Sunday, July 20, 2008

What to Visit in Austria Part 1

Austria is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe and one popular tourist attraction. It has a dramatic and rich history that is completed by breathtaking landscapes featuring medieval fortresses, churches, castles and more. With this in mind, we thought about putting together a list of the places you should visit if you plan a trip to this country.

Hofburg Imperial Palace

First on the list is the Hofburg Imperial Palace, which was built in the 13th century. It still stands today and features the offices of the Austrian president, the international convention center and the world renowned Spanish Riding School together with the Lipizzan stallions. One can also visit various museums that are open to tourists in the area.

Carnutinum Archaeological Museum

For those that do not know, Carnutinum was one of the most important Roman towns located in the Alps. It was established around the 6th century and housed 5000 people during the Roman Empire period. Nowdays this place is a huge tourist attraction due to the fact that it houses the biggest collection of Roman artifacts. This includes roman arms, coins, amphitheatres, baths, jewelry and several religious objects linked to Mithras worship.

Grosslockner Alpine Road

One of the most visited alpine roads in Europe is the Grosslockner alpine road. It conveniently ends in the highest mountain in Austria, a place where visitors can find the largest glacier as well. Just imagine the fact that this place was visited by over 50 million individuals since the 1930s.

Graz

You can not possibly go to Austria without visiting Graz as this is one of the most famous culture centers in the world together with art and architecture. Even world recognition was achieved as Graz is currently recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is because of the huge historical value it brings to the table. Combine these facts with the well known nightlife in the area and you will immediately understand why so many tourists do come back to Graz.

The Eisriesenwelt Caves

This is where one can find incredible landscapes thanksa to the ice and rock formations present, the majestic towers and columns, all linked with a beautiful waterfall and glacier. These caves were discovered during the late seventies by Anton Posselt. Since that day this spot has been a popular tourist attraction that attracted thousands of tourists from every corner of the world. The Eisriesenwelt Caves are among the largest ice caves in the world.