Austria - Cultural

Austrian culture has largely been influenced by neighbouring Germany, Italy, Hungary and Bohemia. It is a country rich in culture with spectacular scenery, remarkable architecture and musical tradition. Visitors are enticed by its natural beauty with spectacular landscapes of the Alps and its deep cool lakes. Along with this are the historic stunning towns like Vienna with baroque abbeys, wonderful palaces, cathedrals and castles. Like most other European countries Austria has a very eventful history but there many elements of the Austrian character that has not changed over the centuries.

Austria is a country of startling contrasts, from the Austrian Alps in the west to the Danube Basin in the east. It is not only famous as one of the world's premier skiing regions, but also for its historical buildings, world-class museums and galleries, breathtaking scenery, magnificent mountains and established hiking trails. Visitors in search of culture and visitors in search of scenery are spoilt alike.

In addition to natural wealth, the country contains numerous and glorious architectural riches, including frequent reminders of the once-powerful Hapsburgs, who dominated central Europe for seven centuries. It must be said that Austria bears the hallmarks of past emperorship beautifully: the capital, Vienna, is magnificent with its ornate Opera House and the former imperial residence of the Hofburg; Austria's other cities are similarly infused with a historical magic, notably Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, with stunning baroque churches set before a backdrop of snow-covered peaks; and Innsbruck, in the centre of the Austrian Alps.

Many places in Austria are themselves worthy of artistic acclaim, so it is little wonder that Austria has produced and inspired a catalogue of cultural figures. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria (and, in particular, Vienna) became one of the major centre's of the cultural renaissance associated with the terms baroque and The Enlightenment; the musical achievements of this period are particularly notable and their note in cultural history still resounds. Remnants of Mozart's legacy are everywhere. However, Austria has also yielded people such as artists Klimt and Schiele, composers Mahler and Schubert, writers Rilke and Schnitzler, psychologists Freud and Rank, and philosophers such as Husserl and Wittgenstein.

Nevertheless, Austria strives to cultivate its legacy of the future. The country is a hothouse of striking contemporary architecture, at the forefront of engineering, invention and design, and with a modern, efficient social system. Austria still has a justifiable reputation for music, literature and the arts, with Elfriede Jelinek winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2004. You are just as likely to find Alpine New Wave punk-rock as you are to find yodelling

A cultural holiday is the perfect way to relax and embrace the cultural heritage of Austrian while learning something new. We have a number of wonderful villas, houses and apartments all perfectly positioned for you to embark on your cultural holiday. Simply choose your destination and we are sure you will find your ideal villa easily.