The Vienna Philharmonic is considered as one of the world's finest orchestras - in 2006 it was voted as Europe's best classical orchestra by leading journalists. Founded in 1842, when Otto Nicolai first picked musicians from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Philharmonic first performed in March 1842, with subscription concerts being held since 1860. The orchestra has attracted some acclaimed conductors over the years including Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein. The Vienna Philharmonic now holds about ten subscription concerts a year plus the annual Nicolai Concert and the traditional New Year's Concert which is dedicated to the work of the Strauss dynasty.

The Sachertorte is Vienna's most famous culinary specialty. First devised in 1832, the original Sachertorte is probably the world's most famous chocolate cake and its recipe is a well guarded secret. Made of two layers of chocolate cake separated by apricot jam, it is covered with a thick, dark chocolate icing. The cake's creator Franz Sacher was a 16-year-old apprentice chef at the court of Count Metternich when he had his eureka moment. In 1876 his son Eduard Sacher opened the first Sacher restaurant and hotel. The original Sachertorte is only available at Hotel Sacher Wien, Hotel Sacher Salzburg, Café Sacher Innsbruck, Café Sacher Graz and at the Sacher shops in Bozen and at Vienna airport.

The Neusiedler See is one of Europe’s few steppe lakes - lakes which have no rivers flowing in or out. Straddling the border between with Hungary, the Neusiedler See is Austria’s largest lake covering 315km squared, 240km squared of which are in Austria. Mostly very shallow and largely surrounded by reed beds, the area enjoys a mild climate. The Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park was founded in 1993 and comprises the lake’s eastern and southern shores. The 300km squared nature reserve is Austria’s first cross-border national park and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With a total drop of 390 metres, Austria's Krimmler Falls are the highest waterfalls in Europe. The 'Krimmler Ache', which plunges down over three cascades, has a catchment area of 110km squared which includes 23 glaciers. Depending on the season, between ten and 83 cubic metres of water flow down the falls every second. On an average day during glacier melt between May and August the river has a flow of about 20 to 35 cubic metres per second. The Krimmler Falls have been protected since the foundation of the Hohe Tauern National Park in 1984 and are the state of Salzburg’s largest and most magnificent area of natural beauty.

At 3,798m, the Grossglockner is Austria’s highest mountain and one of the tallest in the Alps. The Grossglockner straddles the border between the states of Carinthia and Osttirol and is the highest peak of the Glockner group, a mountain range along the Hohe Tauern’s main ridge. At the foot of Grossglockner is the eastern Alps’ largest glacier, the Pasterze. Following the construction of the Hochalpenstrasse - a road which winds its way up to 2,572m above sea level - the Grossglockner has developed into a popular tourist destination.

The Semmeringbahn was the first mountain railway in Europe built with a standard gauge track. Designed by Karl Ritter von Ghega and opened in 1854, the Semmeringbahn cuts through mountains and passes over gorges and can truly be called a marvel of aesthetics and engineering. Part of the Südbahn railway that runs from Gloggnitz via Semmering Pass to Mürzzuschlag, the Semmeringbahn is 4km long and encompasses a drop of 459m along its course. Trains passing over the line chug through a series of tunnels and graceful stone viaducts. The Semmeringbahn was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1998.

That the Tiergarten Schönbrunn - Vienna Zoo - is the world’s oldest zoo. Sited in the grounds of Schönbrunn palace, it was founded as an imperial menagerie at the suggestion of Emperor Franz I in 1752. The centrepiece of the park was a pavilion around which 13 animal enclosures were arranged. The zoo was opened to the public in 1779. After the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the zoo fell into the hands of the new Austrian Republic before being privatised in 1992. Since then plenty of new attractions have been added to the zoo including the tropical house, the desert house and the Tyrolean farm. The zoo is also home to rare animals such as koalas and pandas.

The Salzburg Festival is one of the world's largest music and drama festivals. The five-week festival has been staged every year since 1920, with Salzburg's baroque architecture providing an ideal setting for some of the finest cultural treats the planet has to offer. Every year the Salzburg Festival attracts the world's best conductors, directors, singers, actors and musicians who come to celebrate the legacy of the founder Hugo von Hofmannsthal who devised the festival to show "drama in its best and strongest sense". Since 2000, works in the Salzburg Festival have been the most common winners of the Nestroy Prize for drama.

The glamorous Vienna Opera Ball is the most important society event of the year in Austria. Every year artists, entrepreneurs, politicians and dignitaries from Austria and all over the world gather for the Opera Ball on the last Thursday of the carnival season at the Vienna Opera House. First organised as a charity event in 1936, around 4,700 attend the ball each year, with special guests in recent years including Sophia Loren, Geri Halliwell, Carmen Electra, Pamela Anderson and Paris Hilton.

The Danube Cycle Path is regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful bike rides and is also one of the continent's most famous long-distance hiking trails. The route travels along both banks of the Danube, crossing the river several times and offering a unique perspective on the serene and pristine landscapes od the Wachau region. The cycle route passes historic castles, splendid monasteries, idyllic vineyards and fertile orchards and also takes in attractive villages, baroque market towns and plenty of startling scenery.