The former capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is brimming with impressive architecture, cultural institutions and opportunities to explore the cuisines of Austria and pretty much everywhere else. An imperial and cosmopolitan capital in a small homogeneous country, it forms a marked contrast from the rest of Austria.
Less touristy and more down-to-earth than some other parts of the country, Upper Austria offers great lakes for swimming, mountains for hiking and affordable skiing as well as Austria's third-largest city, Linz.
High mountains and narrow valleys – the place to go for avid skiers.
The mining towns in the North may have seen better days, but the area around Austria's second city, Graz, is booming. Southern Styria is famous for its wineries and Mediterranean charm.
Home to the world-famous city of Salzburg and some of Austria's best-known skiing resorts. Motorists might enjoy crossing the Alps to Carinthia via the famous Glockner-Hochalpenstraße.
The largest state stretches from the Bohemian hills to the peaks of the Alps. The Wachau landscape with the impressive monastery of Melk is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Austria's southernmost state is popular for its many lakes, its traditional cuisine, and the peculiar dialect of its inhabitants.
Sunny plains and countless wineries along the border with Hungary. Austria's largest (albeit very shallow) lake, Neusiedler See, is a good spot for birdwatching.
Baden-Württemberg is a federal state (Bundesland) in Germany. Its world famous Black Forest and the celebrated, romantic city of Heidelberg are top tourist destinations within Germany and Central Europe, but there is much more to see.
Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt) is a state of Germany. Located in the central part of Germany it is one of the five German states that used to belong to former East Germany. It is bordered by the states of Brandenburg to the north and east, Saxony to the south-east, Thuringia to the south and Lower Saxony to the west.