Austria

Austria is compact, orderly, and scenically dramatic, anchored by Vienna's imperial grandeur and the Alps that dominate the country's western half. Vienna itself rewards slow visits: the Habsburg palaces (Schönbrunn, Hofburg), a serious coffeehouse culture where lingering for hours is expected, and a concentration of classical music history—Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss—that still shows up in nightly concerts aimed at tourists and locals alike.

Salzburg, smaller and more baroque, sits at the edge of the Alps and trades on Mozart's birthplace and The Sound of Music, though its old town and fortress are worth seeing regardless. From there, the Salzkammergut lake district—Hallstatt especially—gets crowded with day-trippers chasing a famous view, so an overnight stay helps you see it without the crowds.

The west, around Innsbruck and Tyrol, is where Austria turns into serious mountain country: skiing in winter, hiking in summer, and Alpine villages that feel far removed from Vienna's café culture.

Trains are excellent and make a car unnecessary for most itineraries. German is standard, though tourist areas manage fine in English. Expect efficiency, cleanliness, and a certain formality that loosens once you're a regular somewhere.