Austria

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Austria

Cities Info

Austria is a small country in the centre of Europe, well known for its music and beautiful nature. However, Austria is also a modern industrialized country with metallurgical industry, motor industry, machines, textiles, oil and chemical industry and food industry. The capital Vienna is an economic centre of middle Europe with increasing importance. Vienna is the political, cultural and economic centre of the country and has about 1.6 million inhabitants. Vienna is the third seat of the United Nations and also of other international institutions (OPEC, European Patent Office, etc..

Once the centre of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies, Austria's 1955 State Treaty declared the country "permanently neutral" as a condition of Soviet military withdrawal. Neutrality, once ingrained as part of the Austrian cultural identity, has been called into question since the Soviet collapse of 1991 and Austria's increasingly prominent role in European affairs. A prosperous country, Austria joined the European Union in 1995 and the euro monetary system in 1999.

Under the rule of the mighty Habsburgs, Austria was the dominant political force in Central Europe. Today it may be politically reconciled to being a minor player in the European Union but it has few peers as a year-round holiday destination, with plenty of winter sports in the Schwarzenegger-sized Alps, some of the most impressive and overblown architecture in Europe and an unrivalled musical tradition that even The Sound of Music couldn't sully.

Country Fact

AUSTRIA Map

Country Fact*:

Full country name: The Republic of Austria
Area: 83,854 sq km (32,367 sq mi)
Population: 8,139,000
Capital city: Vienna (pop 1.64 million)
People: 97% Germanic origin, 2% Slovene & Croat and 1% Turkish
Language: 97% German, plus some Turkish, Slovene and Croat
Religion: 88% Roman Catholic, 6% Protestant
Government: Federal Republic
Business Hours: Most stores are open Monday–Friday, from 8 or 9 AM to 6 PM or 7:30 PM, but some may close for a 1- or 2-hour lunch break during the day. On Saturdays, hours are from 8 AM to 5 PM. In resort areas stores are generally open on weekends
Major industries: Machinery, textiles, iron & steel, timber and tourism
Major trading partners: EU (esp. Germany, Italy), US, Hungary & Switzerland

Event

Calendar of Events:

January:
1st - New Year's Day
6th - Epiphany
April:
16th - Good Friday and Easter
May:
1st - Labor Day
24th - Ascension Day
June:
4th.- Whit Monday
14th - Corpus Christi
August:
15th - Assumption
October:
26th - National Holiday
November:
1st - All Saints' Day
December:
8th - Immaculate Conception
25th - Christmas Day
26th - St Stephen's Day

* Information is subject to change. For further update, please check these websites :www.bbc.com, www.austria-tourism.at,www.cia.gov

Major Tourist Cities

SALZBURG

Sheltered by mountains and straddling the basin-shaped valley of the Salzach River, Salzburg stands in a picture-perfect setting. With its seven hills as backdrop the city likes to think of itself as the 'German Rome' and, with countless medieval spires, baroque domes, belfries and turrets punctuating its skyline, it does indeed have a certain Italianate flavour.

Visitors are drawn here not just for the setting but for the music. It's the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (well-heeled Mozart lovers get their fill of all things Mozart: music festivals, streets, plazas, houses, museums, chocolates and even liqueurs are named after him) and the setting for that most enduring of cinematic phenomenon's, The Sound of Music. With the power of Mozart and the pull of Maria 'Do-re-Mi' Von Trapp, the city's hills are indeed alive with the sound of music, especially during the annual uber Salzburg Festival.

For those with less cultural aspirations (and thinner wallets) there's plenty to see and do for free, including good hikes and outdoor activities close to the city. And once you've made yourself comfortable in one of the city's many coffee houses, ordered a kapuziner (coffee with very little milk) or a mozartkugeln, (the chocolate named after you-know-who), hummed a few bars of your favorite 'Sound of Music' tune, then you'll begin to understand why it's Austria's second-most visited city.


Local Travel Agent(s):

	Power Travel Services - Eva Gschwandtner
	Address: Paris-Lodron-STR, 22 / 2, Salzburg 5020 Austria Phone: + 43 662 629167, Fax: +43 662 6291674
	Das Reisekontor Swoboda Gesmbh
	Address : Paris-Lodron-STR 22 / 2, Salzburg 5020 Austria Phone: +43 662 629167, Fax: +43 662 6291674
	Salzburger Land Tourismus
	Address: Wiener Bundesstrasse 23, Hallwang A 5300 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43 662 668833, Fax: +43 662 668866

Salzburg City Map

Population: 145,000
Area: 7154 sq km
Country: Austria
Main language: German
Time: GMT/UTC +1
Telephone Area Code: 0662

VIENNA

It may have meant nothing to Midge Ure (cue gratuitous Ultravox reference), but Vienna is the mother lode of all things cultural. The grandiose city was the showpiece of the all-conquering Habsburg dynasty, which controlled much of Europe for over 600 years. Despite the ravages of time, its cultural gems endure: monumental edifices line the city centre, world-class museums burst with historical and artistic treasures, and internationally established orchestras perform in lavish concert halls.

From the detritus of a collapsed empire and the chaotic rubble of WWII, the Viennese have built a vibrant modern city with enviable economic clout. And with its newfound panache and verve the city has a lot more to offer than those Habsburg has-beens, warbling choir boys and prancing gee-gees.


Local Travel Agent(s):

	Oesterr Verkehrsbuero
	Address: MEIDL. HPSTR. 1, A-1120 Wien/Vienna 1120 Austria Phone: +43 1 813 36 36, Fax: +43 1 813 58 85
	Eldorado Reisen
	Address :1040 Wien, Favoritenstrasse 20 Austria Phone : +43 1 402 67 47, Fax: +43 1 402 67 47 20
	Der Reise Bar
	Address: Robert Lachgasse 50/7 Austria Phone: +43 1 2591087, Fax: +43 1 2591087
	Stafa Reisen
	Address:Stafa Reisen, Mariahilfer Strasse 125, 1060 Wien Vienna Austria Phone: +43 1 599 70, Fax: +43 1 599 70 56
	Osterreichisches Verkehrsburo AG
	Address: Lainzer Straße 3-5, Vienna 1130 Austria Phone: +43 1 879 30 50, Fax: +43 1 879 30 46

Vienna City Map

Population: 1.6 million
Area: 415 sq km (160 sq mi)
Country: Austria
Main language: German
Time: GMT/UTC +1
Telephone Area Code: 01