You may already be familiar with the history and charms of Austria and its connection to the beloved 1965 20^th Century Fox musical, The Sound of Music. On your next visit there, let the film’s famous lyric “the hills are alive with the sound of music” inspire you to explore Gesäuse National Park in the Upper Styrian region — a lovely blend of thick forests, verdant pastures and jagged limestone peaks that come with mountain huts for hiking and deep rivers for rafting.

To truly immerse yourself in the landscape, consider hiking the Wachau World Heritage Trail. Views of the sparkling Danube are part of the experience along the 110-mile route, which wends through the steep, stone terraced winegrowing region within the Wachau Valley. Along the way, hikers encounter the Ferdinand Watch Tower above the old towns of Dürnstein, Krems, and see the ruins of the ancient Aggstein Castle. Pause for refreshment at numerous taverns located along the pathway, where lunch can include local specialties such as apricot dumplings made from Wachau apricots.