Austria flaunts its heritage in exuberant fashion. Vienna's bombastic Habsburg palaces and Salzburg's baroque splendour are great, but dig deeper and you'll unearth Stone Age settlements, Roman ruins and vibrant medieval festivals. You barely need to look for culture here - it waltzes right up to you.

This land of dizzying peaks, cobalt lakes and rushing rivers creates a breathtaking backdrop for outdoor pursuits. Whether you want to climb mountains in Tyrol or carve up the slopes in the Alps, freewheel along the Danube or paddle the raging Inn River, Austria's your one-stop shop!