What’s Austria Known For? Places to Visit & Foods to Eat

I was a globetrotter myself up until my late twenties. I lived in many different countries, Austria included. And seriously, what a great place to live.

So where is Austria? Figuratively, in foodie, boozy, snowy heaven. Literally, in the middle of Europe. Austria is known for its food, drinks, hiking, and skiing, all of which are outstanding. But why should you visit Austria?

There are many reasons why people visit Austria. But here is my list of the top things Austria is famous for. 

Top Places to Visit in Austria

Vienna

What is Vienna, Austria, known for? What isn't it known for? Voted the "most liveable city in the world" for several years running, the capital of Austria boasts several features that give any visitor to the city bountiful things to explore.

Most notably, Vienna offers plenty of music and art, stunning parks, and relaxing yet elegant "Kaffeehaeuser" or coffee houses. For lovers of classical music, attend a concert at St. Peter's Church, or for the foodies looking to discover the best spots in the city, take a food tour of Vienna!

You can also stay in some hidden gem neighborhoods during your visit. You're sure to keep busy with so many things to do in Vienna.

Salzburg

As someone who was once a local to Österreich, I'm slightly biased toward Tyrol and its surrounding areas. It includes the stunning Salzburg and Kitzbuhel and the beautiful Kaisergebirge nature reserve. But Salzburg is where you'll find some of the country's top ski slopes, so it's well worth the visit.

With stunning views of the Eastern Alps, this city is also known as the birthplace of Mozart and the filming location of the original Sound of Music. So, take the chance to listen to a concert of the best of Mozart in the Salzburg Fortress, or you can go sightseeing around Salzburg and relive the Sound of Music in real life!

Linz

The Austrian city of Linz is known as "the city of creative arts." But while there are plenty of gorgeous haunts to visit in Linz, especially along the waterfront of the river Danube, there's something even more iconic…

Linzer Torte. Don't cringe. I'm not diminishing an entire city into the beauty of one pastry... But I mean, look at it. It's the oldest torte in the world!

Besides that, Linz is known for its constant desire to change and innovate. The Lentos Art Museum is an architectural gem you must visit if you're heading to Linz!

Feldkirch

Feldkirch is a magical, lesser-known little town but no less worth a visit. What is Feldkirch in Austria known for? It's a quaint medieval town on the border of Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Visit the historical Schattenburg castle and other fascinating landmarks, then head into the town for some classic Wiener Schnitzel.

What Food is Austria Known for?

Apfelstrudel

The ultimate Austrian food and number one for most famous and delicious are… Apfelstrudel. This delightful dessert loosely translates to apple 'swirl' though you'll recognize it as "apple strudel."

Apple strudel is made with layered pastry dough filled with apples, raisins, almonds, spices, and rum. Just thinking about it is making me hungry…

Wiener Schnitzel

Wiener Schnitzel, or Viennese veal escalope, is a breaded, deep-fried thing of magic. The meat, usually veal but sometimes pork or turkey, is juicy and delicious, while the breading is crispy and fragrant.

Wiener Schnitzel is usually served with fries, ketchup, and sometimes a little side of cranberry sauce. Most local restaurants will serve portions the size of your entire head, but you'll soon find that this is perfectly appreciated.

Käsespätzle

This one looks fancy, but it's just homemade egg noodles coated with vast amounts of cheese. It's a super-rich dish, and you'll likely need a nap afterward.

With that said, it's so delicious, and there's a good chance you'll go back for seconds even when you're about to burst.

Tiroler Gröstl

Loosely translated as "Tyrolean roasties," this one is perfect after a night out. This traditional potato fry-up comprises potatoes, local bacon, and onions fried in tons of butter.

You'll usually get Gröstl served with an egg and fresh chives. As I said, it's a great one after a night out. Discover Stroh Rum below, and you'll understand why!

Salzburger Nockerl

The ultimate, the best, and the possibly worst-kept secret of Austria altogether: Salzburger Nockerl. Even writing out the name makes my knees feel wobbly, and my mouth salivate.

Salzburger Nockerl is a whipped, giant souffle—but better—coated in lots of powdered sugar. It's made to order, as it doesn't last long, literally and figuratively! This dessert is not so great for the waistline but excellent for the soul.

What Alcohol Is Austria Known For?

Now I'll admit that my German heritage has given me excellent genes for drinking. Still, once you've lived in enough countries and tried enough different types of alcohol, you do go off it.

Stroh Rum

This one could convince anyone to start drinking again. Just don't overdo it. It's delicious but as close to lethal as moonshine. Just legal.

I'm talking about Stroh Rum, the 80% Austrian rum. It smells delicious, burns on the way down, and warms you up delightfully.

For this reason, it's frequently mixed into a specialty called Jagertee. It consists of a unique black "tea," which is tea but doesn't have the effects any regular tea would ever have, mixed with Stroh Rum and spices. Skiers particularly like this one after a long day.

Schnapps

I could talk to you about Austrian wines and beers, but a true Austrian enjoys a "schnappserl," which is a cute way of saying schnapps.

Schnapps is essentially any alcoholic beverage that has been distilled into brandy, liqueur, or infusion with an alcohol content of 15-20%.

Plenty of varieties are available, though most are made of fruit or herbs. Austrians enjoy drinking schnapps as an after-meal chaser to help them digest all that rich food.

Whether or not it helps is a different question, but it is delicious.

Almdudler

Honorary mention, as it's not alcoholic, but Almdudler is a delicious soft drink you can buy anywhere in Austria. 

Known as Austria's national drink, it's a carbonated beverage of herbal extracts. It's sweet, tasty, and probably good if mixed with Stroh Rum.

What Sport Is Austria Known For?

Skiing! Did you expect me to say anything else? Austria is best known for its vast mountain ranges and over 440 ski resorts nationwide.

Best of all, many of these resorts are so vast that you could spend days there, never seeing the same slope twice.

Fun fact: Austrian skiers have won a total of 121 Olympic medals, and this includes 37 gold medals! The Austrian men's team had won at least a medal every year except for 1936, when they didn't compete.

If you plan to go skiing, look at this ski trip packing list before heading off. And going to Austria during the winter?

Plan your Austrian Foodie, Boozy Ski Trip with Pilot!

Now that you know more about Austria, it's time to organize your itinerary and plan an epic Austria trip! Use Pilot to keep everything you want to experience in one handy place.