Recently in Austria Category

Cycling culture is exploding at the moment. From critical mass rallies to tall bike jousting tournaments everyone's talking about bikes. Personally, bicycling is my favorite mode of transport, and though I'm a rather conservative biker - cruising along at a nice slow pace, two hands planted firmly on the handlebars - I still get a thrill when I see someone pop a wheelie. That's why I've got my sights set on Bicycle Film Festival 2008. There, you can watch all the crazy biking action, while keeping your feet firmly on the ground.

Now in its eighth year. the festival celebrates bicycles through film, art, and music, and has been making its way along a 17-city circuit since May. On October 9, the festival kicks off in Vienna with a show of street art and photography inspired by bicycle culture, at Galerie Inoperable. Three days of parties, electronic music concerts, folding bike races, fixed gear showcases, a BMX extravaganza, and of course a good old classic bike joust follow. If you go, book a room at Le Méridien Vienna and get a good night's rest before setting off on the 745k journey through alpine foothills to Zurich, where the action starts up again on October 16. Here, the Sheraton Neues Schloss Hotel will make the perfect home base for a full roster of bike films, art shows and parties that culminates in a "European Hardcourt Bike Polo Showdown" on October 18. So check out this clip from outside last year's festival in Paris. What do you think? Do the French do it best?

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was more than just the father of psychoanalysis, he was one of the most respected thinkers of the 19th and 20th centuries, bringing to light amazing insights about the mind and psyche. The good doctor spent some of his most productive years practicing in Vienna, and visitors to the city today can step into the hallowed living quarters and office where Freud developed his theories about the subconscious mind from 1891 to 1938. The Sigmund Freud - Museum Vienna offers a fascinating window into the life of the man, including many of his personal effects, furnishings, antiquities, books, and even the couch on which his patients reclined and shared their innermost thoughts. A major expansion of the museum in the 1970's and 1980's added a new library, a lecture and exhibition hall, a video room that shows historic film clips, and even a collection of contemporary art that was curated explicitly to reflect the vast influence Freud had on future generations. It's worth checking out even if you feel like you've got it all together. Starwood had three properties in Vienna that are convenient to the museum: Le Méridien Vienna, the Hotel Imperial, and the Hotel Bristol.

The original, Russian-made LOMO LC-A camera became a cult favorite among amateur and professional photographers the world over thanks to the early involvement of an Austrian company called Lomographische AG, which in 1991 pioneered the concept of Lomography and kick-started a new artistic movement. Inspired by the simple, inexpensive little cameras that somehow produced engaging and expressive images, Lomography became the original distributor of LOMO cameras outside of Russia, and eventually began marketing their own analog cameras alongside the originals. Every Lomography camera has a unique photographic quirk, ranging from a permanent fish-eye lens to intensified color saturation, lending an unpredictable element to a pastime that generally emphasizes great control over the creative process. Lomography is all about taking a laid-back, casual approach to photography, where the best shots come from the unlikliest of photographic situations, and several art shows featuring Lomography have been hosted around the world. (Check out the online galleries.) The center of the Lomography universe, however, remains in Vienna, where visitors can drop by the LomoShop to see the complete range of cameras, apparel and handbags inspired by the LOMO design, and a rotating display of Lomographic artwork. You'll be "shooting from the hip" in no time. Starwood has three hotels in Vienna: the Hotel Bristol, the Hotel Imperial, and Le Méridien Vienna.

From atop Salzburg's second century Fortress, the scenery is stunning. Snow dusted spires of churches and palaces rise up above the rooftops of the picturesque city, while distant mountains blend harmoniously into the landscape. Climb up to the ancient castle which sits atop Festungberg Hill, and peer down at the Old City Hall, St. Blasius Church, Mirabell Palace, and the house where Mozart was born, all historic structures, all depicted on Johann Michael Sattler's panoramic painting of the city. If it was built before 1829, it's there. That's when the immensely talented portrait and landscape artist, with one of the word's sharpest eyes for detail, completed the 16-foot-high, 85-foot-long masterpiece. Salzburg's Panorama Museum is pretty much dedicated to the work, and when you book the "City At A Glance" package at the Sheraton Salzburg Hotel, you get a free Salzburg Card, which provides complimentary entrance to the intriguing museum.

Upon completing the painting, Sattler embarked on one of the first advertising campaigns for Salzburg tourism, by toting it on a European roadshow. During the 19th century, when travel was difficult, checking out paintings of city panoramas was the only way many people got to see other parts of the world. Today it's easy for travelers to see the real thing, as well as Sattler's masterful rendition. Squint through one of the brass telescopes and zoom in on the tiny brick houses on the banks of the Salzach River. The Sattler Panorama joins other urban landscapes painted by the artist, as well as those by his son Hubert in this unique museum.