Full country name: Republic of Austria
Area: 83,858 sq km
Population: 8.02 million
Capital City: Vienna
People: 97% Germanic origin, 2% Slovene & Croat and 1% Turkish
Language: English, German, Turkish, Slovenian, Croatian
Religion: 88% Roman Catholic, 6% Protestant
Government: federal republic
Visas: EU, US, Canadian, EEA, Israeli, Japanese, Korean,
Malaysian, Singaporean, Australian and New Zealand citizens do not require
visas for stays of up to three months. Nationals of African and Arabic
countries generally require a visa, also valid for up to three months.
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Dialling Code: 43
Electricity: 230V ,50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
When to Go
Summer sightseeing and winter sports make Austria a year-round
destination. In the summer high season (July to August) crowds are bigger
and prices higher. Winter sports are in full swing from mid-December to late
March. Spring in the Alps is in June, when the Alpine flowers start coating
the mountains with colour.
Events
Christmas Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride from Salzburg
TOP RATED and SELLS OUT FAST!
Your full day winter excursion takes you along the Salzach river valley past many of Austria's ski resorts. Christmas Time Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride regularly sells out weeks in advance. Book ahead of time to avoid ...
Mozart Concert and Dinner at Stiftskeller in Salzburg
Dine at the oldest restaurant in Europe, Stiftskeller St. Peter, while listening to the music of Mozart. Enjoy a delicious three course candlelit dinner, prepared as it would have been in the 17th and 18th centuries, while local opera singers and ...
European Capital of Culture 2009, Linz
The Capital of Culture year will officially kick off on New Year?s Eve from December 31, 2008 until January 1, 2009. The absolute highlight of Opening09 will be the world premiere of the Rocket Symphony, a work for a chorus of several hundred ...
Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Day Concert
One of the world's most famous concerts, the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Day Concert in the Musikverein's fabulous Golden Hall greets the new year with dance music of the Strauss dynasty.
Not surprisingly, it's also the hardest to get tickets ...
The cycle of music festivals is unceasing. In January, New Year
concerts consist of lavish balls in Vienna. February brings Fasching
(Shrovetide carnival) which celebrates the return of spring with masked
processions and dances. Corpus Christi (the second Thursday after Whitsun)
is heralded with more carnivals, some held on lakes in the Salzkammergut.
The Vienna International Festival (from mid-May to mid-June) has a
wide-ranging programme of arts and is considered the highlight of the year.
Midsummer Night's celebrations on 21 June light up the sky with magnificent
bonfires. The Salzburg International Festival takes place in late July and
August and includes plenty of music by the city's favourite son, Mozart.
National Day on 26 October involves lots of patriotic flag-waving. St
Nicholas Day, on 5 to 6 December, marks the beginning of the Christmas
season. |
