Vienna
Straussomania engulfs Vienna this year as it celebrates the 200th birth anniversary of waltz composer Johann Strauss. Classical operas and concerts are scattered across the year, notable ones being by the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera; but Strauss also pops up in unexpected places – a rave at the Danube Island music festival, an escape room and the Vienna City Marathon.
Beyond Strauss, Vienna has always been the heart of Austria’s cultural scene. From Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss at the Belvedere Palace to Andy Warhol’s Orange Car Crash at the Mumok Modern Art Museum, from medieval and Renaissance art at Kunsthistoriches Museum, to Monet and Picasso at the Albertina, art riches abound.
You can stroll through Vienna’s culinary diversity at open-air markets like Naschmarkt and Brunnenmarkt, sample the Viennese classic tafelspitz at Plachutta or try bespoke cocktails at Tür 7. The city’s cafes are legendary, be it Cafe Central with its Gothic ceilings and its take on the cappuccino (called Melange), or Cafe Sacher, where the decadent chocolate cake, Sachertorte, was invented.
Innsbruck
Nestled in the Tyrolean Alps, Innsbruck’s musical scene is underrated compared to its skiing. The town hosts regular organ concerts in its churches, promenade concerts showcasing brass band music and performances by the Tyrolean Symphony Orchestra. Nearby, Saalfelden hosts the 45th edition of the jazz festival in 2025, which last year had seen Grammy-winning pianist Kris Davis and European Musician of the Year awarded saxophonist Daniel Erdmann playing.
Innsbruck is Austria’s gateway to the Alps – the Nordkette offers city views for skiers (a cable car ride to the peak gets non-skiers close to the mountains), while the Bergisel ski jump, designed by star architect Zaha Hadid, is a landmark and popular with ski jumpers. Tyrolean cuisine is simple but comforting, exemplified by the three Ks – Kaspressknödel (cheese dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheese egg-based pasta) and Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancakes) – best found in centuries-old inns like Weisses Rössl and Goldener Adler.
Graz
The European Capital of Culture in 2003, Graz’s musical lineage was nurtured by the Habsburg dynasty. The city hosts music festivals across multiple genres, from the Elevate festival celebrating electronic music to the Styriarte festival for classical music, hosted in landmarks around the town from the Eggenberg Palace to the Schlossberg Tunnels that were originally built as air-raid shelters.
Graz’s city centre is a Unesco World Heritage site, blending multiple architectural styles like Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance. The Kunsthaus Modern Art Museum and the Zaha Hadid-designed Argos building are distinctive modern additions to the skyscape.
Pumpkin seed oil is the region’s specialty product, best purchased from farmer’s markets. Graz is known for its plant-forward food scene with vegetarian restaurants like Ginko and Gerüchteküche, while Mohrenwirt and Brandhof will satisfy your meaty schnitzel cravings.
Bregenz
Bregenz is famed for its summer opera festival, Bregenzer Festspiele, which was also featured in the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. The festival is held on the world’s largest open-air floating theatre on Lake Constance, with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra among the key performers. The town also organises a dance festival, Bregenzer Frühling, which has seen everything from ballet to flamenco to a dance interpretation of Kipling’s Jungle Book.
Bregenz offers gorgeous views of Lake Constance; you can also take a dip in or set sail across the lake, or explore it aboard a steamship, the Hohentwiel. Foodies can hike along the Cheese Road, a network of shops, huts and dairies for people to sample the diversity of the region’s cheese, or try out traditional favourites at restaurants like Kornmesser and Goldener Hirschen.