Culture

In the 18th and 19th century Austria was the centre of European music. This accounts for the wide range of venues and orchestras performing today - opera houses, theatres, orchestras and the wide-ranging musical traditions such as the internationally broadcast New Year's Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic.

The countless Austrian concert halls, music stages and theatres provide the venues for unalloyed musical pleasure. Let yourself be inspired by some of the numerous treats on offer.

A visit to one of the Vienna theatres, such as

• Burgtheater
• Akademietheater
• Volkstheater
• Schauspielhaus
• Vienna's English Theatre
  
  

Or maybe a visit to the opera, such as the Viennese State Opera Vienna State Opera, the Vienna People's Opera Vienna Volksoperor the Graz Opera House Graz Opera House (German only)?

The most famous concert halls in Austria include the Vienna Musikverein (venue for the New Year's Concert), the Large Festival Hall (Festspielhaus) in Salzburg, or the Bruckner Hall in Linz.

Festivals 

There are music festivals across many different places in Austria . Find out more by listening to an audio stream:Music Festivals in Austria (MP3, 0.9MB)

Austria is also famous beyond its borders for the variety of festivals on offer. Just a few of the long list of events are included here:

• Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival)
• Salzburg Festival
• Bregenz Festival
• Steirischer Herbst (Styrian Autumn Festival)
• Styriarte (Styrian Festival)

Outstanding art nouveau architecture and precious art collections, that’s Austria. Find out more by listening to an audio stream: Art from Austria (MP3, 0.9MB)

Museums

The numerous Austrian museums attract visitors with their fascinating exhibitions and wide-ranging collections. Additionally, many museums are a work of art in themselves with their traditional or modern architecture.
Indulge your senses with a trip to the new Vienna Museumsquartier. Or visit one of the state museums Landesmuseen (German only) and wonder at the diverse exhibits and intriguing sights.

Architecture

Austria has a long architectural tradition. Whether Baroque, Classical or Gothic, the whole country offers a variety of churches, castles and palaces which are sumptuous examples of their style. There are buildings from every era, many of which are protected as UNESCO cultural heritage treasures. Neither has modern architecture been forgotten - many cities offer world-class examples of modern buildings.

In Austria top wine making culture forms an original symbiosis with modern architecture. Find out more by listening to an audio stream: Wine and Architecture (MP3, 0.9MB)

Literature

Austria has a rich literary tradition. Works by Franz Grillparzer, Robert Musil, Karl Kraus, Friedrich Torberg, Thomas Bernhard, Peter Handke, Elfriede Jelinek and many other Austrian authors have been translated into countless languages.

Film

Austria has three exceptional film festivals on offer with the Viennale (Vienna International Film Festival) , the Diagonale (Festival of Austrian Film) and the Crossing Europe Film Festival Linz.