Julie Andrews portrays Maria von Trapp in a scene from the popular movie musical of 1965, The Sound of Music. March 2025 marked 60 years since The Sound of Music film was released. Photo / Getty
Julie Andrews portrays Maria von Trapp in a scene from the popular movie musical of 1965, The Sound of Music. March 2025 marked 60 years since The Sound of Music film was released. Photo / Getty
There are a few reasons 2025 is the best year for music lovers to visit Austria writes Arundhati Hazra.
Austria has been the heartland of Europe’s music scene for centuries. The Habsburg dynasty, who ruled the region for more than 600 years, encouraged composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and Mahler,and built the Vienna State Opera and the Graz Opera House. The country’s musical legacy has continued into the modern era, with The Sound of Music movie cementing its place in music lovers’ minds, and several cities organising notable musical events throughout the year.
Salzburg
The birthplace of Mozart, every day is a musical day at Salzburg. The city hosts an annual music festival in July with Mozart matinees, Mahler operas and church concerts. This year, the city also celebrates 60 years of The Sound of Music, which was shot in and around Salzburg. You can take a bike tour exploring the movie’s locations, watch a marionette performance based on the movie, or learn to cook an apple strudel inspired by Fraulein Maria’s favourite things.
It’s not all Sound of Music though. Salzburg’s city centre is part of the Unseco World Heritage list, with its 13th century Gothic church Franziskanerkirche and the Hohensalzburg Fortress; spots with a gorgeous nighttime view of the city’s twinkling lights. Foodies can grab a bite at St Peter, the oldest restaurant in Europe, which serves schnitzel and Salzburg’s specialty sweet nockerl, or check out Michelin-starred Esszimmer for creative interpretations of Austrian cuisine.
Franciscan Church (Franziskanerkirche) located at Salzburg, Austria. Salzburg's Hohensalzburg Fortress offers panoramic views and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Photo / 123RF
Vienna
Straussomania engulfs Vienna this year as it celebrates the 200th birth anniversary of waltz composer Johann Strauss. Classical operas and concerts are scattered across the year, notable ones being by the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera; but Strauss also pops up in unexpected places – a rave at the Danube Island music festival, an escape room and the Vienna City Marathon.
Beyond Strauss, Vienna has always been the heart of Austria’s cultural scene. From Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss at the Belvedere Palace to Andy Warhol’s Orange Car Crash at the Mumok Modern Art Museum, from medieval and Renaissance art at Kunsthistoriches Museum, to Monet and Picasso at the Albertina, art riches abound.
You can stroll through Vienna’s culinary diversity at open-air markets like Naschmarkt and Brunnenmarkt, sample the Viennese classic tafelspitz at Plachutta or try bespoke cocktails at Tür 7. The city’s cafes are legendary, be it Cafe Central with its Gothic ceilings and its take on the cappuccino (called Melange), or Cafe Sacher, where the decadent chocolate cake, Sachertorte, was invented.
Vienna honours the 200th birth anniversary of Johann Strauss II, the 'Waltz King', throughout 2025. Photo / 123RF
Innsbruck
Nestled in the Tyrolean Alps, Innsbruck’s musical scene is underrated compared to its skiing. The town hosts regular organ concerts in its churches, promenade concerts showcasing brass band music and performances by the Tyrolean Symphony Orchestra. Nearby, Saalfelden hosts the 45th edition of the jazz festival in 2025, which last year had seen Grammy-winning pianist Kris Davis and European Musician of the Year awarded saxophonist Daniel Erdmann playing.
Innsbruck is Austria’s gateway to the Alps – the Nordkette offers city views for skiers (a cable car ride to the peak gets non-skiers close to the mountains), while the Bergisel ski jump, designed by star architect Zaha Hadid, is a landmark and popular with ski jumpers. Tyrolean cuisine is simple but comforting, exemplified by the three Ks – Kaspressknödel (cheese dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheese egg-based pasta) and Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancakes) – best found in centuries-old inns like Weisses Rössl and Goldener Adler.
Inns river and Innsbruck city centre aerial panoramic view. Innsbruck is the capital city of Tyrol in western Austria Innsbruck. Photo / 123RF
Graz
The European Capital of Culture in 2003, Graz’s musical lineage was nurtured by the Habsburg dynasty. The city hosts music festivals across multiple genres, from the Elevate festival celebrating electronic music to the Styriarte festival for classical music, hosted in landmarks around the town from the Eggenberg Palace to the Schlossberg Tunnels that were originally built as air-raid shelters.
Graz’s city centre is a Unesco World Heritage site, blending multiple architectural styles like Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance. The Kunsthaus Modern Art Museum and the Zaha Hadid-designed Argos building are distinctive modern additions to the skyscape.
Pumpkin seed oil is the region’s specialty product, best purchased from farmer’s markets. Graz is known for its plant-forward food scene with vegetarian restaurants like Ginko and Gerüchteküche, while Mohrenwirt and Brandhof will satisfy your meaty schnitzel cravings.
Painted facades and the Clocktower in the old town of Graz, Austria are on UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list Graz’s city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Photo / 123RF
Bregenz
Bregenz is famed for its summer opera festival, Bregenzer Festspiele, which was also featured in the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. The festival is held on the world’s largest open-air floating theatre on Lake Constance, with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra among the key performers. The town also organises a dance festival, Bregenzer Frühling, which has seen everything from ballet to flamenco to a dance interpretation of Kipling’s Jungle Book.
Bregenz offers gorgeous views of Lake Constance; you can also take a dip in or set sail across the lake, or explore it aboard a steamship, the Hohentwiel. Foodies can hike along the Cheese Road, a network of shops, huts and dairies for people to sample the diversity of the region’s cheese, or try out traditional favourites at restaurants like Kornmesser and Goldener Hirschen.
Bregenz's floating stage on Lake Constance is renowned for its unique opera performances during the Bregenzer Festspiele. Photo / 123RF
