10 years ago, we returned to Austria and the newly named Red Bull Ring and quite frankly, when you arrive in the Styrian mountains, it’s hard to think why we ever left. It’s up there with Mugello as a contender for best scenery of the season, it’s quite something. Whilst the track may be remote and nestled in the surrounding tree-covered hills, you can really make the most of your Austrian GP by enjoying what the country has to offer – and of course, how you can arrive there from each place.
We can’t really start anywhere else other than the capital, Vienna. Famed for the Viennese Waltz, Ludwig van Beethoven and thus its classical music scene, schnitzel and it’s sensational old – and in some places, magnificently restored – architecture, it’s got something for everyone. The sprawling enormity of The Hofburg and Schronbrunn Palace places you in a Vienna where time really has stood still. The Hofburg Palace itself features 18 different buildings and spans over 2.5 million square feet and is largely regarded as a city within a city. For something more “modern” but still dating back to 1964, The Donauturm (or Danube Tower) in English is the tallest building in the country and features a bar, fine-dining restaurant and for the kids (and likeminded adults), Europe’s tallest slide where you start at 165m high and end up on the observation deck.
Of course, with the Danube Tower, it segues onto our next hotspot that will allow you to enjoy Vienna in a different sense and likewise get out and explore Austria; the mighty Danube itself. Flowing through ten countries including starting point Germany and finish point of the black sea and Romania, it flows right through Austria and whilst it not slice through the capital like it does in others such as Budapest or Bratislava, the northeast of Vienna is where you’ll find it.
Vienna ticked off but whilst it is one of Europe’s great cities, it doesn’t boast the dramatic backdrop of other great Austrian cities. Let’s start with Salzburg, the gorgeous city that is hidden away in the Salzburg State Alps and with the Hohensalzburg Castle looming large over the old town, it’s quite the city. Home to the original Sound of Music, it was the Salzburg that was the original sound of MotoGP in Austria from 1971 to 1994 and the ferociously fast Salzburgring, meandering its way through the Nesslgraben valley. Elsewhere and 185km east from Salzburg, Innsbruck is the picturesque fifth-largest city in the country and a popular winter destination, set at the foot of Nordkette mountain range whilst Graz is the capital of Styria and is the nearest major city to the Red Bull Ring, providing a direct route into the region on race week.
These are all major cities to visit but what about smaller but just as charming towns along the way. Hallstatt needs no introduction, just 75km from Salzburg and is located on the western shores of the lake bearing the same name. Then, halfway between Vienna and arriving to the Red Bull Ring, Bruck an der Mur is another stunner hidden away in the mountains. The Danube towns of Krems and Dürnstein are also must visits, along with the Styrian towns of Murau and historic Leoben, both 30-40 minutes from the circuit whilst Spielberg and Zeltweg are as close as you'll get and both pretty too. In general, to get to the track the easiest way to arrive is by car, although trains to get to the nearby towns of Zeltweg, Judenburg and Knittelfeld, which have regional connections to cities such as Graz, Bruck and Klagenfurt am Wörthersee in Carinthia.
Austria is an enchanting destination with a rich history woven into its day-to-day life and indeed landscape – it’s probably one of the best countries for MotoGP fans to visit! The circuit itself likewise has plenty to check out, including the Red Bull Car museum and therefore shop whilst the Zeltweg Military Aircraft Museum is a stone’s throw from the track itself.