AUSTRIA

INTRODUCTION
Austria is officially called the Republic of
Austria. In German it is called Osterreich
which means "eastern kingdom" or
"eastern empire".
Austria is a landlocked country, with a
land area of 83,855 km (32,377 mi).
German is the official language of
Austria and is spoken by over 88% of the
population. Other local languages
include Hungarian, Turkish etc.
Austria has a population of over 8
million people (8,221,646) as of July
2013.
Vienna is the capital and largest city of
Austria, with a population over 1.7
million.

Austria is a mountainous country due

to its location in the Alps, two-thirds of
the country sits over 500m (1,640 ft)
above sea level. The highest point is
the mountain of Grossglockner at
3,798 metres (12,461 ft).

Throughout the 17th and 18th

centuries, Austria was one of the great
powers of Europe under the Habsburg
ruled Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In 1938, Austria was incorporated into

Nazi Germany and ceased to exist as
an independent country until 1955
when it officially became independent
again.

Austria has some of the highest

standards of living in the world.

Austria joined the European Union in

1995, and the Euro currency in 1999

IMPORTANT DESTINATIONS

MELK ABBEY

Melk Abbey is one of the most famous monasteries in the world. Situated
high up on cliff, overlooking the calming waters of the Danube river, rests
the peaceful Benedictine abbey. Previously the castle of Leopold II, the
structure was given to the monks, who transformed it into a place of
tranquility and learning in 1089. The impressive spiritual center has
become one of the greatest examples of Baroque architecture and the

SALZKAMMERGUT

Salzkammergut is a beautiful resort area that starts with Salzburg and

heads east into a land of lakes. Sparkling clean lakes, green hills,
wonderful mountains, romantic towns like St.Wolfgang etc make up this
region. Travelers who have seen the movie The Sound Of Music will know
what this lake region looks like, because that movie was filmed in and
around the city of Salzburg and the neighboring Salzkammergut region.

SALZBURG

Situated in central Austria, near the German border, Salzburg is probably

best known as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. People come
to Austrias fourth-largest city from all over the world to view the sights
that inspired such unforgettable classical and popular music. With its hilltopped medieval fortress, picturesque Altstadt old town and breath-taking

INNSBRUC
K

Innsbruck, with a
name that translates
as bridge over the
inn, is an all-season
tourist destination. It
is internationally
known for its winter
sports, having
hosted the Winter
Olympics in 1964
and 1976. But this
Tyrolean city offers
more than just great
skiing. It offers a
good mix of
cathedrals, such as
Hofkirche, which
houses the tomb of
Emperor Maximilian
I; the Schloss
Ambras, which has a

GROSSGLOCKNER ALPINE ROAD

Grossglockner Alpine Road is a panoramic road which takes you up to the

Kaiser Franz Josefs Hhe Visitor Center. From there, you get the
unobstructed view of Austrias highest mountain, the Grossglockner. The
Grossglockner Alpine Road is a toll road, but the fabulous high alpine
scenery more than makes up for the expenses. The road is normally open

SCHNBRUNN PALACE

Schnbrunn Palace is a formerimperialsummer residence located in

Vienna,Austria. The 1,441-roomBaroquepalace is one of the most important
architectural, cultural and historical monuments in the country. Since the
mid-1950s it has been a major tourist attraction. The history of the palace
and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes,

VIENNA STATE OPERA

The Vienna State Opera is a stunning architectural structure in the
middle of Austrias capital. and quite possibly the most celebrated
opera house of all time. The orchestra is recognized as one of the
top in the world. While there, take in one of historys most famous
operas or ballets, offered in both classical and modern versions for
viewers to choose from.

HALLSTATT
Another great tourist
spot is Hallstatt, a
small village in the
Salzkammergut region,
famous for its salt
production. As salt has
long been a desired
commodity used to
preserve and provide
flavor to food, the
village has a longstanding history of
wealth and prestige.
The wealth
accumulated from the
salt industry
transformed it into a
glamorous baroque
village. Hrnerwerk
caverns subterranean

ST ANTON AM
ARLBERG

Another famous ski resort area worth visiting in Austria is called St Anton am
Arlberg. Located in Tyrol, this village offers serious, legendary ski terrain for
those who are seeking a challenge. Often attracting adventurous youths, the
vast landscape welcomes its loyal winter crowd, as well as its summer

WACHAU-AUSTRIAN VALLEY
SOUTHERN

WRTHERSEE-ALPINE LAKE IN

AUSTRIAN STATE OF CARIN

HUNDERTWASSERHAUS

HOHENSALZBURG CASTLE,
LITERALLY "HIGH SALZBURG
FORTRESS" SITS ATOP THE
FESTUNGSBERG, A SMALL HILL IN THE

Skiing and Snowboarding: Winter sport tourism

has become a billion euro industry in Austria and
helped some towns to attain formidable wealth. Most
Austrian ski resorts are former farming towns that
have grown into resorts many times their original
size,
A handful of ski resorts such as Obertauern were
built completely from scratch in the 1960's and
1970's..The ski season lasts from early December to
late March. The best conditions for skiing are in midJanuary, the coldest time of the year. The most
crowded time is the period from December the 25th
until January the 2nd
Cycle Touring: Austria is well known for its scenic
cycle routes along its largest rivers. Though Austria is
a mountainous country, cycle routes along rivers are
flat or gently downhill, and therefore suitable even
for casual cyclists. The most famous route is the
Danube cycle path from Passau to Vienna, one of the

Music: Many visitors come to experience

Austria's musical heritage. Salzburg and
Vienna offer world renowned opera, classical
music and jazz at moderate prices, but
performances of high standards are also
widely available throughout the rest of the
country. There are dozens of Summer
festivals for all tastes, the most famous being
the avant-garde Salzburg festival (Salzburger
Festspiele. Austrian folk music (Volksmusik) is
an integral part of rural Austria, and is said to
have influenced many of the nation's big
composers. In the Alps almost every village
has its own choir or brass band (Blasmusik)
Cuisine: Austrian cuisineis a style of
cuisine native toAustriaand composed of
influences from throughout the former
Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austrian cuisine is
most often associated withViennese cuisine,
but there are significant regional variations
such as Kaiserschmarrn, soft, fluffy pancake
ripped into bites and slightly roasted in a pan,
served with applesauce or stewed plums,

TOURISM DATA
Tourist Arrivals in Austria increased to 27,81,000 in May of 2015 from
22,42,000 Thousand in April of 2015. Tourist Arrivals in Austria averaged
26,00,000 from 1999 until 2015, reaching an all time high of 48,22,000
Thousand in August of 2014 and a record low of 9,61,000 in November of
1999. Tourist Arrivals in Austria is reported by the Statistics Austria.
In 2007, Austria ranked 9th worldwide in international tourism receipts,
with 18.9 billion US$.Ininternational tourist arrivals, Austria ranked 12th
with 20.8 million tourists

THANKYOU
MINNU RAJAN
A-9017