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Travel Austria
Why Visit Austria
Austria
officially the Republic of Austria ,
is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people
in Central Europe. It borders both
Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and
Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and
Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.
The
origins of Austria date back to the time of the Roman
Empire, where the Celtic kingdom of Noricum
was conquered by the Romans in approximately 15 BC, and
later became a Roman province in the mid 1st century AD
an area which mostly encloses today's Austria. In 788
AD,
the Frankish king Charlemagne conquered the area, and introduced
Christianity. In more recent times, the Austrian Empire
formed a monarchic union with the Hungarian Empire in 1867
creating Austria, Hungary which ended in
1918 with the closure of World War I.
In Austria, the euro was introduced as an
accounting currency on 1 January 1999, and euro coins and
banknotes entered circulation on 1 January 2002. As a preparation
for this date, the minting of the new euro coins started
as early as 1999, however all Austrian euro coins introduced
in 2002 have this year on it; unlike other countries of
the Eurozone where mint year is minted in the coin.
Visits
to Austria mostly include trips to Vienna with its Cathedral,
its "Heurigen" (wine
pubs) and romantic Waltz music events. Worth a visit are
Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart, Innsbruck, capital of Tyrol
surrounded by the Alps, and the Danube valley with its
vineyards, for example the Wachau or Dunkelsteinerwald,
which are between Melk and Krems. In the western part of
the country the province Vorarlberg reaches the Lake Constance,
in the eastern part .
Of
great touristic importance are the Austrian skiing, hiking
and mountaineering resorts in
the Alps as well as family-friendly recreation areas
. The same applies
to the numerous Austrian lakes.
Popular Tourist
Sites include:
Vienna - Vienna is referred to by many as a unique onion,
with each of the urban layers surrounding the oldest historic
center being equally important to the overall flavor of
the city.
Salzburg - The city's magnificent baroque town centre is rated
as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage
site and can easily be explored by strolling along the
charming alleys. A classic music festival, the city's most
famous son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the heart-warming
musical "The Sound of Music" created the area's
fame and popularity with music enthusiasts all over the
world.
Tirol - Tirol consists of no less than 36
scenic holiday regions that boast a great variety of characteristics
and highlights: mighty peaks, crystal clear lakes, picturesque
towns!
Getting Around in Austria:
By Land:
Austria Car
Leasing
If you wish to travel by car, we have the following Car leasing in Austria
suppliers to choose from, Renault
Leasing, Peugeot
Car Leasing, Citroen
Car Leasing
Austria Rail Passes
Travelling
by Train is your preference, we help you with your
Rail passes, check our Austria
Eurail Passes rates here.
By Water:
Austria
Motorhome Hire
Would
you like to try Motorhome Holiday in
Austria ?, We can help you with that too. DRM and
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Germany
Austria Climate:
The greater
part of Austria lies in the cool/temperate climate zone
in which humid westerly winds predominate.
With over half of the country dominated by the Alps,
the alpine climate is the predominant one. In the east—in
the Pannonian Plain and along the Danube valley—the
climate shows continental features with less rain than
the alpine areas. Although Austria is cold in the winter,
summer temperatures can be relatively warm—reaching
20-35 degrees Celsius.
Austrian Cuisine:
Austria's
cuisine is derived from that of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire. Austrian cuisine is mainly the tradition of Royal-Cuisine
("Hofküche") delivered over centuries.
It is famous for its well-balanced variations of beef
and pork and countless variations of vegetables. There
is also the "Mehlspeisen" Bakery, which created
particular delicacies such as Sachertorte, "Krapfen" which
are doughnuts usually filled with apricot marmalade or
custard, and "Strudel" such as "Apfelstrudel" and "Topfenstrudel" filled
with sweetened sour cream. In addition to native regional
traditions, the cuisine has been influenced by Hungarian,
Bohemia Czech, Jewish, Italian, Balkan and French cuisine,
from which both dishes and methods of food preparation
have often been borrowed. The Austrian cuisine is therefore
one of the most multicultural and transcultural in Europe.
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Austria
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