AUSTRIA

   

Fact file

Situated in the world: Central Europe

Time: GMT +1

Currency: Euro

Official languages spoken: German

Climate: Typical continental: Cloudy, cold winters, frequent rain in lowlands and snow in the mountains, Cool summers with intermittent showers

Capital city. Vienna

River: The Danube passes through Linz and Vienna

Neighboring countries: Germany, Czech republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein

Electricity: 220v 50Hz

Visa required: EU, USA, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand citizens no visa required and allowed to stay for 3 months.
Asia, Africa Arabic countries Visa required which is valid for 3 months


This month (February) Austria comes alive with Facshing or carnival period. Each region on different days dress up in lavish masked costumes, parades waltz through the streets celebrating the return of spring. Confetti is thrown everywhere and generally it is a wonderful atmosphere.

Austria is a beautiful country with many wonderful cities, and natural beauty spots. It caters for all types of people and is a safe place to visit.
It is one of those countries that have everything in whichever season you go in. My personal favorite is winter. The snow delicately caps the hazardous mountain range of the Alps inviting the unsuspecting skier to challenge nature by leaving his mark of victory down the colossal elevation
There are endless ski resorts, most of them have children ski clubs, so, while the kids are having fun meeting other kids, mums and dads can enjoy a day on the slopes hassle free. Ski lessons run all day, but you may choose the hours that best suit you. All instructors speak English and are very helpful. If you have never skied before I would strongly recommend lessons, by the end of the week you will surprise yourself how easy you will be skiing.
The cost of ski’s, boots and mountain pass hire varies from place to place, but over all mountain passes are extremely expensive. So take extra cash with you, as these are not included in a package holiday.
All the hotels I have been to are spotlessly clean and I find it’s worth going to a hotel that is minutes walk from the ski lift.

One of the most famous resorts is Kitzbul, and probably one of the most expensive, it’s where all the stars go, I personally haven’t seen anyone famous there. The ski town is small and doesn’t really cater for young children.

Westerndorf is another town that has more life and tends to cater for all ages. There were 101 ski runs.on my last visit.

Ski run coding in Austria is as follows:
Green :    Beginners
Blue:     Intermediate
Red :      Advanced
Black:     For very advanced or those who are completely fearless.

Once on the slopes there are many café stops, Gluwein is one of the hot drinks people tend to have, but beware, it can hit you later. It’s made up of hot red mulled wine and local spices. Not recommended before a black run!

Springtime and summertime bring out the beautiful flora, edelweiss delicately dresses the enormity of the mountains. Cowbells are heard in the distance as they graciously graze the grass. With the warmth of the sun, and the purity of the air the countryside is an ideal place to forget all the hustle and bustle of the city life.
There are lots of places to stop for picnics take long walks and enjoy the serenic sights and sounds of nature.
On a budget holiday, camping is a good bet, there are many campsites around in the countryside, they open around March, it is advisable to book in advance, but if you haven’t there is always a good chance of being able to camp without pre-booking.
Most hotels have Austrian nights, where you can learn the ‘slap’ dance, taste Austrian wine and enjoy the hospitality of the local people.

Food
In Austria a typical breakfast consists of, ham, various kinds of cheese, eggs, cereals, yogurt, muesli (local favorite), freshly baked home made bread, a selection of fruit juices, tea or coffee. The milk is very creamy almost bordering on cream.
Lunch or evening meal:
Food is not spicy; schnitzels are made from thin slices of veal, coated with breadcrumbs and fried. This is served with potatoes or frites.
Water is safe to drink for the tap, but I always recommend people to drink bottled water. When going to a restaurant, it’s best to ask first if they accept credit cards, as a lot of restaurants don’t.

Shopping
Shops open from 9am and close at 5.30pm. Most shops close on Sunday. It is safer to take traveler-cheques for safety reasons; Austrian Shillings are no longer accepted. Remember if you are changing cash you will pay a commission on every transaction. Hotels always give a higher rate of exchange; you are better off going to a bank to change your money. The local wine is a good buy and very tasty, but stringer spirits are very expensive, so it’s probably better to buy duty free at country of origin.
The handy crafts are beautiful, many wonderful embroidered items to choose from, again if you buy from tourist places you will pay much higher, don’t be afraid to ask in the hotels where the local people buy their products, you will get a better price this way and an honest answer.

As with all cities, never leave your handbag or personal belongings vulnerable.

Places of interest

Eisriesenwelt Ice caves
These are the biggest ice caves in the world, a magnitude of frozen crystal. At temperatures well below zero you will need to dress for the artic, I wouldn’t recommend small children to go, the tour can take up to 3 hours and there is a lot of walking. It is by far the most amazing natural wonders I have ever seen. The formation of the ice crystals change form year to year, not even the most gifted crafts man could create such an awesome prodigy. See the cave show on http://www.eisriesenwelt.at

Salzburg
Home of Mozart and one of my favorite cities. Great shopping, plenty of coffee bars to recharge your batteries. The skyline is littered with domes andice-crem cone shaped turrets crafted by the architects of the lat 16th -early 17th century meticulously designed, leaving us of the great 21st century only to stand in awe of what was. These noble buildings have outlived many great leaders, withstood 2 world wars and hold many secrets within their walls that could never unfold any wrong doing by their predecessors. They still stand as dignified today as the people who lived in them.

Vienna
If you like history, this is the place to be, history screams through the walls of the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The museum of fine arts boasts some of the finest artwork in the land.
Take a boat ride along the Danube, enjoy the splendors of Vienna; The Danube is not the cleanest of rivers.

Did you know
The Sound of Music, probably one of the most famous films was recorded in Austria. Hitler was Austrian

Austria joined the EU. In 1995

The Official name for Austria is Oesterreich, Which means rich East. It is land locked therefore has no coastline.

The highest point is Grossglockner 3,798m high

Johann Strauss learned to play the violin against his parents’ wishes and later rivaled his father’s orchestra.

Johann Strauss was born in Vienna

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg and began composing before the grand old age of 5.