The most beautiful cities in Austria

Welcome to one of Europe’s most beautiful countries. Austria’s landscapes, regions and townscapes provide almost the full range of European variety in the centre of the continent. Austria is often associated, rightly, with winter sports, but there is so much more on offer. Its alpine areas are rugged and picturesque, but that’s far from being the whole story.

Innsbruck

The capital of the Tyrol is also the biggest city in the Alps. The Tyrol's separate identity within Austria is deeply felt by its people and Innsbruck reflects this. This beautiful city is surrounded by high peaks and winter sport venues and its old town is studded with architectural gems.

These include the Renaissance Goldenes Dachl, a balcony built for the emperor Maximilian I, the superbly restored Dom zu St Jakob, the Hölblinghaus and countless other town houses that reach back to Gothic times. The oriel window is an institution in Innsbruck.

The Hofburg palace on the edge of the old town is impressive enough, but in many ways the Renaissance castle Schloß Ambras, in a hillside park overlooking the city, is more remarkable for the story behind it and is stunningly restored. It is also important as home to one of Europe's oldest museums, the priceless antiquarium, a hall depicting the Habsburg rulers, and a museum of arms and armour that is one of Austria's best.

Also extraordinary is the Hofkirche. Not outwardly striking, it has an interior that houses a singular cenotaph to Maximilian, who is buried elsewhere. Intricately worked black bronze statues of royal personages line the hall of the church, seemingly to do homage to the dead emperor. But there is also a grave monument to the low-born Andreas Hofer, who led a Tyrolean insurrection early in the 19th century in a demonstration of regional pride.