Austria

Hallstatt, Austria. Of all the quaint little villages in the Austrian Alps this might be the prettiest. And one of the oldest - salt mining here goes back over 5,000 years.

Hallstattersee, Austria. Just some nice old man out for a Sunday cruise on this huge mountain lake with his wife and swans.

Salzburg, Austria. The Hohensalzburg Fortress looms over the old historic part of this city. It still looks just about like Mozart would have seen it.

Vienna, Austria. One small part of the massive palace complex. It's good to be the king!

Innsbruck, Austria. The charming city of Innsbruck, host city to two winter Olympics. Not so bad in summer either.

Some of the great scenery in rural western Austria, near the Swiss border:

Right: A 4-country view from the mountain peak of Gurtisspitze. (L-R) Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Germany, Austria. This is the view from the top of the distant peak in the photo below.

Below: The beautiful main church in Frastanz, Austria.

Switching seasons from summer to winter...

Seeschloss Ort, Austria. This is a small castle on a small island in a large lake. In the center courtyard of the castle was a lively Christmas market in December 2019. As far as I could tell the most popular product being sold there was the gluhwein, hot spiced red wine.

Vienna, Austria. Christmas markets are a big thing over here in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Seeschloss Ort (previous pic) was a small market; this is a big one. The main Christmas market in Vienna is at the ornate Rathaus (city hall, pictured). There are easily a hundred shopping stalls here and the busiest stalls are always the ones selling the booze. It's one big street party!

Christmas markets seem to be everywhere this time of year and they're all great fun. Big or small they're usually located in beautiful surroundings. And no matter where you are, things tend to get rowdier as you get into the evening hours. CW from upper left : Maria-Theresien Platz; Schonbrunn Palace; Rathaus, in Vienna; St Wolfgang, Salzkammergut.

Vienna is known for its cultural scene and no trip here is complete without taking in a classical music performance or two...