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| Photo by wowitsstephen |
The capital Vienna was once the citadel of the Habsburgs who ruled the country for over 600 years. The city is an architectural gem and a centre of music from the medieval times. The Hofburg (Imperial Palace) and the adjoining Augustinian Church are two of the marvels of architecture. Other notable sights in Vienna include the Museum of Fine Arts, Belvedere Palace, and the Sigmund Freud Museum.
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| Photo by Diego Cambiaso |
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| Photo by ***Images*** |
Salzburg , the city that gave Mozart to the world, is a picturesque abode surrounded by tall mountains. Your tour of Salzburg is incomplete without a visit to the 11th-century Hohensalzburg Castle, the Museum of Fine Arts, and St. Peter's Abbey. Four kilometres to the south of Salzburg is the interesting Hellbrunn Palace whose grounds contain trick fountains and water-powered figures.
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| Photo by Miroslav Petrasko (hdrshooter.com) |
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Austria is thronged by tourists round the year. Summer is the ideal time for sightseeing while in winter the slopes of the Alps offer ample opportunities for skiing. The Arlberg region with St. Anton or Upper Austria with Radstadt has some of the best skiing resorts in Austria. Up in the Alps, the Gemuetlichkeit of the Austrians makes you enjoy a stay in the snow, skiing or hiking.
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| Photo by Marcus Rahm |
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| Photo by ***Images*** |
History
The Austro-Hungarian Empire played a decisive role in Central European history. It occupied strategic territory containing the southeastern routes to Western Europe and the north-south routes between Germany and Italy. Although present-day Austria is only a tiny remnant of the old empire it retains this unique position.
Soon after the Republic of Austria was created at the end of World War I it faced the strains of catastrophic inflation and of redesigning a government meant to rule a great empire into one that would govern only 6 million citizens. In the early 1930s worldwide depression and unemployment added to these strains and shattered traditional Austrian society. Resultant economic and political conditions led in 1933 to a dictatorship under Engelbert Dollfuss. In February 1934 civil war broke out and the Socialist Party was outlawed. In July a coup d'etat by the National Socialists failed but Dollfuss was assassinated by Nazis. In March 1938 Austria was incorporated into the German Reich a development commonly known as the "Anschluss (annexation).
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| Photo by archer10 (Dennis) |
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| Photo by -Reji |
At the Moscow conference in 1943 the Allies declared their intention to liberate Austria and reconstitute it as a free and independent state. In April 1945 both Eastern- and Western-front Allied forces liberated the country. Subsequently Austria was divided into zones of occupation similar to those in Germany.
Under the 1945 Potsdam agreements the Soviets took control of German assets in their zone of occupation. These included 7% of Austria's manufacturing plants 95% of its oil resources and about 80% of its refinery capacity. The properties were returned to Austria under the Austrian State Treaty. This treaty signed in Vienna on May 15 1955 came into effect on July 27 and under its provisions all occupation forces were withdrawn by October 25 1955. Austria became free and independent for the first time since 1938.
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| Photo by pollobarca2 |
Food and Drinks
Austrian cuisine is varied and hearty. It has been influenced by Hungarian, Czech, Italian and German cuisines, from which both dishes and food preparation have often been borrowed. Goulash in an example of this. Wild game is available everywhere and pork is the most popular meat. People with a sweet tooth can indulge in such classics as the Linzertorte, a flaky cake lined with currant or raspberry jam and encased by a lattice of cake dough. There's also Sachertorte, a chocolate cake made from a traditional recipe developed by Franz Sacher. Almdudler is Austria's national drink made from mountain herbs and its flavor is similar to elderflower. Drinking coffee is integral to Austrian culture as it is in other areas of Europe. It's served in a wide variety of styles in Viennese cafes.
Text Source: world66.com
