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Description
Inhabited since the Stone Age, the Austrian area has a long history of occupations, territorial struggles, war and rulers. The most significant rulers, the Germanic Habsburgs, ruled Austria for 640 years. Their imperial culture was centered in Vienna, a true masterpiece of a city.
That Austrian Empire (Habsburgs) were completely dismantled by 1918, at the end of World War I. During World War II, Adolf Hitler annexed all that remained into the German Third Reich. That war ended in 1945, with Hitler defeated, and the Allies began a brief occupation and reconstruction effort.
On May 15th, 1955, the Austrian State Treaty proclaimed Austria to be an independent republic, and its modern history began in earnest.
Landlocked in central Europe, Austria is today one of the continent's most influential countrys in both economic and political issues. Over the last half-century, the extraordinary Alpine scenery and cultural attractions of Austria and its cities, have transformed it into a major tourism destination.
Perhaps no one country can match the musical resumé of Austria. It's the homeland of legendary composers like Brahms, Haydn, Mahler, Mozart, Schubert and the Strausses - both father and son. In addition, the German-born Ludwig van Beethoven lived in Vienna for most of his adult life.
The current biography of Austria (the home of the Viennese Waltz, the Vienna Boys Choir and dancing Lipizzaner horses), is one of progress and stability.
Combine that with an abundance of natural beauty, spectacular mountain vistas, castles, cosmopolitan cities, the Danube River Valley, music festivals, and of course - world class Alpine skiing and resorts - and Austria paints a very pleasant picture, indeed.
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Maps (Austria)
Austria Large Color Map here
Austria Outline Map here
Austria Map (interactive) here
Austria Political Map (shows regions) here
Austria Railways Map here
Austria Topographical Relief Map here
Vienna Map here
Vienna Metro Map here
Vienna 1858 Map here
Austria from Space
Maps (Europe) Europe Capital Cities Map here
Europe Continent Map (printable) here
Europe Landforms Map here
Europe (Name the Country) test
Europe Outline Map here
European Rivers Map here
Europe Topographical Relief Map here
Media Austria Internet Search Engines here
Austria News here
Austria Today here
Austria Newspaper List here
Austria Radio Stations here
Austria Telephone Directory here
Radio Austria here
Suggested Links Austrian Beer Guide here
Austrian Business Directories here
Austria Country Study here
Austria Culture here
Austrian Football (soccer) here
Austrian Genealogy Pages here
Austrian Holidays here
Austrian National Bank here
Austrian Sports Organization here
Swarovski Crystal here
Weather, Time and more Austria International Dialing Codes here
Climate Austria has three very distinct climate zones.
In the eastern lowlands, the average high temperature in July is near 68° (20° C), while the January lows average near 30° (-1° C). Annual rainfall in this area is often less than 31 inches (800 mm).
The central region has a typical Alpine climate, with higher precipitation levels and shorter summers. Winters are long, and bring frequent rain to the lowlands and heavy snow to the mountains.
In the west, the weather is milder, but wetter. Precipitation amounts vary here depending on location and altitude, but annual amounts near 78 inches (2,000 mm) are possible. The average high temperature in July is near 62° (16° C), while the January lows average near 38° (3° C).
Mont Dachstein Timeline of History (16 B.C.) Almost all of present-day Austria was under Roman control, and called the Noricum Territory (803) Charlemagne developed the Ostmark, or (East Mark) territory along the Danube (955) That land became part of the Holy Roman Empire, after defeat of the Magyars (1156) Reestablished as Ostmart by the Roman Emperor, Otto the Great (1278) German King, Rudolf I of Habsburg, gained control, and the Habsburg dynasty ruled until 1918, and the conclusion of World War I (1438) Duke Albert V, chosen successor to his father-in-law, Emperor Sigismund, a Holy Roman Emperor (1367-1437) (1477-1519) Through marriage, the Emperor Maximilian took control of the low countries (1519) Spanish King Charles, eventually known as the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, came to power, later to abdicate his throne (1556) His brother, Ferdinand I, living in Vienna, was declared ruler of Austria and Hungary and other surrounding lands, thus extending the Habsburg control and territories. King Charles' son, Phillip II, was given the remaining Spanish holdings (1618) The Thirty Years' War destroyed much of central Europe; peace was finally reached in 1648 (1657-1705) Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, ruled the area for 48 years (1683) Turk forces attacked Vienna, resulting Hungary eventually being returned to Austrian control (1711-1740) The reign of Emperor Charles V (1740) The reign of Maria Teresa, the daughter of Charles V begins, she ruled for 40 years. Marie Antoinette (later the Queen of France) was her youngest daughter (1756) Wolgang Amadeua Mozart born in Salzburg (1805) At Austerlitz, Napoleon defeated the Austrian forces (1814-15) The Congress of Vienna successfully ended most central European conflicts (1848) Revolution was in the air, and localized conflicts occur throughout the Habsburg Empire (1866) Austria was defeated during the Austro-Prussian War, which forced a 1867 coalition between Austria and Hungary, and the new leadership of Emperor Franz Josef (1914) The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, nephew of Franz Josef and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was the catalyst for a series of events that led to World War I (1918) The Habsburgs were defeated during that war, and Austria was declared a republic (1919) Treaty of St Germain defined Austria's new boundaries (1939-1945) World War II raged across Europe. Adolf Hitler annexed all of Austria into the German Third Reich (1945-1955) At war's end, Soviet troops liberated Vienna, and other Allied forces began their occupation of the country (1955) The Austrian State Treaty proclaimed Austria to be an independent republic (1964) The Olympic Games held in Austria, with spring-like weather, Troops were forced to bring in snow (1986) Kurt Waldheim elected President of Austria (1992) Thomas Klestil replaced Kurt Waldheim as President of Austria, re-elected in 1998 (1994) Austria joined the European Union (2002) A group of state owned companies agreed to pay $65 million to a fund earmarked for survivors of the Nazi Holocaust (2002) Severe flooding along the Danube caused by torrential rain (2003) Austrian native son, Arnold Schwarzenegger elected Governor of California, USA Traveler Information Attractions (a brief summary) Alpine skiing, castles, cosmopolitan cities, medieval villages and towns, monasteries, stunning mountain scenery, and of course, the city of Vienna, "the Music capital of the World," and its Imperial Habsburg era points-of-interest.
This list could go on and on, so we've summarized most, complete with direct links, in the varied travel categories featured below.
Electricity Austria uses 220 volts AC (50 cycles)
Electrical adapters, products and tips here
Times to Travel Austria is an attractive destination for visitors at anytime of the year. The country is organized, the roads are good, the trains run on time, and there are lodging facilities for every budget.
July and August are (high season) months; the country is crowded and the prices are higher. The Christmas and Easter seasons (especially in Vienna), and to a lesser degree in the other large cities, bring significant crowds, so advance reservations are recommended.
PASSPORTS - TRAVEL VISAS
 
NOTE: Before making your travel plans to any worldwide destination, we strongly recommend you authenticate important details regarding all passport and visa requirements. The experienced people at Travel Visa Pro can answer all of your questions! ATTRACTIONS - POINTS OF INTEREST - TOURS
Austria Cycling Tours here
Austria Hiking here
Austria National Parks here
Austria Skiing here
Castles in Austria here
Golf in Austria here
Hohe Tauern National Park here
CITIES - COUNTRY - REGIONS
Austria National Tourism Office here
Burgenland Tourism here
Graz Tourism here
Innsbruck Tourism here
Linz Tourism here
Salzburg Tourism here
Tirol Tourism here
Vienna Tourism here
Virtual Vienna here
EMBASSIES - PASSPORTS - VISAS
Austrian Embassy (Washington, D.C.) here
Austria Visa Information here
U.S. Embassy (Vienna) here
LANGUAGE
German Words here
German Words in English Language here
Language Translations here
Learn German here
MEDICAL INFO & TRAVEL ADVICE
Medical Information for Travelers here
Medical Information (CDC) web site
Travel Tips and Publications here
Travel Warnings here
PUBLICATIONS - VIDEOS - WEBCAMS
Austria Travel Videos here
Austria Webcams here
Live Cams Vienna here
Mallnitz (mountain village) Webcams here
TRANSPORTATION
Austrian Airlines here
Austria Transportation Links here
European Rail Travel here
Rail Europe here
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