Austria

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

The first thing that comes to mind when mentioning Austria is the Imperial heritage and classical music, followed by the image of Julie Andrews singing on an Alpine slope. And both of these images are quite correct, but incomplete. Vienna as the center of Austrian-Hungarian Empire was a melting pot of cultures, long before this term was even invented. For over a millennium, immigrants from all over Europe have rushed to Vienna and made substantial contributions to the cultural richness of Vienna, weather in architecture, language, cooking, art… And it is still the case today, as everyone can notice that just by walking through the city or checking the phone-book.

The Austrians are known as hard workers and are very eco-conscious; they recycle around 63 % of their waste. After a hard week at work they like to head out of town, to a rural area, enjoy the nature, sports and local wine. This country without an access to sea still has its main tourist season in summer, which tops even the skiing season, which only confirms the high quality infrastructure and service they provide for rural tourism, city breaks, cultural and business travel.

There are many amazing natural beauties hidden in this country, such as the biggest underground lake in Europe, only a few minutes from Vienna, then the spectacular World of the Ice Giants (the largest system of ice caves in the world), the Kitzbüheler Horn in the Tyrol region as one of the most picturesque summit in Austria, or the world-known Grossglockner Road.

Austria is a great destination for any type of traveller, with good infrastructure and a versatile high quality tourist offer throughout the year.