Austria - will you share this waltz with me?
General information
Austria seems to carry you back to a grand past thanks to its imperial architecture and museums, while its high mountains, crystal-clear lakes and small Alpine towns bring together the majesty of nature and the hospitality of the locals. Located in Central Europe, the country borders Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The capital, Vienna, is the largest city and the cultural centre of the country.
Austria is a federal republic of nine provinces, including Tyrol, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia and Lower Austria. Vienna is also a federal province in its own right. The differences between regions are noticeable - the west is dominated by the Alps, while around Vienna and in the east the landscape becomes flatter.
About two thirds of the country's territory is Alpine. The highest peak is the Grossglockner at 3,798 metres. The Danube flows through the country and has been important for the development of its towns and trade.
This geography also explains the variety of travel routes. Vienna is a city of palaces, music, art and coffee houses, Salzburg is associated with Mozart and Baroque architecture, and Innsbruck has mountains literally a step away from its historic centre.
Climate
Austria has a temperate climate, but the weather varies considerably by region and altitude. In the east, including around Vienna, the continental influence is stronger and summers can be quite warm. In the Alps temperatures are lower, there is more precipitation and winter is longer and snowier.
These differences make the country a year-round destination. Summer is ideal for mountain hiking, cycling, lakes and walks in nature. Winter naturally turns attention to the ski resorts of Tyrol, Salzburg and other Alpine regions.
Spring and autumn are especially pleasant for city breaks. Vienna, Salzburg and Graz can be explored at a relaxed pace, and in autumn the vineyards around Vienna and in Styria take on beautiful golden colours.
Culture and history
Austria's history is inseparable from one of Europe's most influential dynasties - the Habsburgs. For centuries Vienna was the capital of an empire spanning vast territories in Central and Eastern Europe. This legacy can still be seen in the city - in its palaces, squares, museums and wide, grand boulevards.
Vienna was not only a political centre. In the 18th and 19th centuries it also became one of Europe's musical capitals. The names of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and later Johann Strauss II are linked to the city and to the development of European classical music.
It was here that Vienna's distinctive musical world took shape - from the opera and concert halls to the famous balls. The Viennese waltz became an international symbol of elegance in the 19th century, and the Strauss family played a huge role in popularising it. Works such as "The Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss II are so closely tied to the image of Vienna that even today it is hard to imagine the city without the music of the waltz.
The tradition continues today with the famous Vienna Opera Ball and hundreds of other balls held during the winter season. They are not simply a show for tourists - ball culture is part of the city's tradition and brings together music, dance, formal dress and characteristic Viennese elegance.
Vienna's architecture also tells the city's story. Schönbrunn Palace is one of the best-known examples of Habsburg imperial splendour. The dynasty's former summer residence impresses with its huge park, palace interiors and Baroque composition.
In the city centre stands the Hofburg - a vast complex that for centuries was the main residence of the Habsburgs. Today it houses museums, official institutions and the famous Spanish Riding School.
St Stephen's Cathedral is another symbol of Vienna. The Gothic building rises in the very heart of the city and contrasts with the grand Baroque and Neoclassical buildings around it.
In the 19th century Vienna changed even more significantly. The old fortifications were torn down and replaced by the Ringstrasse - the grand boulevard along which the opera, parliament, city hall, university and many public buildings appeared. The architecture along the Ring shows the ambition of the Vienna of the time to demonstrate its status as a great European capital.
At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, however, some artists and architects began looking for something different from the historical styles. This gave rise to the Vienna Secession - a movement striving for a more modern art and a new aesthetic.
Among its best-known representatives is Gustav Klimt. His decorative compositions, golden ornaments and symbolic images make him one of the most recognisable Austrian artists. "The Kiss" is among the works most strongly associated with Vienna and the artistic atmosphere around 1900.
Egon Schiele represents a completely different side of this art. His expressive portraits and figures are more intense and psychological, and that is precisely what makes him one of the key figures of Austrian modernism. The architect Joseph Maria Olbrich and the designer Koloman Moser were also part of this artistic milieu, in which architecture, painting, furniture and the decorative arts came to be seen as a single whole.
That is why Vienna around 1900 is so important for European culture. Within a few decades the city brought together musicians, artists, architects, writers and thinkers who changed ideas about art and the modern city.
Salzburg offers another, more Baroque side of Austrian culture. Mozart's birthplace is known for its old town, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mirabell Palace and the festival that every summer turns the city into a stage for opera, concerts and theatre.
But Salzburg is not only about music. Its historic centre is one of the best preserved in Europe, and the narrow streets, Baroque façades and squares around the cathedral create the city's distinctive atmosphere.
To the west, Austria gradually becomes an Alpine world. Innsbruck is one of the best examples - a historic city with mountains rising above it. The old town is known for the Golden Roof, built for Emperor Maximilian I, and from the city a cable car takes you up to the Nordkette mountains.
The Salzkammergut is another side of Austria - lakes, green slopes and small villages. Hallstatt is the best known of them, but the whole region is interesting for its nature and its link with the traditional Alpine way of life. Salt mining here has a history of thousands of years, and it was salt that brought the region its wealth.
Alpine culture is still very visible today. Local festivals, traditional costumes, woodcarving and seasonal customs are part of life in the mountain areas. In autumn, for example, there are celebrations marking the return of livestock from the high pastures.
Austrian cuisine also varies by region. Wiener schnitzel, apple strudel and Sachertorte are among the best-known specialities, but the tradition of the Viennese coffee house is no less interesting. In Austria the coffee house has long been a place for meeting, talking, reading the newspaper and spending time, not just a stop for coffee.
Outside the capital, regional produce, cheeses, meat specialities and local wines play a big role. Around Vienna and in Styria wine culture is especially important, and the traditional Heuriger - small wine taverns - are part of the local atmosphere.
The 20th century brought difficult changes. After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1918, Austria became a republic. In 1938 the country was annexed by Nazi Germany, and the Second World War left deep scars.
After the war the Second Republic was built. The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 restored the country's sovereignty, and later that year Austria adopted the constitutional law on permanent neutrality. 26 October is the country's national day.
Why and when to visit Austria?
Austria is a destination that has practically no single "right" season. It all depends on what the traveller is looking for.
Winter is the natural choice for skiers. Tyrol, Salzburg and other Alpine regions offer numerous resorts and opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and winter hiking. At the same time Vienna and Salzburg are especially attractive in December thanks to their Christmas markets, concerts and festive atmosphere.
Summer shows the greener side of the country. Mountain trails, lakes and Alpine valleys are ideal for walking and active holidays. It is also a good time to combine cities with nature.
Spring and autumn are great for cultural trips. Vienna can then be explored at a more relaxed pace - from the palaces and museums to the concert halls, the opera, the architecture along the Ringstrasse and the small coffee houses in the centre.
Austria also makes it easy to combine different experiences. A route might start with a few days in Vienna, continue to Salzburg and the lakes of the Salzkammergut and end in Tyrol among the Alps.
And perhaps this is the country's greatest strength - its ability to combine culture and nature without either feeling like an add-on to the other. In one direction lie the palaces, the waltz, the opera and Klimt; in the other, the mountains, lakes and Alpine villages.
Austria has its own rhythm and its own style - elegant enough to be recognised at first glance, yet varied enough to offer a new experience with every visit.
