Our four visits to Austria (4/08 to Innsbruck, 6/08 to Salzburg, 1/09 to Lech, and 5/11 to Ehrenberg) weren't nearly enough. The country is dominated by the Alps, and the beauty is striking. It also has an Eastern European flavor to it, though I think it's technically part of 'the west' (it narrowly avoided becoming a Soviet state after WWII- some country crests denote an eagle with broken shackles around talons which are holding a hammer & sickle, respectively, to commemorate the escape, as shown below. Other country crests drop the shackles and have a scepter and orb instead. It's a minor difference, but interesting).
Without verifying, I believe Salzburg is the tourism capital of the country, with good reason. Gardens and beautiful architecture abound, and the impressive castle commands a wonderful view of the amazing countryside. There's even a statue of (what appears to be) a Nazgul.
Innsbruck
A nice place, it can be seen easily in a day. The drive to it from the north (Germany) is harrowing in places, due to precipitous highway grades.
Ehrenberg Castle
Our route on frequent trips to Garmisch (in Germany) took us through a slice of Austria, and there the ruins of Ehrenberg, situated on a commanding Alpine perch, always impressed me.
Lech
A ski town in the western panhandle, Lech is gorgeous in winter- and undoubtedly in summer as well.
Conclusion
Austria is perhaps mildly ignored due to its more famous neighbors (Germany, Switzerland, Italy), but it really shouldn't be. It's a wonderful place well worth a visit- or ten.
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