Austria. Media News.

Dear friends of Austria and fellow travelers,

From what I gather from pictures of friends and family in Austria, winter has made an early appearance in the Austrian Alps this year (Innsbruck pretty much looking like it does in our header image right now), and hence, very timely, here are the first updates for this winter season. Find out what is new this year in Innsbruck and the Wilder Kaiser/Brixental Ski Region, as well as with Vienna's Christmas Markets.

We are also very excited to see The Belvedere, one of Vienna's finest art museums/Baroque palaces, gearing up for its 300 year anniversary in 2023. Read on to learn about the exciting exhibitions planned to celebrate the occasion.

Wishing you a wonderful and smooth transition into the fall and holiday season with lots of travel planning and actual travels!

With warmest regards,
Sigrid Pichler

Manager of Public Relations
Austrian Tourist Office New York City
sigrid.pichler@austria.info
tel 212 575 7723 x 119

www.austria.info 

Whether you are touring charming Christmas Markets or trying exhilarating downhill runs surrounded by Alpine scenery, a winter vacation in Austria is a magical experience. Skiing in Austria means you'll encounter breathtaking landscapes, with countless 12K feet peaks lining the horizon as far as the eye can see. The high altitude and state-of-the-art snow making machines guarantee plenty of snow during the entire season. For skiers and non-skiers alike, the cultural aspect of a vacation in Austria is a huge draw: historic towns and villages, musical events and culinary delights abound. Austria’s ski resorts and major cities are working non-stop to provide even more exciting and updated experiences. Here are a few highlights:

SKIWELT WILDER KAISER - BRIXENTAL, TIROL: At the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental, which has been distinguished as the world’s greenest ski area several times, the 2022/23 winter season benefits from various infrastructure improvements, thanks to 17.5 million Euros worth of investments on the occasion of its 45th birthday. These include expanded photovoltaic systems, more energy efficient snowmaking systems and other sustainability efforts. There is also no shortage of events, among them Europe’s highest Christmas Market at 4665 feet above sea level, held from 4:30pm to 10pm on the three December weekends (Fridays and Saturdays) before Christmas. In addition, there is a new challenge for experienced skiers who want to put their skills and stamina to the test: The new KitzSkiWelt Tour connects the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental with KitzSki, making it the world's longest ski circuit.

INNSBRUCK, TIROL: Innsbruck introduced a spectacular new ski pass, the SKI plus CITY pass Stubai - Innsbruck which includes… everything. Well, almost: With access to 13 ski resorts in and around Innsbruck, 22 of the city’s major attractions, three swimming pools and the ski-bus which enables you to go car-free for the entire duration of your stay, this is a truly amazing offer. Then there are Innsbruck's charming Christmas Markets, with LUMAGICA, the light park in the Imperial Gardens as a special highlight. Also worth mentioning: Sporting fans will love the Luge World Cup held on the Olympic ice tracks in Igls from December 2 to December 4, and the Four Hills Tournament, when the Bergisel Stadium will become a ski jumping Mecca for the 71st time. And last but not least, the ski season in Kuehtai starts particularly early, as the village is located at 6150 feet above sea level. The resort offers free ski passes for anyone staying three nights or more at a participating hotel throughout early December.

VIENNA: Austria's capital city is especially magical with enchanting Christmas Markets transforming many of the most beautiful historic squares in the city. This year, ivie, the digital city guide for smartphones will feature a guide to the prettiest Christmas markets starting in early November. Download here: ivie for iOS;  ivie for Android.

If you are an avid reader of our newsletter, you’ll already have heard about Vienna’s famous Belvedere Palace and Prince Eugene, the eccentric 18th century aristocrat and military commander who built the Upper Belvedere in 1723, and the world renowned Austrian Belvedere Gallery (comprised of the Upper and Lower Belvedere as well as the contemporary Belvedere 21) it houses today. If not, here is the background story on what makes the Belvedere such a special location and why we are all looking forward to its 300 year anniversary.

Now we have the details on the special exhibitions and events planned for the occasion: The overall theme of the celebrations, which start in December 2022, will be Golden Spring, in reference to the institution’s original principles: gold for tradition and spring for ver sacrum (or sacred spring), motto of the Viennese Secessionist movement, symbolizing new beginnings. Likewise, the anniversary program will focus on preserving old traditions while introducing new visions for the future.

Activities will focus on two major projects, both of which are being prepared at the Lower Belvedere. The first, opening in December 2022, will be delving into the palace's own history with a year-round show in the Orangery entitled “The Belvedere. 300 Years a Place of Art.” The exhibition focuses on the palace itself as a location that witnessed great art, great prestige and epochal events, as well as on the collections that have been built over the centuries.

Initially postponed due to the pandemic, the second exhibition entitled “Klimt. Inspired by Van Gogh, Rodin, Matisse…” will launch in early February 2023. It focuses on the artists who inspired the Viennese Art Nouveau figurehead Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). Together with the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, the show follows a trail that starts with his artistic forebears. In a striking juxtaposition, the show will display around 90 works by Klimt and his fellow artists.

The anniversary year will be complemented by an extensive, diverse and forward-looking program with social responsibility at its heart. Between May and September 2023, an ambitious sculpture project will be presented in the Belvedere Garden. Under the title Public Matter. Contemporary Art, it is intended to complement the Baroque sculptures found at the three locations. Retrospectives on artists including Louise Bourgeois, the mother of the feminist avant-garde, are also planned at the Lower Belvedere, while another at Belvedere 21 will look at the work of Renate Bertlmann. The young Viennese art scene will also be headline news at Belvedere 21 thanks to a relaunch of the 2019 exhibition On the New.The anniversary program will be accompanied by various publications covering a wide range of subjects including the museum and its history, as well as numerous events, workshops, and participatory projects. Preparations are also gearing up for a number of ceremonial events and digital projects, with "Exhibition Timeline of the Belvedere: 1924 – Present" among the upcoming digital contributions. This online feature lets art fans run the rule over a fascinating cross-section of the special exhibitions held over the past 100 years.