AUSTRIA
Who wouldn't love a good holiday? Austria… spells hospitality with abundance of natural beauty and culture. As are most of the European countries even Austria is a beautiful country, a small landlocked country that is located in the central Europe. Austria shares its borders with other eight countries; they are Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Switzerland and Liechtenstein respectively. Popular for its eastern magnificent Alps, lakes, rivers, streams, and forests its simple a place for ecstatic skiers, snowboarders, hikers and summer walkers. Austria may be shut in by land on all the sides of the country, so there’s no way for ocean but 6000 cool alpine lakes make traversing all through ridges and valleys a rejuvenating one. Australian Alps are highest in range than the other mountains spread over three quarters of land in Austria. The Alps are special because they were formed during the ice age dating back a maximum of 600000 years ago. Tourists who visit Austria can never stop speaking high of the spectacular baroque abbeys, marvelous castles, picturesque towns, palaces and crystal clear lakes. The natural wonders can make Austria a stunning country but the manmade grand cities are equally important and create a mark in the traveler’s diary. Austrians are very warmhearted making their guests feel all the comfort ability with abundance of hospitality. Again thanks to the impressive architectural historical sites that attract tourists from all over the world.
CULTURE
Austria being the central location of Europe has been touched with quite many cultures of other cities and countries, people travelled to Austria for trading. This created an opportunity for Austria to develop rich culture with national and ethnic backgrounds just like the Americans. The native language is German and about 98 percent of Austrians speak the native language. The common religion followed is Roman Catholic with as much as 80 percent of people belong to this religion. Also, there are Muslims as settled immigrants in some parts of the country. Alpine people in Austria follow a stereotype of living. You can still catch a glimpse of Women, you are still seen in the Dirndl i.e. a full pleated skirt with tight bodice, puffed sleeves and a short blouse with traditional apron. This place is known for its music and so most of the composers from Europe are drawn here for patronizing the creative art.
GEOGRAPHY
Basically a mountainous country and has a diverse kind of nature. The total land measures approximately 83859 square kilometers with eight neighboring countries in the surroundings. Austria is home to some of the highest mountain ranges The Alps covering almost 65 percent of the land and also the largest lake of Europe called the Lake Constance or Bodensee. Towards the northern side is the Danube River that flows serenely; the biggest river of Austria. All the stunning landscapes, lakes, rivers come as a standard that start from the largest city Vienna to the north till the Carinthian mountains in south. The country has nine provinces that give the tourist liberty of choice with distinct options, which cost effective.
BEST TIME TO GO
Austria assures quality time to tourists visiting at any time in the year i.e. regardless of seasonal timings. This is so because summers are famous for mountain biking, hiking, and swimming whereas winters are meant for skiing. So the best time can be decided based on what one is interested in doing there. The time for skiing starts from early Christmas that is December to late March. The only thing that one should think about is price which is high in winters because of the demand of ski lovers. If one wants to opt for low budget trip then early November to Christmas can meet your budget. This season might encounter warm climate with no or less snowfalls in the Alps. May to September are the months of sunny days when the relatively the tourists count come down and airfares also are low, so those who want to make use of the opportunity can surf the net and get the best travel deals. On the whole the best to visit Austria is believed to be from spring through fall.
TOP ATTRACTIONS
There are several places where one can spend the vacation indulging in winter and summer sports along with natural beauty of Austria. Undoubtedly, a place to relax with family and friends with activities like skiing in the glaciers, clean waters, hiking in the mountains and playing golf. Across the city there are number of golf courses where most of the Austrians and tourists love to spend their time. If you fall for golf then look for special packages that most of the hotels offer for golf programs plus your stay. Globetrotters who are adventurous, visiting Austria would be the most intellectual decision taken as paragliding and dragon flying at the mountain tops is the sports that start with favorable weather conditions. For those who are windsurfers will be amazed at the marvelous lake sports like underwater diving, rafting, canyoning and also fishing. Look for the villages that take tourism as important revenue and invested in the construction of huge sports complexes.
Vienna
Located on the banks of Danube River, the cultural capital of Europe provides a gamut of images like the grand imperial palaces, white stallions, and nouveau riche art masterpieces and not to forget the baroque architectural pieces all lures the eyes of international travelers travelling from around the world. A romantic and historical place that was initially inhabited by the Celts making it one of the most visited places in international tourism. The cultural attractions are invaluable for music and art lovers, classical music form like Beethoven, Mozart, Hayden, Strauss, Schubert, Brahms and Mahler that doesn’t stop rolling off your tongue all belong to Vienna. The combination of art and lush green natural surroundings offer you great outdoors. Few places of interest are The Albertina art gallery, The Belvedere Palaces, The Hofburg Imperial Palace, The Sigmund Freud Museum, Schloss Schonbrunn Palace, The natural history museum and St. Stephens Cathedral. The Belvedere Palace built by Prince Eugene of Savoy is popular for its interior and architecture done in the Rococo style; also equally interesting are the two museums that display the ancient arts of Austrians. The Hofburg Imperial palace at present is the office of Austrian President that is an international convention Centre.
Salzburg
An ideal destination for winter sports Salzburg experiences a continental climate with extensive snowfall. It’s located to the north-central part of Austria and on the bank of Salzach River. Known for rock salt mines the name of the city Salzburg means Salt Castle. Because of the several churches in the city; it’s also popularly called as the “Rome of the North”. Betwixt the main attractions Salzburger Dom cathedral displays the marvelous work of Italian Architects and is popular for the baptismal font where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized. Other few attractions of interest are the Hohensalzburg Fortress, birthplace of Mozart-Getreidgasse, and Mirabell Palace.
Innsbruck
Situated in the western part of Austria, Innsbruck is the capital city of Tyrol. Apart from popular winter sports the main attractions here are ski resorts and ski racing areas like Kitzbuhel, Alberg, St Anton, St Christoph and Pettneu respectively. Among the most visited places are Kufstein castle in the east Tyrol and the Oztal where the Bronze Age mummy of 5300 years is still preserved in the Bozen museum. The towns like Paznaun and Landeck depict the regional identity of Tyroleans in their cusine, lifestyle and accent. People who visit Innsbruck are amazed at the town planners who still insist on preserving the ancient Architecture and ensure that new buildings in the city adapt the structures of Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance buildings. Tourists who visit Italy can plan their trip to Innsbruck as it’s about half an hour drive from the Italian border, provided they have necessary documents. Other interesting places can be Swarovski Kristallwelten, Tiroler Volkskunst Museum and Alpenzoo.
Graz and Styria
Styria’s capital Graz has a prehistoric legacy and dominated by a blend of Roman, Bavarian and Slav cultures. The advantage of visiting this place is day trips are possible here for catching glimpse of the beautiful artistic styles found in Habsburg Empire. Not miss is the Graz’s very own The Schlossberg Castle situated on a rock and apart from the castle the Bell and Clock towers are the special attractions. Then the 16th century architecture can be found in the Landhaus building, presently a government palace. Coin and archeological museum can be good pass time when you want gain knowledge about our forefathers and their lifestyle. Wonderful nightlife and bars can make good escape when you are tried of sightseeing in the city.
GETTING HERE
Though there are quite good numbers of international airports all over the country the majority of flights are destined to Vienna Airport. Other airports are located in Klangenfurt. Graz, Linz and Salzburg, so you choose the convenient place and can plan accordingly. Tourists who want to make most of their Europe trip can choose railway to reach Austria as the rail connections from Europe offer frequent services. Don’t even think of reaching all the way to Austria by bus from Europe or neighboring countries as it might be uncomfortable making your trip worse even before you reach the destination. Whichever airport you opt for offers rail or bus service to reach one place to another. A chauffeur-driven car service is also a option but when you get back after your wonderful trip don’t miss the duty free shopping and secure some gifts for your loved ones.
Click to Hide