Welcome to Austria
Vienna’s jewel-box palaces and Mozart melodies, sparkling Alps and problems like Maria naturally still have their place in Austria’s heart.
But venture further for experiences that defy expectations: from slinging on a backpack to stride through the Tennengebirge’s lunar landscape to slurping cider with grizzled farmers in Mostviertel orchards, from catapulting down the jaw-dropping Harakiri in Mayrhofen to bathing in Salzkammergut’s tingly lakes.
Visit historic spa towns like Bad Ischl or discover cities such as Linz, where a newfound street cred is adding a twist to Austria’s tale. So cast aside the well-thumbed picture-book, as the real story is even more enchanting…Austria flaunts its heritage in exuberant fashion. Vienna’s bombastic Habsburg palaces and Salzburg’s baroque splendour are worthy, but dig deeper and you’ll unearth Stone Age settlements, Roman archaeological sites at Carnuntum and medieval festivals. In the country where Mozart composed and Strauss taught the world to twirl, you won’t need to search hard for culture – it waltzes right up to you.
For obvious reasons, Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram is still often referred to by its colonial name: Trivandrum. Most travellers merely springb...
The holy hill of Tirumala is, on any given day, filled with tens of thousands of blissedout devotees, many of whom have endured long journeys to see t...
Kondapalli fort (admission ₹5, camera ₹100; h10.30am-5pm), strategically situated on the old Machilipatnam–Golconda trade route, was built in 13...
Once the Andhran capital and a signifi cant Buddhist centre, Amaravathi is India’s biggest stupa (Indian/foreigner ₹5/100; h8am- 6pm), measuring 2...
Vijayawada is a busy, rapidly growing city and an important port at the head of the delta of the mighty Krishna River. It’s bustling, but it’s als...