Austria is a country of contrasts and great natural beauty: cool green woodlands, icy white mountain glaciers reaching with frozen fingers to the sky and the sparkling blue waters of its many lakes; vineyards, farmlands and romantic old castles; mighty Alpine peaks, bustling cities and tiny Tyrolean hamlets almost untouched but time. One will also never forget to mention the Danube River, of course, which is synonymous with, and tightly woven into the fabric of Austrian history, music and culture, although only 350km of the 2,800km-river flows through Austria.
For all the elegance and stature of Austria, one is surprised at its small size. It is a country in which the visitor can travel very easily and see some of Europe's most astounding scenery. The arts have played an important part of the history of Austria attested by the important centers of culture in not only Vienna and Salzburg but other venues as well such as Linz, Graz and Innsbruck. Located in the heart of Europe, Austria is an excellent touring center.
Capital: Vienna
Population: 8,466,000
Area: 32, 376 square miles
Language: German. English is widely spoken
Time: GMT +1
Electricity: 220 Volts AC, 50 Hz
Geography: Austria is a landlocked country in the center of Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south and Switzerland to the west. The country is mostly mountainous except for a small area east of Vienna. The Danube River is the main waterway in the country.
Visit Austria and the birthplace of Mozart, Strauss, Haydn, Schubert, the Vienna Boys' Choir and Lipizzaner horses dancing to the 'Sound of Music'. Austria is famous for its many music and cultural festivals held throughout the year from opera, theatre and concerts to marionette theatre.
This German-speaking landlocked Central European federal republic has a moderate continental climate with warm summers with cool nights and sunny winters with high snow levels.
Austria covers 32,375 miles² (83,855km² ), (only slightly smaller than Maine) and is divided into nine independent provinces, or Länder, each with its own provincial assembly (Landtag), provincial governor and councillors.
Did you know?
- Austria is reputed to have more castles and palaces open to visitors than any comparable area in Europe.
- The original name of Austria was mentioned for the first time in the Ostarrichi Charter of 996
- Legend has it that the red/white/red horizontal bars of the Austrian flag was a tribute to the great warrior Friederich Barbarossa, who had a penchant for getting covered in blood (not his own) during battles. The only part of his body not slathered with blood was his waistbelt.
International Airports:
Klagenfurt - Worther See Airport (KLU) is only 1.5 miles from the town . Busses and taxis are avialble.
Salzburg - Maxgolen Airport (SZG) is only 3 miles from Salzburg. Taxis take only 10 minutes to reach downtown busses which operate every 15 minutes take about 20 minutes.
Vienna - Schwechat Airport is about 20 miles form the city and takes 30-40 minutes to ttravel. Taxis are plentiful. BUsses have a frequent shedule to the down town Air Terminal and Westbahnhof. There is also scheduled train service which connects with the city's U-Bahn (underground system).
Tipping: Service charges are included in hotel and restaurant bills ranging from 10 - 15%. At restaurants the usual practice is to leave some additional loose change. Taxi drivers expect a 10% tip. Porters should get loose change.
Shopping: Many shops are open by 8 am and close at 6 pm. Monday through Saturday with a one to two hour break for lunch. Many stores close at noon on Saturday . Most store are not open on Sunday. Popular items to purchase are glassware, china and leathergoods.
Food and Drink: Austrian food is strongly influenced by what used to be within the old borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire typically including potatoes and dumplings. The wide range of cuisine is reflected in restaurant menus. Other international restaurants are plentiful especially in the larger cities. Austria is a wine country and they are proud of it. Registration laws require that the price reflect the quality of the wine. Beers are plentiful as well as liquors which tend to be a little pricey. Soft drinks are plentiful as well as fruit juices.
Social: Austrians tend to be quite formal in public. Handshaking is expected in both greeting and leaving. Expect at greeting in shops to hear the words "Gruss Got" which equivalent to hello but directly translated means "God is Great." Your response should be simply "hello." Austrians never deal in first names at first meeting. If invited for dinner you must take flowers (not overdone) for the hostess.
Business: Austrians are very formal in business dealings and tend to contrast greatly with other western cultures in the way that business is conducted. Remember that first names are seldom used even after several meetings. The sudden use of a first name never happens without first asking permission. Appointments and punctuality are expected. A knowledge of German may be helpful but is usually not necessary.
Climate
Austria enjoys a fairly moderate climate usually without extremes. The winters are cold enough to sustain a great deal of snow for winter sports. The spring and fall are usually very pleasant. Summers are warn with some occasionally hot days.
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