"Birdwatching at Lake Neusiedl The Burgenland province’s low-lying landscape around the 22-mile-long Lake Neusiedl is UNESCO-listed as one of Europe’s great wetland biospheres. All around the lake’s vast reed belts, and among the salt ponds in the Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park, bike riders can spot waterfowl, such as graceful great egrets and spoonbills. In fact, there are 300-plus native bird species, and you don’t need to be an avid birdwatcher to be inspired by these remarkable creatures or the surrounding tranquility. While in the neighborhood, you might pop into the baroque village of Rust (which has massive stork nests) to sample red wines like St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch that are garnering great acclaim thanks to the intense sunshine down here by the Hungarian border. Sponsored by Austrian Tourist Office"

"Studying herbs and wildflowers at a Wanderhotel You know your Edelweiss, but how about your Breitblättriges Hornkraut? You can get a hands-on course in the healing power of nature, including such wildflowers, while staying at one of the Wanderhotels (hiking hotels) located throughout the mountainous Austrian provinces of Tyrol, Carinthia, and Salzburg. For instance, the aptly named Hotel Outside in East Tyrol’s Hohe Tauern National Park hosts a Wild Herb Week that surfaces ancient recipes using wildflowers and herbs for body treatments as well as cooking. And at the Hotel Alte Post in Salzburg province, you’ll have earned your Finnish sauna time after time collecting roots in the forest or herbs in blooming meadows. These rewarding experiences offer the chance to tune in to yourself both by spending restorative time outdoors and tending to your body with natural products. Sponsored by Austrian Tourist Office"

"Studying herbs and wildflowers at a Wanderhotel You know your Edelweiss, but how about your Breitblättriges Hornkraut? You can get a hands-on course in the healing power of nature, including such wildflowers, while staying at one of the Wanderhotels (hiking hotels) located throughout the mountainous Austrian provinces of Tyrol, Carinthia, and Salzburg. For instance, the aptly named Hotel Outside in East Tyrol’s Hohe Tauern National Park hosts a Wild Herb Week that surfaces ancient recipes using wildflowers and herbs for body treatments as well as cooking. And at the Hotel Alte Post in Salzburg province, you’ll have earned your Finnish sauna time after time collecting roots in the forest or herbs in blooming meadows. These rewarding experiences offer the chance to tune in to yourself both by spending restorative time outdoors and tending to your body with natural products. Sponsored by Austrian Tourist Office"

"Exploring the Wachau World Heritage Trail In the 12th century, Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned at Dürnstein Castle, and its ghostly ruins still stand sentinel above the Danube River in the Wachau Valley. Just an hour west of Vienna, this bucolic region has long been famous for wines—and now, increasingly, for it’s World Heritage Trail . Over several days, hikers can meander along 110 miles of hilly riverine terrain, in and out of vineyards, and past fruit orchards—leaving the pressures of 21st-century daily life far behind. Look out for timeless landmarks like Aggstein Castle and the great, gilded baroque abbey of Stift Melk. When you need to refuel, do as the locals do, and head to the nearest heuriger (wine tavern). Sponsored by Austrian Tourist Office"

"Touring the Styrian Vineyards by Bike If any Austrian province can be said to be up-and-coming, it’s Styria , or Steiermark in German, on the country’s southeast border with Slovenia. Of late, the organic fruits and pumpkin seed oil coming out of southern Styria’s charming hill country are a big hit. And so are an amazing 250 miles worth of windy bike paths that take cyclists through rich wine lands. Along any of the eight different sections, Styria’s abundant produce just calls for frequent picnic breaks. To soothe any aching muscles, thermal spa resorts abound, such as the Rogner Bad Blumenau designed by the funky late architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Sponsored by Austrian Tourist Office"