards, it’s time to feast your eyes on Austria’s spectacular natural scenery. This can be done best by taking a cable car to Hafelekar in the mountainous Tirol region or by going on a hiking trip through the Austrian Alps. Not exciting enough? Then your trip to Austria must include a hang-gliding expedition from one of the mountain peaks for a more exhilirating experience.
Do you like cycling? If so, one of the things you should do during your family holidays in Austria is to go on a cycling tour. In particular, rent a bicycle and follow the scenic route along the Danube river.
Last but not the least, you should also take some time to take in the romantic ambience of Austria by taking a stroll through the baroque gardens in Salzburg and Vienna. Don’t forget that Austria has some beautiful castles that are worth touring, too, especially the Schonbrunn Palace, which used to be the summer home of the Habsburg royal family and later on, Napoleon’s headquarters.
Indeed, family holidays in Austria is guaranteed to be a feast for the eyes, ears and the heart. There is simply so much to see and do that even after going through all these, you’re still sure to want to return for more.
