Austria is a small alpine country in the center of Europe, which surprises with its picturesque landscapes and diversity of flora and fauna. About half of Austria's territory is occupied by forests - oak and beech in the lowlands, and conifers - in the mountains. At altitudes of 2000 meters, alpine meadows begin with the kingdom of orchids, poppies and edelweiss, the beauty of which can be admired from June to September.
Tours to Austria attract tourists from all over the world with a variety of opportunities: active winter holidays, acquaintance with unique architectural monuments, unsurpassed musical traditions and richness of cultural life. The Hospitality and friendliness of Austrians have become a prominent feature of national character.
It is difficult to imagine a holiday in Austria without visiting Vienna - the capital of the country and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe! Vienna's romantic atmosphere is largely connected with its rich history, the splendor of ancient palaces and cathedrals, the charm of the music of Mozart and Strauss. Among the architectural masterpieces of the city are the Hofburg Imperial Palace, the Augustine Church, the world-famous palaces - Schönbrunn and Belvedere.
Vienna is a recognized center of music, thanks to many world-famous musicians who lived and worked in this city: Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms. The Vienna Choir, the Vienna Boys' Choir, various musical events, the Vienna Opera have also gained worldwide fame.
Austria is an ideal country for ski lovers. It is believed that it was in the Austrian Alps that a prototype of alpine skiing was born at the beginning of the century. Ski holidays in Austria attract those who want to learn to conquer serious mountains and improve skiing skills: the Austrian Alps are waiting for the purposeful! Thanks to first-class slopes, developed infrastructure and hotel base, ski tours to Austria are very popular among tourists. In Austria, there are 22,000 km of prepared ski slopes of varying complexity.
Ski resorts in Austria - Salzburg, Tyrol, Arlberg - are just a few of the popular winter holiday destinations. All resorts have bright and vibrant nightlife. Some of the resorts are located on glaciers and offer tourists ski service all year round. Among them are Pitztal, Kaprun, Selden, Stubai Tukser.
A romantic holiday on the lakes of Austria is gaining popularity every year. It is no coincidence that Austria is called the country of thousands of lakes. Beach lovers will find many clean lakes and mountain rivers here. An ideal place for a summer vacation in Austria is lakes in Carinthia and Salzkammergut.
Rest in the thermal resorts of Austria is a great opportunity to improve health and find harmony of body and soul. Thermal resorts in Austria offer vacationers a large selection of first-class accommodation - from 5-star hotels to budget holidays in a peasant farmstead.
Among the thermal resorts, the most popular are Styria, Carinthia, the Alpine Baths of Salzburg.
Austrians are a hospitable people, despite their apparent arrogance. The explanation is that the population of Austria, and especially large cities, comes from bourgeois families. However, Austrians easily make contact and are always ready to help with difficulties. The distinctive features of Austrians are politeness and punctuality.
Official name: Republic of Austria
Capital: Vienna
Language: the official language is German. In the field of tourism, English is understood and spoken almost everywhere.
Geography: the state is located in the southern part of Central Europe and occupies part of the Eastern Alps and the territory along the Danube River. In Austria, natural, climatic and plant zones are closely intertwined. Due to its geographical location, Austria has long been a crossroads of transport routes connecting the most important European centers of the economy and culture. Austria borders Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland. The total length of Austria's borders is 2,706 km.
The highest mountain in Austria is Grossglockner (3,797 m), the most important river is the Danube (about 350 km flows through Austria).
3/4 of the country's territory is occupied by the Eastern Alps, more than 10% - by high plateaus.
Climate: harsh winters and hot summers in the mountains. The eastern plain is located in the continental climate zone. In the south of the country, the climate is almost Mediterranean. In general, the climate is temperate continental, quite humid. The average annual temperature is 9.8° C. With a rise of every 100 m, average temperatures decrease by 0.5° C. In the Vienna area, the maximum temperature in summer is +36 C, the minimum temperature in winter is -10 C. Snow in the highlands lasts 7 - 8 months. Due to the mountainous terrain, the climate of Austria is very diverse - on the slopes of the Alps winters are mild and summers are hot.
Religion: about 78% are Catholics, 5% are Protestants, 4.5% adhere to other religions, 9% identify themselves as atheists.
Currency: euro
Electricity: mains voltage - 220 volts, 50 Hz. Two plugs are used in Austria.
Time difference: 1 hour behind the Belarusian one.
Communication: when dialing a phone number in Austria, you should dial 0 before the city code (when dialing a phone number from Russia, the city code 0 is never dialed before). For example: call to Vienna from Austria 0-1-<phone in Vienna>; call to Vienna from Belarus 8 beeps 1043-1-<phone in Vienna> (1043-code of Austria from Belarus, 1 - Vienna city code, then - phone in Vienna). To make a phone call from Austria to Belarus, dial 00375 + the code of the corresponding city.
Shopping in Austria: is one of the favorite activities of locals, and, of course, most guests of Austria. There are a lot of shopping opportunities in large cities. In large department stores, boutiques, antique and jewelry stores, shops of designer furniture and lamps, as well as in bookstores you can find anything to the buyer's soul.
There is no single opening hours for stores in Austria, as in recent years legislative requirements of this kind have become more flexible than in the recent past. It can be assumed that shopping centers and shops are usually open from Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.30, and on Saturdays from 09.00 to 18.00. On Thursdays and Fridays, many shops are open until 9 p.m.
Tips: make up 5% of the order value, in large restaurants it is customary to leave 10% of the bill amount. The waiter will definitely return the change on the bill, and after that, in the same napkin, you need to leave a tip. You can leave small coins in the bar and cafe. Street cafes don't tip. It is customary for a taxi driver to leave 10% above the meter, you can just leave a trifle from the change.
Transport in Austria: well developed. The country has good rail links with most European countries. Trains here are very comfortable, and traveling by train is a pleasant type of travel.
Buses are slower and less convenient than trains, but they are cheaper, and in terms of the number of routes served are not inferior to trains.
There are many high-speed highways in Austria, which are kept in excellent condition. Border checkpoints are open 24 hours a day. In Austria, there is a speed limit: 130 km/h on the highway, 100 km/h on the highway, 50 km/h in settlements.
Emergency phones: emergency service - 120, fire service - 122, police - 133, ambulance - 144.