Step into the inner city of Graz, Austria, and you’re awash in centuries of architectural heritage. As you wander the quaint cobblestone streets, you admire the assortment of Italian Renaissance structures with intricately detailed façades and red rooftops. It’s the classical Austria you’ve always envisioned – but what’s this? In the distance, the Kunsthaus Graz rises up like a gigantic, bluish blob. With its sleek curves, jutting nodes and acrylic glass skin, the contemporary art museum known as the Friendly Alien makes a striking backdrop for the old town.

It’s this combination of old and new, tradition and innovation, that makes Austria such an exciting destination for travellers. “You get the traditional Austria that you might imagine from traditional movies, maybe even The Sound of Music,” says Teresa Faudon, the Austrian Tourist Office’s manager of public relations. “But it is interspersed with modern architecture, modern art museums, very contemporary music and really good international and Austrian cuisine, which makes for a very unique travel experience.”

This landlocked Central European country, population 8.3 million, is known abroad for many things: beautiful scenery, the Alps, historic city centres, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. But people are often surprised, says Faudon, to discover that it’s also a first-rate destination to experience modern art, architecture and design. The 2004 European Union expansion placed Austria at the heart of the continent’s cultural scene, and it hasn’t looked back. From Vienna in the east to Bregenz in the west, Austria’s diverse cultural landscape will capture your imagination and dazzle your senses.

CELEBRATED CITIES
The historical city centre of Vienna was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, and for good reason. A visit to Austria’s capital city will yield sights of Baroque castles and gardens, not to mention the late-19th-century Ringstrasse, a circular road lined with opulent buildings, monuments and parks. A must-visit is St. Stephen’s Cathedral, a Romanesque and Gothic-style masterpiece with a distinctive multi-coloured tile roof. Immediately facing this historic monument is the glass-and-stone Haas Haus, a Postmodernist commercial centre.

No trip to Vienna would be complete without a stopover at the MuseumsQuartier. One of the 10 largest cultural complexes in the world, this urban art space – once the home of royal stables – unites cafes and shops with a range of cultural institutions, from the Leopold Museum to the Tanzquartier, a state-of-the-art centre for dance. “It really has become a totally ‘in’ meeting place for all of the young people in the city who are interested in art and design and architecture,” says Faudon.

Further west of Vienna but equally renowned is the city of Salzburg, known as the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music. Baroque squares and pedestrian-only streets mingle with modern art galleries, music clubs and theatres. Arguably the year’s biggest event is the Salzburger Festspiele, which draws countless opera lovers from around the world every summer. Look up and you’ll see the Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg, overlooking the city from its perch on the Mönchsberg mountain. In the old part of town is where you’ll find its sister institution, the Museum der Moderne Rupertinum, a baroque house adapted for new art concepts.

Faudon says arrivals to Austria from Canada in 2008 totalled 89,000 – up from the previous year – and not surprisingly, Vienna and Salzburg were among the most popular destinations. But travel beyond these two cities, and you’ll find others that offer an equally rich cultural experience.