Some prominent people have called Austria home over the centuries and now their favourite dwellings are open for travellers to check from their sightseeing to-do list.
AUSTRIA is famous for many things with mountains, a family choir, alpine skiing and the sinfully-good torte made by a Vienna hotel topping the long list.
But did you know the country sitting at the heart of Europe is also the place to see some significant dwellings?
From opulent palaces that once accommodated a royal family whose influence reached across Europe, to the inner-city apartment occupied by the world’s most famous psychoanalyst, and even the birthplace of a master musician.
Here are seven spots travellers should visit to take a peek at the people who shaped Austria.
1. HOFBURG INNSBRUCK
Innsbruck boasts an imperial palace, built between 1459 and 1519, and while Emperor Maximilian I was the first resident it was Empress Maria Theresa who had the most significant influence on the building’s appearance by making changes during her 18th-century tenure that gave the handsome compound its rococo characteristics.
2. SCHLOSS EGGENBERG
This Baroque castle in Eisenstadt was home to generations of Esterhazy aristocrats – the family helped the Habsburgs ascend in Hungary – and while the rooms built around the central courtyard hosted many a nobleman over the centuries the family also invited composer Joseph Haydn to stay when he needed a place to work on his music.
3. PALAIS LIECHTENSTEIN
A pair of regal residences in Vienna – the City Palace and Garden Palace – were built by the princely family of Liechtenstein at the end of the 17th century and are now home to an enviable collection of Renaissance and Baroque art, Austrian antiques, and ornate interiors with a pre-booked tour being the only way to see inside
4. MOZART’S BIRTHPLACE
Image: Mozart’s Birthplace
The Salzburg address where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart came into the world on January 27 in 1756 is now one of Austria’s favourite museums with an exhibition that creeps across three floors telling the story of his life from childhood and displaying some of the possession he kept close during his short career creating classical music.
5. SILENT NIGHT CHAPEL
Silent Night, Holy Night! Inherently linked to Christmas time, the famous Christmas carol was created in the little village of Obermdorf not far from Salzburg. Take a visit to the little Museum and Chapel of Silent Night which has been rumoured to be the first place the famous carol was performed.
6. KAISERVILLA
If you are spending any time in Upper Austria, take a trip to the little town of Bad Ischl and visit the former summer capital of the great Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The residence has been associated with the Habsburgs for 700 years and walking through the halls it’s easy to feel the amount of history that is ingrained in the halls.
Other than enjoying the beautiful architecture, ponder the fact that many important historical events have taken place here including in 1914 Franz Josef signed the declaration of war on Serbia.
7. SIGMUND FREUD MUSEUM
Image: Sigmund Freud Museum
There’s an apartment in the building at Berggasse 19 that put a roof over Sigmund Freud’s head between 1892 and 1938 with the Viennese dwelling now serving as the Sigmund Freud Museum and the psychoanalyst’s daughter Anna involved in making the rooms look just the way they did when the family was in residence.
To discover more cultural treasures you can explore in Austria, visit the Austria Tourism website.
Written by Sarah Nicholson, a KARRYON contributor.