More than half of the country's territory is covered with forests. At altitudes of more than 2500 meters above sea level are the famous alpine meadows.

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Nature of Austria is mainly determined by the peculiarity of the natural relief that forms its territory. Most of it, and to be precise, about 80% falls on the mountain range of the Alps and their foothills (Central Eastern Alps). The highest part of this mountain range is the Grossglockner peak, which is 3797 meters above sea level.

The foothills of the Alps are defined by low peaks, the height of which does not exceed 2.5 km, and the slopes are covered with oak-beech and spruce forests. It is at these heights that the most picturesque alpine meadows are located, in areas where there are many lakes and glaciers - one of the visiting cards Austrian nature. Flora of Austria

Flora (flora) of Austria in its flat part and at low altitudes (up to 500 above sea level) it is represented by oak-beech forests, and above 500 m - beech-spruce forests. It should be noted that in addition to the mountainous terrain, the territory of Austria is covered by almost 45% forests. This is facilitated by a wonderful climate.

Animal world of Austria

Fauna (fauna) of Austria not rich in species, but also distinguished by constancy in the long history of these places. The most common animal species here are foxes, wild cats, ibex, deer, chamois and marmots. The Pannonian Lowland is home to many birds.

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Climate of Austria
The climate of Austria is temperate continental. Summers are warm and sunny, relatively dry. The average temperature is approximately +20 degrees. C (the hottest months are July and August). As you climb into the mountains, the temperature drops and drops to zero at night, but much less frequently than in other Alpine countries: The local topography and the high daytime warming of the slopes have their influence.

Winter is mild. In the valleys, the average temperature drops to -2 degrees C, and in the mountains - to -14'C (the coldest month is January). Precipitation falls from 600 mm per year in the east and north of the country, up to 2000 mm per year on the western and southwestern slopes of the Alps. Frequent snowfalls do not really save the country from the effects of global warming, so all ski slopes are equipped with a powerful artificial snowmaking system.

Nature of Austria
Austria is an amazingly beautiful, unique country: mountains and valleys, rivers and waterfalls, clean alpine air and snowy peaks, all this just begs for postcards. Austria does not have access to the sea, but the country is famous for the presence of large rivers, such as the Danube, Drava, Mur, Salzach, Inn. And, of course, the famous Alps. The Eastern Alps, which occupy almost three-quarters of the area of ​​Austria, have more gentle slopes than the Swiss, consist mainly of limestone, and the presence of many valleys makes these mountains more accessible. The intermountain depressions Klagenfurt in Carinthia, Gradtskaya in Styria, a large number of alpine meadows and forests attract and attract many tourists to this amazing region.

The High Taeurn mountain range contains the highest peaks. The height of the two-headed mountain Grossglockner reaches 3798 m, Mount Grosvendiger has a height of 3674 m. The Austrian Pasterze glacier with an area of ​​32 sq. km and 10 km long, perhaps the largest of all glaciers in Austria. If someone wanted to, it would take a very long time to make stairs in these mountains.

The steep slopes of the mountains are adjacent to underground streams and lakes, many beautiful caves with stalagmites and stalactites. Near Salzburg in the town of Tennengebirge is one of the famous Eisriesenwelt caves.

The mountains are full of numerous lakes. Lake Neusiedler See in the east of the country and deep Lake Constance in the west also partly belong to Austria. Krimml waterfalls, which are considered one of the highest in the world, are the pride of the country. With three cascades with a total length of 380 meters and a stream of 400 thousand tons of water, the waterfalls rush down into a beautiful valley. The Danube Valley, which is located just above Vienna, is also distinguished by its amazing beauty. Cruise ships travel along the Danube.

Flora and fauna of Austria
The flora of the country is represented mainly by forests, which occupy about 38% of the territory of Austria. Up to a height of 800 meters - these are oak, beech and ash forests, above are coniferous forests: pine, spruce, cedar. The tops of the mountains are covered with alpine meadows, cereals and sedges grow here.

The fauna of Austria is typical Central European. The surroundings of Lake Neusiedl are unique protected nesting sites for birds of various species. In mountain forests, mainly in reserves, ungulates live - red deer, chamois, mountain sheep, mountain goats. Of the birds - capercaillie, black grouse, partridge. On the plains, where almost all the land is already cultivated, there are no large wild animals for a long time. But still there are foxes, hares, rodents.

Plan.

1.Business card

2. EGP of Austria

3. Historical reference.

4. Economy of the country.

5. Nature

3) Natural resources

4) Minerals

5) Animal world

6) Environment

6. Population.

1) Ethnic composition

2) Demographic situation

3) The structure of the distribution of the population

4) Religion

5) Education

6) Media

7) National holidays

8) Taxation.

7. Economy.

8. Geography of foreign economic relations

Political and economic situation in Austria.

Austria - a small country located in the center of Europe, consists of 9 federal states: Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Burgerland, Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Vienna and Salzburg. The city of Vienna - the capital of Austria - is administratively equated with the lands. The division of the country into lands has developed historically: almost every land is a former independent feudal possession. In fact, modern Austria is a centralized state.

Austria has no access to the sea. Here, on an area of ​​84 thousand square meters. km is home to about 11 million people, i.e. less than in Greater London. The geographical position of Austria contributes to its communication with other European countries, of which it directly borders on seven: in the east - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, in the west - Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Principality of Liechtenstein. This provides Austria with favorable transport and geographical conditions for mutually beneficial trade with neighboring countries.

The territory of Austria is elongated in the form of a wedge, strongly narrowed in the west and expanded in the east. This configuration of the country resembles, according to some, a bunch of grapes.

The largest cities are Vienna, Graz, Linz and Salzburg.

The position in the center of Europe makes Austria the crossroads of a number of trans-European meridional routes (from the Scandinavian countries and the states of central Europe through the Brenner and Semmering Alpine passes to Italy and other countries). Serving the transit traffic of goods and passengers gives Austria certain income in foreign currency.

In addition, as it is easy to establish on a physical map, the state borders of Austria for the most part coincide with natural boundaries - mountain ranges or rivers. Only with Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (for a short distance) do they pass on almost flat terrain.

When our compatriot, on his way to Austria by train, crosses the Czech-Austrian border in the northeastern corner of the country, he is somewhat disappointed. Where is Alpine Austria? All around, as far as the eye can see, is a flat, treeless plowed plain, like a table. In some places, green islands of orchards and vineyards flash, brick houses and lonely trees on the borders and along the roads. Plains and rolling lowlands extend far south from here along the entire border with Hungary and occupy 20% of the territory. But having reached Vienna, we find ourselves in a more typical Austrian natural environment: mountains, the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) - the northeastern outpost of the mighty Alps and the elevated, hilly, wide and open Danube valley, which rises noticeably in a westerly direction. If you climb one of the peaks of the Vienna Woods, for example, Kahlenberg (“Bald Mountain”), then far to the north and northwest in a blue haze beyond the Danube you can see the low, ridged, forested, granite ridges of Sumava, only some of the peaks of which rise somewhat above 700 meters. This ancient hill occupies 1/10 of the country's territory.

Undoubtedly, the Alps are the dominant landscape in Austria, they (together with the foothills) occupy 70% of the country's area. This is the Eastern Alps. So it is customary to call a part of the Alpine mountain system lying to the east of the Upper Rhine valley, along which the state border with Switzerland passes here. What is the difference between the Eastern Alps and the Western Alps? To the east of the Rhine fault, the Alpine ranges take on a latitudinal direction, begin to diverge as if like a fan and decline. The Eastern Alps are wider and lower than the Western Alps, they are more accessible. There are fewer glaciers here, and the largest ones are about half as long as in Switzerland. In the Eastern Alps there are more meadows and especially forests, and the Eastern Alps are much richer in minerals than the Western ones.

If you cross the Alps from north to south, it is easy to see that the geological structure and composition of the rocks composing them are located symmetrically with respect to the axial zone. This zone is the highest and most powerful group of ridges covered with glaciers and snows, among which stand out the High Tauern with the highest point of the country - the two-headed peak of Glosglockner (“Big Zvonar”), reaching 3997 m; Ötztal, Stubai, Zillerthai Alps. All of them, together with the ridges adjacent to the west and east, are composed of solid crystalline rocks - granites, gneisses, crystalline schists. The largest glacier - Pasterze - has a length of about 10 km and an area of ​​​​32 km 2.

To the north and south of the axial zone lie ridges composed of hard sedimentary rocks, mainly limestone and dolomite: the Lichtal Alps, Karwendel, Dachstein, Hochschwat and other ridges of the Northern Limestone Alps up to the aforementioned Vienna Woods in the extreme northeast. In contrast to the peaked peaks of crystalline ridges, limestone mountains are giant blocks with more or less flat, slightly inclined surfaces and almost sheer or even overhanging slopes. The years are mostly bare, here there are sinkholes, caves and other forms of karst relief formed by melted rainwater in soluble limestones and dolomites.

The peripheral zone of the Alps is formed by low, soft-shaped peaks and slopes of the Prealps, composed of loose sedimentary rocks. And within Austria, this zone is well expressed in the north, and in the south it is absent.

One of the features of the Alps is that they are dissected by deep and wide transverse valleys, due to which the deep parts of the Alps are relatively easily accessible, and low convenient passes make it possible to cross the country from north to south without much difficulty in a number of places. Thus, the famous Brenner Pass has a height of 1371 m, and the Semmering Pass - 985 m. It is no coincidence that railways have long been laid through the Alpine passes, and some of them without tunnels.

History reference.

In ancient times and in the early Middle Ages, many different tribes passed through the lands of modern Austria, located at the crossroads of important trade routes, the main of which was the Danube route. Some of them left their mark

in the ethnogenesis of the Austrian people; a noticeable influence on the formation of the Austrian ethnic community was exerted by the Celts, who settled here in the 5th-6th centuries BC.

The conquest of Austrian lands by the Romans, which began in the 2nd century BC, led to the gradual Romanization of the local Celtic population. Administratively, these lands were included in different Roman provinces: Pannonia - in the east, Noricum - in the center, Rezia - in the West.

Of great importance for the history of Austria was the settlement of its lands in the centuries by Germanic (Bavars, Alemans) and Slavic (mainly Slovenes) tribes. On the basis of the predominantly Germanic tribes of the Bavarians and Alemans, who merged with some Slavic and with the remnants of the Celtic and other tribes of the early Middle Ages, an Austrian ethnic community was formed.

In the 7th-8th centuries, the lands of present-day Austria did not yet constitute a single whole, but were part of various European states: the western and northern (with a German population) - in the Bavarian Duchy, the eastern (with a Slavic population) - in the Slavic state Carantania. At the end of the 8th century, both of these states were included in the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne, and after its partition in 843, they became part of the German East Frankish kingdom.

In the 7th-10th centuries, the lands of modern Austria were subjected to devastating raids by nomads, first by the Bavarians (VIII century), and then by the Hungarians (IX-X centuries).

In the second half of the 10th century, on the territory of modern Upper and Lower Austria, the Bavarian Eastern Mark was formed, which became known as Ostarrichi (Austria). It was she who subsequently became the core of the Austrian state.

In the XII century, Austria, like many other European states, became part of the "Holy Roman Empire".

In the 15th century, almost all of its modern lands were included in the Austrian state, with the exception of Salzburg and Burgenland. However, this political association was still unstable, its borders often changed, and the regions that were part of the state were interconnected only by dynastic ties.

In the XII-XV centuries, Austria was one of the economically prosperous countries in Europe. The development of feudalism in Austria was distinguished by some peculiarities. Until the 15th century, the feudal dependence of the peasants was much weaker in it than in neighboring countries; the enslavement of the peasants took place here more slowly because of the long population movements and the raids of the nomads. In the mountain pastoral regions, especially in Tyrol, a free peasantry remained, united in rural communities.

In the 15th century, Austria became not only the economic, but also the political center of the "Holy Roman Empire", and its dukes - the Habsburgs - became emperors. Against the backdrop of a general economic and political upsurge, the culture of medieval Austrian cities also flourished, primarily Vienna, then Graz and Linz. The foundation in 1365 of the University of Vienna was of great importance.

In the 16th century, Austria led the struggle of the countries of southeastern Europe against the Turkish invasion. Taking advantage of the weakening of the Czech Republic and Hungary in the wars with the Turks, Austria included most of their territories in its possessions, starting from that time to turn into a multinational state.

During this period, the country's economy is becoming stronger and developing. In the mining industry (extraction of iron and lead ores in Tyrol, Styria, Upper Austria), the emergence of capitalist relations began already in the 16th century. The first manufactories also appeared in the production of velvet, silk, and luxury goods.

In the XVII-XVIII centuries, the Austrian Habsburgs continued to expand their possessions: the entire territory of Hungary, almost all of Croatia and Slavia, the Southern Netherlands, some regions of Italy, a number of Polish and Ukrainian lands were annexed to Austria. In terms of area, Austria began to occupy the second place in Europe after Russia.

In the XVIII-XIX centuries, feudal-absolutist Austria was a stronghold of Catholic reaction in Europe. She was the initiator of the intervention against revolutionary France, and later participated in all anti-French coalitions, led the struggle against the revolutionary movement in Europe.

The defeat of Napoleonic France in the European wars of the early 19th century further strengthened Austria's external position. By decision of the Vienna Congress of 1814-1815. she was not only returned the lands conquered by Napoleon, but also given the region of Northern Italy in exchange for the southern Netherlands.

In the second half of the 19th century, Austria lost its hegemony in European affairs. The struggle with Prussia for supremacy among the German states ended with the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. The creation of the union of German states (1867) took place under the auspices of Prussia and without the participation of Austria.

In 1867 Austria became the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Austrian and Hungarian ruling classes entered into an alliance for the exploitation and suppression of the resistance of other peoples.

At the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, changes took place in the foreign policy of Austria: not having achieved hegemony among the German states that were united by Prussia in 1871, Austria launched an offensive in the Balkans, which led to an aggravation of relations with Russia and rapprochement with Germany. In 1882, the so-called Tripartite Alliance was concluded between Austria-Hungary, Germany and Italy, which acted in the First World War of 1914 against the Entente countries.

In 1918, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy broke up into three states - Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary: in addition, part of its lands became part of Romania, Yugoslavia and Poland.

In 1938, Nazi German troops occupied Austria. The entire economy of the country was subordinated to the military needs of Germany. Austria participated in World War II as part of Germany.

In March 1945, Soviet troops crossed the Austrian border. On April 13 they entered Vienna and shortly thereafter the Soviet Army and allied forces liberated the entire country.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany, under an agreement between the USSR, the USA, England and France, the entire territory of Austria was temporarily divided into 4 zones of occupation.

On the initiative of the Soviet Union, in 1955 the State Treaty on the Restoration of an Independent and Democratic Austria was signed and the occupation ended. In the same year, the Austrian parliament passed a law on the permanent neutrality of Austria.

Economics of a country.

Austria is one of the most developed countries in Europe. In recent years, the country's economy has been developing at an accelerated pace. The largest foreign investor is Germany (about 30% of investments). The volume of industrial production increased in 1995 by 4.6% and reached 334.5 billion shillings.

The leading industries are mechanical engineering, metallurgy, as well as chemical, pulp and paper, mining, textile and food industries. One third of the volume of industrial production falls on the state sector of the economy.

Austria has a productive agriculture. Almost all types of agricultural products necessary to provide for the population are produced. The most important branch of agriculture is animal husbandry.

Foreign tourism is one of the most profitable branches of the Austrian economy. Annual receipts from foreign tourism are over 170 billion shillings.

Austria trades with more than 150 countries worldwide. About 65% of exports and 68% of imports come from the countries of the European Union. The main trading partners are Germany (40%), Italy, Switzerland. Russia accounts for only 1.5%.

The country's gold and foreign exchange reserves in 1994 amounted to 218 billion shillings.

In terms of per capita income, Austria ranks 9th in the world. The rise in prices for consumer goods in 1995 amounted to 2.3%. The unemployment rate was 6.5%.

NATURE.

1.Relief. The main thing that determines the natural features of almost the entire territory of Austria is the Alps. Their white-headed peaks are visible in the country from everywhere. Almost ¾ of the country is occupied by the Eastern Alps, which are lower and wider than the Western ones. The border between them coincides with the western border of Austria and runs along the valley of the upper Rhine. The Eastern Alps have fewer glaciers and more forests and meadows than the Western Alps. The highest point in Austria - Mount Grossglockner in the High Tauern - does not reach 4 thousand meters. (3797 m). From the highest peaks flows the largest glacier of the Eastern Alps - Pasierze - over 10 km long. Other peaks of the crested granite-gneiss zone of the mountains - the Ötztal, Stubai, Zillertal Alps - are also covered with snow and ice. In this crystalline zone, the so-called alpine landforms are most pronounced - sharp ridges, steeply walled valleys plowed by glaciers.

To the north and south of the ridge zone is the famous ice - Eisriesenwelt (world of ice giants) in the Tennengebirge mountains, south of Salzburg. The very names of the mountain ranges speak of the inhospitability and wildness of these places: Totes-Gebirge (meter-high mountains), Hellen-Gebirge (hellish mountains), etc. The limestone Alps to the north pass into the Pre-Alps, descending in steps to the Danube. These are low ridged mountains, overgrown with forests, in some places their slopes are plowed up, and wide sunny valleys are quite densely populated.

If it is appropriate to compare the geologically young Alps with the Caucasus, then the mountains lying on the other, left side of the Danube, resemble the Urals. These are the southern spurs of the Šumava, part of the ancient Bohemian massif, almost to the base, destroyed by time. The height of this border hill is only 500 meters and only in a few places does it reach 1000 meters.

Areas with a calm relief, flat or hilly lowlands occupy only about 1/5 of the country's area. This is, first of all, the Danube part of Austria and the adjacent western outskirts of the Middle Danube Plain. The overwhelming majority of the population lives here and the "center of gravity" of the whole country is located.

2. Climate. Large relief contrasts - from lowlands to snowy mountains - determine the vertical zonality of the climate, soils, and vegetation.

Austria has vast areas of fertile land, a warm and rather humid (700-900 mm of precipitation per year) "grape" climate. Everything is in this word: a rather warm, long summer with an average July temperature of + 20 degrees and a warm sunny autumn. On the plains and foothills, a relatively mild winter with an average January temperature of 1-5 degrees. However, a large alpine part of the country is "deprived" of heat. With the rise for every 100 meters, the temperature drops by 0.5 - 0.6 degrees. The snow line is located at an altitude of 2500-2800 meters. Summer in the high mountains is cold, damp, windy, and sleet often falls. In winter, there is even more precipitation here: giant layers of snow accumulate on the slopes of the mountains, which often break off and rush down in avalanches for no apparent reason. crushing everything in its path. Rare winter does without casualties; dwellings, roads, power lines are destroyed... And sometimes in the middle of winter the snow suddenly disappears. So it was, for example, in the days of the "white" Olympics at the beginning of 1976 in the vicinity of Innsburg. Usually snow is "driven" by warm southerly winds - hair dryers.

3. Natural resources. The mountainous part of the country is distinguished by an abundance of clean fresh water. It accumulates in the form of snows and glaciers during most of the year, only to fall down to the Danube in summer in thousands of roaring streams, filling the lake basins along the way. Alpine rivers also determine the regime of the Danube: it is especially abounding in summer, when lowland rivers usually become shallow. The tributaries of the Danube - Inn, Salzach, Enns, Drava - are fraught with large reserves of energy, but all of them are not navigable.

ny and only partially used for timber rafting. There are many lakes in the country, especially in the northern foothills of the Alps and in the south, in the Klagenfurt Basin. They are of glacial origin, their pits are plowed by ancient glaciers; as a rule, lakes are deep, with cold, clear water. This type in the vast Lake Constance, partially owned by Austria.

Vegetation zones on the territory of Austria replace one another in the following order: broad-leaved (oak, beech, ash) forests in the Danube valley (though very thinned) are replaced by a mixed forest of foothills. Above 2000 - 2200 m they are replaced by coniferous (mainly spruce-fir, partly pine) forests.

Mountain forests are one of the national treasures of Austria. On a vegetation map of Central Europe, the Austrian Eastern Alps look like the only large green island. Among the small Western European states, only Finland and Sweden surpass Austria in forest area. There are especially many forests suitable for industrial exploitation in Upper (mountainous) Styria, for which it is called the “green heart of Austria”. Apparently, it is no coincidence that the color of the flag of the land of Styria, its folk costumes is green. During the German occupation of the Second World War, the Austrian forests suffered enormous damage. Above the forests and sparse dwarf shrubs - subalpine (matta) and alpine (alma) meadows.

In the hot summer months, rapid snowmelt in the mountains begins, which leads to large floods, including on the Danube, the level of which sometimes rises by 8-9 m.

Nevertheless, the Alps, as “moisture collectors”, are of inestimable importance for Austria: the full-flowing rivers flowing from them, especially the Inn, Enns, Salzach, Drava, serve as the richest sources of inexhaustible water energy. In addition, Austria has large reserves of clean fresh water, concentrated in addition to glaciers and rivers in numerous alpine lakes (the predominance of lakes in the Salzkammergut area). In addition to this, Austria owns the southeastern part of the large and deep Lake Constance on the western outskirts of the country and almost entirely the shallow lake Neusiedler See on its eastern outskirts.

4. Minerals. In Austria, the set of minerals is quite diverse, but among them there are very few of those whose value would go beyond the borders of the country. An exception is magnesite, which is used for the production of refractories and, to some extent, for the production of metallic magnesium from it. Magnesite occurs in the Styrian, Carinthian and Tyrolean Alps.

There are very few energy resources. These are very modest deposits of oil (23 million tons) and natural gas (20 billion cubic meters) in Lower and partly in Upper Austria. Even with the Austrian scale of production, these reserves, according to available forecasts, will be exhausted within two decades. The reserves of brown coal are somewhat larger (in Styria, Upper Austria and Burgenland), but it is of poor quality.

Comparatively high-quality iron ores, but with a high metal content, are found in Styria (Erzberg) and a little in Carinthia (Hüttenberg). Non-ferrous metal ores are found in small quantities - lead-zinc in Carinthia (Bleyberg) and copper in Tyrol (Mitterberg). Of the chemical raw materials, only table salt (in the Salzkammergut) is of practical importance, and of other minerals, graphite and feldspar.

5. Animal world

In mountain forests, mainly in reserves, ungulates live - red deer, chamois, mountain sheep, mountain goats. Of the birds - capercaillie, black grouse, partridge. On the plains, where almost all the land is already cultivated, there are no large wild animals for a long time. But still there are foxes, hares, rodents.

6. Environment

The environment in most of Austria is not yet under the same threat of pollution as in most other industrialized countries in Europe. First of all, this concerns the Alps with their sparse population and generally insignificant industry in relation to this vast territory. The Austrian authorities, interested in attracting foreign tourists to the country, are taking some measures aimed at limiting environmental pollution, but not enough. The democratic public and scientific circles in Austria are sounding the alarm about the unacceptable degree of pollution of the Danube by industrial waste downstream of Vienna and the rivers Mura and Mürz.

Nature reserves play an important role in the system of measures for nature protection. There are 12 of them in Austria with a total area of ​​0.5 million hectares. They are found in all natural areas - from the steppe surroundings of Lake Neusiedler See to the high Tauern. Most of the reserves are located in the Alps.

POPULATION.

1. Ethnic composition. The population of Austria is relatively homogeneous in ethnic terms: about 97% of its population are Austrians. In addition, in Austria, in certain regions of Styria, Carinthia and Burgenland, small groups of Slovenes, Croats and Hungarians live, and in Vienna there are also Czechs and Jews. Many Austrian citizens consider themselves not only Austrians, but, by origin from one province or another, also Styrians, Tyroleans, etc.

The Austrians speak the Austro-Bavarian dialects of the German language, which differ significantly from the literary one. Literary German is used mainly as a written or official language, as well as in conversations with foreigners. Under the influence of local dialects, his vocabulary and grammar also received some originality.

2. Demographic situation.

One of the main features of the Austrian population is the cessation of its growth since the beginning of the 70s. This is explained by a large drop in the birth rate. If it were not for the marked increase in average life expectancy, which reached 75 years in 1990, the demographic situation would have been even more unfavorable. The fall in the birth rate is associated with the difficult financial situation of the majority of the Austrian population, as well as with the consequences of the Second World War. A small natural increase has been preserved even in the less developed western alpine lands, as well as in rural areas. Austrian experts predict that until the year 2000 the population in the country will not change significantly, but the reduction in the proportion of young ages and the increase in the proportion of the elderly threatens to reduce labor resources.

3.Structure of population distribution

The territory of the country is populated very unevenly. With an average density across the country of 90 people per square kilometer, it ranges from 150-200 or more people in the eastern regions adjacent to Vienna to 15-20 in the Alps. In most of the country's territory, the rural population lives in hamlets and individual yards - the lack of convenient land is affecting. Due to the difficult living conditions, the proportion of the Alpine population is constantly decreasing, there is an flight from the mountains - "bergflucht". Above 1000 m above sea level, 2% of the country's population lives permanently.

77% of the population lives in cities (with a population of over 2 thousand people), but Austria does not impress the traveler as an urban country. The fact is that more than a quarter of the townspeople are concentrated in the country's largest city - Vienna. Half of the entire urban population lives in small towns with a population of up to 100,000 people. Thus, large cities - with a population of 100 to 250 thousand are not typical for this country. There are only four of them Graz, Linz, Salzbkrg and Innsburg. The functions of these cities, not to mention Vienna, are diverse, which cannot be said about the mass of small cities, which for the most part are "unambiguous". They are dominated, as a rule, by one or two industries.

The rapid growth in the number of urban residents is associated with an increase in the share of non-agricultural activities of the economically active population. In 1990, in industry, including construction and craft, its share was more than 41%, and in agriculture and forestry - about 12% (against 33% in 1960), in transport and communications - 7%.

4. Religion. According to an international survey of values ​​conducted in 1990-91, 44% of Austrians visit churches and other prayer houses once a month and more often (8th place out of 27 countries in Europe and North America). If we combine the data of these international studies in 1990-91 and 1995-97, then Austria will take 23rd place out of 59 countries in terms of church attendance once a week or more (30% of Austrians attended churches in 1990-91 with exactly this regularity).
At the same time, during a 1991 survey, only 6.1% of Austrians said that they did not believe in God (another 8.3% believed in God, but did not believe in life after death).

(Christianity began to spread in Austria from the end Religious organizations
The largest religious organization is the Roman Catholic Church of the III century). The state supports the Church: there is a 1% church tax in the country, which all citizens of the country are required to pay. The Roman Catholic Church in 2000 had 5,651,479 adherents (72.1% of the population).
The second largest is the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg and Helvetian Confession (ECAiGI), which unites two churches autonomous from each other (Lutherans and Reformed). Lutherans and Reformed finally received the right to freely practice their faiths only in 1781, and fully equalized in rights with the Catholics - a century later.

5. Education.

Universal compulsory education in Austria starts at the age of six and lasts for 9 years. Education in public schools and higher education - free of charge. There are 18 universities, 12 universities. The University of Vienna (founded in 1365) is the oldest existing university in the German-speaking countries.

6. Mass media.

Over 20 daily newspapers are published in Austria. Of the one-time circulation is approximately 3 million copies. Television and radio broadcasting is carried out by the state company ERF. The national information agency is the Austrian Press Agency (APA).

7. National holidays. Ascension of Christ, Second Day of the Trinity, Feast of Corpus Christi, Assumption of the Virgin (15.8), National holiday of the Austrian Republic (26.10), Feast of All Saints (1.11): St. Virgin Mary (8.12), as well as Christmas (25 and 26.12).

8. Taxation.

Austria, like most countries in Western Europe, has a rather complex, multi-level taxation system, with most of the taxes collected through the Federal Tax Service. Local taxes are not too significant.

Austrian law divides all individuals and legal entities into taxpayers with unlimited and limited tax liability. Unlimited liability means that tax is paid on all income received both in the country and abroad. Such liability is borne by individuals with permanent residence in Austria, as well as companies whose registered office or headquarters are in Austria. Accordingly, limited tax liability is borne by individuals residing abroad, and corporations that do not have either governing bodies or a legal address in the country. In this case, certain types of income received in Austria are subject to taxation, for example, income from activities carried out through permanent establishments or branches.

Main types of taxes: 1) on investments; 2) for income; 3) corporate; 4) for entrepreneurial activity; 5) on property; 6) from turnover (value added); 7) real estate; 8) for inheritance and gifts.

Economy.

1.General information

After the formation of Austria as an independent state in 1918, it experienced a severe economic and political crisis during the 1920s and 30s. Having lost its outlying possessions - the industrial Czech Republic and the agrarian territories of Hungary, as well as burdened with huge expenses for the maintenance of a numerous bureaucracy that previously ruled a huge empire, and now remained out of work, Austria could not adapt to new conditions for a long time. During the years of the Anschluss, German monopolies took control of thousands of Austrian enterprises and sought to establish the exploitation of Austria's natural resources in the interests of Germany. Numerous hydroelectric power stations, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises, and chemical plants were built.

After the Second World War, former German property passed into the hands of the state in Austria, which was in the interests of the Austrian people. At the present time the main enterprises of heavy industry and the banks have been nationalized in Austria. State-owned enterprises mainly produce electricity, iron and steel, aluminum, iron ore, brown coal, oil and natural gas are mined, oil is processed, nitrogen fertilizers, artificial fibers, and some engineering products are produced. Mainly enterprises of the light and food industries, as well as a group of industries related to the harvesting, processing and processing of wood, remained not nationalized.

Foreign capital plays a significant role in the Austrian economy. Entire industries are under its strong influence, and in some cases under control: electrical engineering, electronics, petrochemicals, magnesite, and the production of certain types of equipment. Foreign capital limits the economic independence of Austria, in particular, it hinders the development of the public sector.

Austria is one of the economically developed countries with a relatively rapidly developing industry. Although the global economic crisis of 1974-1975 did not spare Austria either. but here it started a little later. The economic development of Austria is also favorably influenced by the fact that, as a neutral state, it has relatively small military expenditures.

In the post-war period, the industrial development of Austria has made significant progress. Now Austria belongs to the industrial countries, and although industry exceeds agriculture by about 7 times in terms of the cost of production, Austria provides its needs for basic agricultural products by 85% through its own production.

Austria's dependence on the foreign market is reflected in the fact that it imports the missing energy raw materials and exports surplus manufactured products.

The main industrial and agricultural region of the country is the Danube lands. Here, on 1/5 of the territory of Austria, there are its vital economic centers. The rest of the country, especially in the highlands of the Alps, is dominated by almost uninhabited areas, still little connected with the outside world and with each other.

As in many Western European countries, Austrian industry is distinguished by the uneven development of individual sectors. Some key manufacturing industries are non-existent, such as the aircraft industry, while others are of minor importance, such as the automotive and electronics industries.

1. Mining,_heavy,_light_industry

Due to the poverty of minerals, the mining industry plays an extremely insignificant role in the economy, with the exception of magnesite, which is of export importance. In these industries, Austria has excess capacity, and a significant part of their products are exported to Western European countries.

2. Fuel industry

One of the weakest points of the Austrian economy is its fuel industry. Austria imports all the necessary coal, more than half of brown coal, about 4/5 of oil, almost half of natural gas. From the beginning of the 1970s, imports of primary energy sources began to exceed their domestic production in terms of cost. Particularly high costs are associated with the transport of oil and gas. Oil and natural gas account for approximately 60% of all energy consumption, while solid fuels and hydropower account for 20% each.

The country produces less than 2 million tons of oil per year, and its production is gradually declining. However, the oil is relatively shallow and of high quality. The main deposits are located northeast of Vienna. Near the capital, in the city of Schwechat, at the only large oil refinery, almost all oil refining is concentrated. From abroad (mainly from Arab countries), it is received through the Trieste-Vienna oil pipeline, laid along the southeastern outskirts of Austria outside the Alps. Parallel to it, but in the opposite direction, a gas pipeline was laid from Russia, through which Russian gas goes to Austria and Italy.

3. Energy

More than half of the electricity is produced at numerous hydroelectric power plants, but the importance of hydropower is declining, and electricity generation at thermal power plants is growing faster. HPPs are mainly built on the alpine rivers in the west of the country, from where part of the electricity is transmitted to the eastern regions, part is exported and only a little is consumed locally.

4. Ferrous_metallurgy One of the most important branches of the Austrian industry is ferrous metallurgy. Iron and steel smelting greatly exceeds the needs of the country, and most of the ferrous metal is exported. Most of the pig iron is smelted in Linz in Upper Austria, the rest in Leoben. Steel production is roughly equally distributed between Linz and the Styrian region. Austria is the birthplace of a new, more efficient technological steel smelting, namely oxygen-converter, which is increasingly replacing the open-hearth process. The needs of the metallurgical plants are only covered by 3/4 from local ore. All alloying metals and metallurgical coke are imported from abroad.

5.Nonferrous_metallurgy

In non-ferrous metallurgy, only the production of aluminum is important. The development of this industry in Austria, which does not have bauxite in its bowels, is associated with the use of cheap electricity from numerous hydroelectric power plants on the Inn River. Here, in Ranshofen, near Braunau, one of the largest aluminum plants in Western Europe was built. Other non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises do not even cover the domestic needs of the country. Only a small amount of copper and lead is smelted from local ore.

6. Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering, although it forms the core of all Austrian industry, is less developed than in other Western European countries, as a result of which Austria imports more engineering products than it exports. Machine-building enterprises are, as a rule, small: many of them employ no more than 50 people.

Large quantities are produced of machines and apparatus for the light and food industries, some types of machine tools, and equipment for the mining industry. Locomotives, small sea vessels are also produced. The largest center of mechanical engineering is Vienna.

7. Timber industry complex. Austria is also characterized by a complex of industries, including the harvesting of wood, its processing and the production of pulp, paper and cardboard. The value of the timber industry complex goes far beyond the borders of the country. Forest products account for about a third of the country's total exports. Large areas of timber harvesting are carried out in the mountainous regions of Styria, mainly its primary processing is also carried out here.

8.Agriculture Agriculture is quite developed in Austria. At present, the yield of the main grain crops - wheat and barley - exceeds 35 centners per hectare, the productivity of dairy cows reaches 3 thousand kg of milk per year.

More than 2/3 of agricultural production comes from animal husbandry. This is facilitated by the fact that natural meadows and pastures occupy more than half of the entire agricultural area. In addition, about a quarter of the arable land is occupied by fodder crops. And some of the feed is imported. All this makes it possible to keep 2.5 million heads of cattle. Recently, the production of meat and milk covers the entire solvent demand of the population.

The cultivated area is small. There are lands cultivated intermittently. These are the so-called egarten (relogs). They are used alternately as arable land, then as a pasture. Egarten is characteristic of the Alpine regions.

The main agricultural crops—wheat, barley, and sugar beet—are cultivated chiefly where the climate is warm and the soil is fertile—in the Danube region of Austria and on its eastern flat-hilly outskirts. Rye, oats and potatoes are also sown here. But their crops are even more widespread - they are also found in the foothills of the Alps and in mountain valleys, on the Šumava plateau. Outside the mountainous areas, vegetable growing, fruit growing, and especially viticulture are widespread. Grapes are grown only in the warm regions of the northeastern and eastern outskirts of the country.

9. Transport

The network of communications in Austria is quite dense, and not only on the plains, but also in the mountains, which is facilitated by the significant dissection of the Eastern Alps by deep transverse and longitudinal valleys.

But, despite the deep dissection of the relief, they still had to go to the construction of numerous road engineering structures: tunnels, bridges, viaducts. There are over 10 tunnels in Austria, each more than a kilometer long. The longest is the Arlberg road tunnel, which has a length of 14 km.

The construction of mountain railways and highways contributed to the development of forest, hydropower and other resources of mountain regions.

The main modes of transport in Austria are rail and road. About 1/2 of the total length of railways is electrified. Electric tracts are located mainly in the mountainous part of the country, where cheap electricity from local hydroelectric power plants is used and where there are many steep slopes. The most important international directions are also electrified, including those to Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and transalpine roads. In other directions, diesel traction prevails.

From Vienna, as the largest railway junction, the most important highways radiate outward. The main one departs in a westerly direction, linking the Danube and Alpine lands. In the northwest direction from this trans-Austrian highway there are roads to the countries of the former Czechoslovakia and Germany. Of great importance is the Semmering Highway, which departs from Vienna to the southwest and connects the capital with Upper Styria and Italy. The main highways are connected by two high-altitude lines crossing the Alps from north to south (Linz - Leoben and Salzburg - Villach).

Road transport successfully competes with rail transport in the transportation of both goods and especially passengers. Now only intercity buses carry twice as many passengers as railroads. Over the past decades, several sections of new highways such as motorways have been built, the most important of which is the Vienna-Salzburg highway. The pattern of the highway network is similar to that of the railways.

The only navigable river in Austria is the Danube. It is navigable throughout the Austrian section, 350 km long. It is especially full of water in summer, when mountain snows and glaciers melt. However, river transport accounts for less than a tenth of the country's total cargo turnover. The largest port in Austria is Linz, where metallurgy consumes a huge amount of coal and coke, iron ore and other raw materials imported mainly by river. In terms of cargo turnover, Vienna is more than twice inferior to it.

Geography of foreign economic relations.

The Austrian economy cannot develop without close ties with foreign countries, and its import of goods and capital exceeds their export. But the services provided to foreign partners exceed the services received from them. First of all, we are talking about tourism, which plays an important role in the country's economy.

Austria's foreign trade has a negative balance, that is, imports of its goods are worth more than exports. A significant place in the export of Austria is occupied by raw materials and semi-finished products: wood and products of its partial processing, ferrous metals, chemical products, and electricity. Some types of machinery and equipment, river vessels are exported from finished products. Food is exported in small quantities.

Mostly finished products are imported, and first of all consumer goods, the import of machinery and equipment, cars, household and industrial electronics is of somewhat lesser importance. Oil, natural gas, coal and coke, ferrous and non-ferrous ores, and chemical raw materials are imported in large quantities. Food and taste products, products of tropical agriculture, and a lot of fodder are also imported.

In general, more than 85% of Austria's foreign trade is oriented towards the world capitalist market. Germany occupies the first place both in exports and especially in imports of Austria.

The policy of state neutrality pursued by Austria is a good basis for the further development of foreign economic relations with all countries of the world.

Nature parks in Austria are bizarre landscapes and mystical places, corners with a rich history and sources of power. They offer sensations of a special kind.

Biosphere Park Grosses Walsertal, photo EDEN — European Destinat

On the territory of Austria there are more than fifty natural and national protected parks. These are wonderful landscapes - unique corners of nature, full of charm, natural beauty and a special, almost mystical power.

Natural parks of Vorarlberg

The motto of this natural park is "Life in harmony with nature." Grosses Walsertal (Biosphärenpark Großes Walsertal) has been part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program since the seventies of the last century. The reserve is located in the romantic Walser mountain valley, among untouched landscapes, unique alpine meadows and spacious pastures.

Grosses Walsertal includes six municipalities, four dozen mountain peaks. There are 123 ski slopes with lifts on the territory of the reserve, 230 km of marked hiking trails have been laid. Enthusiastic people who love nature and adhere to traditions live and work here. The biosphere park has several functions: the protection of ecosystems, the conservation of biological diversity, the development of environmentally sustainable forms of agriculture, and the support of research.

Discover the Alps and mountain peaks of the Grosses Walsertal, its deep gorges, rapid mountain rivers with waterfalls and transparent forest lakes. Park website: .

Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal

Jocher Tormoyer Nature Park

Dobrač Natural Park

Tree Circle of Life In Heaven

Lobau Biosphere Park

Lower Austria

Jocher Tormoyer Nature Park

Oecher Tormoyer Nature Park, photo by Hauk Tamás

Ötscher-Tormäuer (Naturpark Ötscher-Tormäuer) is a true tourist paradise. Its slopes and ridges, crystal clear streams, wild gorges and waterfalls in limestone mountains evoke mystical sensations. There are many hiking panoramic trails, there is an observation tower, an observatory.

Thrill-seekers are attracted by the Yocher stalactite cave with its mysterious charm of a fairy tale dungeon. For children in the Tormoyer Nature Park, a whole “Adventure Village” is open with rides, slides, a playground, and a climbing tower. Park website: naturpark-oetscher.at.

Eisenwurzen Nature Park, photo by Jakob Hürner

Eisenwurzen (Naturpark Eisenwurzen) is located in three federal states at once: Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Styria; in the mountains of Northern Kalkapen. The center of its territory is the administrative district of Hollenstein an der Ybbs.

Among the picturesque landscapes of Eisenwurzen, 25 kilometers of hiking trails and forest roads have been laid. Mountain trails of varying difficulty have been created for cyclists. Tourist routes pass by mysterious gorges, virgin forests and emerald pastures. Amazing animals live here, rare plants grow, among them there are many species of wild orchids. Website: www.naturparke.at

Leiser Berge Nature Park, photo by blattlimwind

In the heart of the large Weinviertel region lies the Naturpark Leiser Berge, a vast nature park, part of the Kalkstöcke rock zone. From these peaks you can see lime hills and steppe meadows, forests and even geometric fields. The Leiser Berge hiking trails pass through forests, marshes and moorlands. Tourists are offered horse trails with a guide, mountain bike trips, family hikes and children's educational programs. Website: www.naturparke.at

Natural parks of Tyrol

Ötztal

Ötztal Nature Park, photo Ötztal Tourismus

The Ötztal Nature Park (Naturpark Ötztal) covers an area of ​​510 km²; passes through the Wertental, southern Ötztal and Gurgeltal valleys. On its territory there are the Gurgl Ridge Biosphere Reserve, the warm Piburg Lake, and cedar forests. The third part of this area is covered with hills and glaciers, which crash into mountain valleys with powerful tongues. Here, away from the tourist trails, there are regions that have served as pastures and hunting grounds since the Ice Age, i.e. 8,000 years ago.

The Ötztal Park was founded in 2006 and is the youngest natural park in Austria. Thanks to the efforts of local environmental organizations, its purest nature and cultural landscape are carefully preserved. In the summer there are special sightseeing and educational programs with guides. Website: naturpark-oetztal.at

Karwendel - the largest nature reserve in Austria

Karwendel Alpine Park, photo Dennis_F

The territory of the Karwendel Alpine Park (Alpenpark Karwendel) is 920 km². This is one of the largest and oldest protected areas in the Eastern Alps. Karwendel received the status of a natural park in 2009.

The climatic and topographic location and landscapes of this reserve are unique. Landscapes of primeval gorges and sheer limestone walls attract hikers. Fans of outdoor activities also strive here: rock climbers, mountain bikers. Information centers and mountain huts are open for tourists.

About 1300 types of plants grow in Karwendel; 3000 species of animals live. The most picturesque place of the reserve is located in the Ristal valley. There, at an altitude of more than 1200 meters, two thousand maples grow surrounded by bare rocks. Website: www.karwendel.org

Natural parks in Styria

wineland

South Styrian Wine Road, photo travelworldonline

Southern Styria stretches from the Dachstein Glacier to the famous wine-growing region of Weinland. The untouched nature here is combined with unique cultural landscapes. Set out on the South Styrian Wine Road (Südsteirische Weinstraße). The route will pass through vineyards and hop plantations, orchards and chestnut forests. Throughout the territory there are ancient buildings, museums. Every corner of this amazing land has its own history or even its own legend. Website: www.suedsteirischeweinstrasse.at

Natural parks of the state of Salzburg

Riedingtal in Lungau

Riedingtal Nature Park, photo by Thomas Burgschwaiger

The Riedingtal Nature Park is located in the Lungau district, southeast of Salzburg, in the Low Tauern mountains. This area is distinguished by an amazing combination of diverse landscapes: high and wild karst peaks, pastures, untouched quiet valleys with rich alpine flora. There are long hiking trails and bicycle tracks. Numerous information stands have been installed along the route of the tourists.

Here you can "live" observe the behavior of wild animals, learn a lot about the biotopes of Riedingtal, about the careful agricultural use of these lands by local residents. In the center of the natural park, there is an excellent observation deck - "Brünnwandquellen". Tourists can choose hikes of different difficulty levels. In cozy houses on the territory of the natural park, guests will find a warm welcome, local products and traditional dishes. Website: lungau.at

Untersberg Nature Park, photo by Adam

Not far from Salzburg is the first natural park in this area - Untersberg. It was founded on the private estates of the Melnhof family in 1983. The park is located in a mountainous area on the territory bordering Germany. The border runs along the top of the Untersberg mountain, from where stunning panoramas of the Salzburg environs and the Alpine ranges open up.

There are sightseeing hiking trails such as the Oak Way, the Falcon Way, the Badger Way, the Hare Way, the Fir Way, which allow you to get to know the amazing world of nature at the foot of the Untersberg mountain. There are professional cross-country tracks near Lachenwirth and Wartberg. There is a special forest educational quiz route where you can learn more about the forest and its inhabitants. Tourists are attracted by the mysterious ice caves and, of course, the forest pub between Bruchhäusl and Lachenwirth.

Weissbach Nature Park, photo by Klaus Brockmeier

The Weissbach Nature Protection Area (Naturpark Weißbach) received the status of a nature park in July 2007. This was already the third nature park in Salzburg, after Riedingtal and Untersberg. Preparatory work has been carried out since 2005. For Weissbach, draft programs were developed for the preservation of the cultural landscape and the interaction of man with nature.

The Weissbach area has alpine meadows, marshes, high pastures (Kammerlingalm, Kallbrunnalm and Litzlalm), high peaks and mountain plateaus; the beautiful Seisenbergklamm gorge. The Tourist Information Center is located in Weissbach. Thematic hiking trails, hikes with rangers, bus tours start from here. Website: www.naturpark-weissbach.at

Buchberg Nature Park, photo elorup

The center of the Buchberg Nature Park (Naturpark Buchberg) is the Buchberg mountain of the same name (801 m). From this relatively low peak, you have a wide view of the Salzburg Lake District, green hills, foothills and Alpine peaks up to the Dachstein. At the foot of the Buchberg mountain there are seven lakes; the largest among them is the Mattsee.

The area of ​​the natural park is 35 hectares. This corner of calm and harmony is located twenty kilometers from the noisy Salzburg. Thirty kilometers of marked footpaths have been laid among the forests and meadows of the Buchberg, and many observation sites have been equipped. Tourists climb to the top of the Buchberg along six trails. In warm weather, you can walk among the flowering meadows; in winter - wander through the forest on snowshoes. Website: www.naturparke.at

Dobrač Natural Park. ajnj Ewald T.

Although the Dobrach Nature Park (Naturpark Dobratsch) was officially registered only in 2002, it is considered the oldest on earth. The assignment of the status of a protected natural park to this territory made it possible to solve a number of environmental and cultural problems. It became possible to protect rare representatives of fauna and plants; there were excellent opportunities for recreation of the Austrians. Tourists get acquainted here with the diversity of Carinthian nature.

The territory of nature protection zones occupies 7250 hectares. Through the Dobrač park, surrounded by the famous Carinthian lakes, there are hiking trails and bicycle trails. Geological and ornithological exhibitions are organized in the open air. At the top of Rosskofel (2239 m) there are special deck chairs from which you can admire the amazing panorama.

The Dobrač Park hiking trail starts from the Rostratte parking area. This is the end point of the panoramic road Villacher Alpenstraße. An educational geological trail leads from this site to the top. Website: naturparkdobratsch.info

Tree Circle of Life "In Heaven"

"In Heaven" (Lebensbaumkreis Am Himmel) - this is the name of the territory of Grinzig, an area of ​​​​11 hectares, where the inhabitants of Vienna go on vacation. "Tree circle of life", a place of rest and peace - this is how the creators saw this park. Here, in the form of a large circle, forty evergreen thujas, which are called "speaking", are planted. From hidden speakers, a leisurely story about the life of each tree is played, and classical music is broadcast on weekends. The concept of the park corresponds to the idea of ​​the unity of man with nature. Website: himmel.at

Working hours.
March - October: Wednesday-Friday from 12:00 to 22:00; Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 11:00 to 22:00; Monday, Tuesday - closed.
November - February: Thursday, Friday from 12:00 to 22:00; Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 11:00 to 22:00; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - closed.

Go to metro station Heiligenstadt (U4); then by bus 38A towards Cobenzl. There will be an entrance at the intersection of Himmelstraße and Höhenstraße.

Lobau Biosphere Park

In the eastern part of the Austrian capital there is the Lobau Biosphere Park. It is part of the protected area of ​​the National Wildlife Refuge. The branches of the Danube flow through this region of floodplain forests; 130 species of animals and birds live in the forest and vast meadows, about 800 varieties of plants grow. This is one of the favorite recreation areas of the inhabitants of Vienna. People get here not only by road, but also by water - along the Danube Canal on the boat of the National Park from May to October from the Old Town you can get directly into the ancient forest. And then - go on a free expedition on foot or by bike! Website: www.gv.at

Upper Austria

In the southeast of the Mühlviertel region lies the Mühlviertel Nature Park, which until 2005 was called the Rechberg Nature Park (Naturpark Mühlviertel/ Rechberg). This area is interesting for its unique biotopes: swamps, dry and water meadows. Unique landscape formations, natural monuments - the so-called "stone giants" - have been preserved here. These are bizarre rock formations and boulders lying in different places in the middle of meadows, bushes and forests.

You can travel through the Rechberg Nature Park on marked hiking and cycling trails. According to the preliminary requests of tourists, thematic excursions and hikes are held here. Website:

1. Natural features

2. Environment

2. Economic situation

2.1 general information

2.2 Geography of foreign economic relations

3. Tourist attractions.

3.2 Lower Austria

3.3 Upper Austria

Introduction

Austria is a country of alpine peaks, meadows, mountain lakes and cool forests. Cozy ancient cities, living in their unhurried and serene rhythm. Austria is called "the open heart of Europe". Vienna is a city - a recognized cultural center of Europe with many art galleries, luxurious palaces, concert halls, majestic squares, picturesque streets. City of poets and musicians, surrounded by a green necklace of the Vienna Woods.

Holidays in Austria are especially loved by fans of winter sports. Tyrol - the highest mountainous region of Austria is rightfully considered one of the most popular holiday destinations. Resorts in Austria offer a lot of opportunities to have a great vacation: 22,000 km. well-prepared slopes, the best ski schools in the world, the most modern equipment that you can buy or rent.

1.Natural features

Natural contrasts have formed diverse landscapes in the center of Europe, which attract with their beauty and originality. The Alps are a forested area. The influence of the inhabitants of Austria was strongly reflected in the nature of the Alps. In place of dense forests, there are now pastures and agricultural lands, thanks to which this small country fully provides its population and a large army of tourists with products. Almost two thirds of the area of ​​Austria is occupied by mountainous terrain. And only one third is located in the cozy valleys of the foothills with a mild, even, temperate climate. The mountainous nature of the country determines the presence of a large number of valleys and foothills, which host a large number of alpine villages and resorts. Almost all the lands here are ideally suited for skiing, the topography of its surface is so rugged. Austria - Alpine skiing, two complementary concepts. This small country is located not only horizontally, but also vertically, which is facilitated by the high mountains of the Alps. Here you can find yourself in completely opposite types of climate during the day - from subtropics to frost and snowstorms.

The main thing that determines the natural features of almost the entire territory of Austria is the Alps. Their white-headed peaks are visible in the country from everywhere. Almost ¾ of the country is occupied by the Eastern Alps, which are lower and wider than the Western ones. The border between them coincides with the western border of Austria and runs along the valley of the upper Rhine. The Eastern Alps have fewer glaciers and more forests and meadows than the Western Alps. The highest point in Austria - Mount Grossglockner in the High Tauern - does not reach 4 thousand meters. (3797 m). From the highest peaks flows the largest glacier of the Eastern Alps - Pasierze - over 10 km long. Other peaks of the crested granite-gneiss zone of the mountains - the Ötztal, Stubai, Zillertal Alps - are also covered with snow and ice. In this crystalline zone, the so-called alpine landforms are most pronounced - sharp ridges, steeply walled valleys plowed by glaciers. To the north and south of the ridge zone is the famous ice - Eisriesenwelt (world of ice giants) in the Tennengebirge mountains, south of Salzburg. The very names of the mountain ranges speak of the inhospitability and wildness of these places: Totes-Gebirge (meter-high mountains), Hellen-Gebirge (hellish mountains), etc. The limestone Alps to the north pass into the Pre-Alps, descending in steps to the Danube. These are low ridged mountains, overgrown with forests, in some places their slopes are plowed up, and wide sunny valleys are quite densely populated.

If it is appropriate to compare the geological young Alps with the Caucasus, then the mountains lying on the other, left side of the Danube, resemble the Urals. These are the southern spurs of the Šumava, part of the ancient Bohemian massif, almost to the base, destroyed by time. The height of this border hill is only 500 meters and only in a few places does it reach 1000 meters.

Areas with a calm relief, flat or hilly lowlands occupy only about 1/5 of the country's area. This is, first of all, the Danube part of Austria and the western outskirts of the middle Danube plain adjoining it. The overwhelming majority of the population lives here and the "center of gravity" of the whole country is located.

1.2. Climate.

Large relief contrasts - from lowlands to snowy mountains - determine the vertical zonality of the climate, soils, and vegetation. Austria has vast areas of fertile land, a warm and rather humid (700-900 mm of precipitation per year) "grape" climate. Everything is in this word: a rather warm, long summer with an average July temperature of + 20 degrees and a warm sunny autumn. On the plains and foothills, a relatively mild winter with an average January temperature of 1-5 degrees. However, a large alpine part of the country is "deprived" of heat. With the rise for every 100 meters, the temperature drops by 0.5 - 0.6 degrees. The snow line is located at an altitude of 2500-2800 meters. Summer in the high mountains is cold, damp, windy, and sleet often falls. In winter, there is even more precipitation here: giant layers of snow accumulate on the slopes of the mountains, which often break off and rush down in avalanches for no apparent reason. crushing everything in its path. Rare winter does without casualties; dwellings, roads, power lines are destroyed... And sometimes in the middle of winter the snow suddenly disappears. So it was, for example, in the days of the "white" Olympics at the beginning of 1976 in the vicinity of Innsburg. Usually snow is "driven" by warm southerly winds - hair dryers. .

1.3 Environment

The environment in most of Austria is not yet under the same threat of pollution as in most other industrialized countries in Europe. First of all, this concerns the Alps with their sparse population and generally insignificant industry in relation to this vast territory. The Austrian authorities, interested in attracting foreign tourists to the country, are taking some measures aimed at limiting environmental pollution, but not enough. The democratic public and scientific circles in Austria are sounding the alarm about the unacceptable degree of pollution of the Danube by industrial waste downstream of Vienna and the rivers Mura and Mürz. Nature reserves play an important role in the system of measures for nature protection. There are 12 of them in Austria with a total area of ​​0.5 million hectares. They are found in all natural areas - from the steppe surroundings of Lake Neusiedler See to the high Tauern. Most of the reserves are located in the Alps.

2. Economic situation

2.1 General information.

Austria is a developed industrial and agricultural country. It is one of the most developed countries in Europe. GDP per capita in 2002 amounted to 24.7 thousand euros (in 1995 prices). This figure is constantly growing (in 1990 it was 20.1 thousand euros, in 1995 - 21.4 thousand euros), and in US dollars at current prices and at purchasing power parity in 2001 - 28.2 thousand (with an average in the EU 25.5 thousand). Thus, Austria was ahead of Sweden, Great Britain, Italy, France, Germany, and was second only to Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland and Luxembourg.

The volume of GDP in constant prices in 2002 amounted to 200.7 billion euros. GDP production per 1 employed person in 2001 (labor productivity) - 58.3 thousand euros.

The Austrian economy is distinguished by a relatively low level of inflation (in 2002 - 1.8%) and unemployment (in 2000 - 3.7% of the working-age population, in 2002 - 4.3%). The consumer price index in 2002 compared to 1996 was 108.8, while in the EU as a whole it was 110.8.

Approximately 2.2% of GDP is produced in agriculture and forestry, 32.3% - in industry, energy management and construction, 65.5% - in services, trade, transport and communications, banking and insurance systems. One third of the volume of industrial production falls on the public sector of the economy.

However, there are a number of problems in the Austrian economy related to European integration. The agro-industrial sector is of particular concern in connection with the new conditions of competition dictated by the countries of united Europe. The EU's price and quota policy is contributing to a painful transformation of agriculture, which is causing increasingly harsh opposition from Austrian farmers. As a result of following Austria in the framework of the common agricultural policy of the EU, 69% of all agricultural land turned out to be unprofitable.

The total volume of accumulated foreign direct investment in Austria at the end of 2001 was estimated at 23-24 billion euros. Of these, about 45% are in Germany, 28% in other EU countries, 12% in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, 7% in the USA and Canada, and 8% in other countries.

Attracting foreign investment and cooperating with foreign partners, Austrian companies are beginning to form the most important technological industries that were practically absent in the country's economy (telecommunications equipment).

2.2 Geography of foreign economic relations.

The Austrian economy cannot develop without close ties with foreign countries, and its import of goods and capital exceeds their export. But the services it provides to foreign partners exceed the services received from them. First of all, we are talking about tourism, which plays an important role in the country's economy.
Austria's foreign trade has a negative balance, that is, imports of its goods are worth more than exports. A significant place in the export of Austria is occupied by raw materials and semi-finished products: wood and products of its partial processing, ferrous metals, chemical products, and electricity. Some types of machinery and equipment, river vessels are exported from finished products. Food is exported in small quantities.
Mostly finished products are imported, and first of all consumer goods, the import of machinery and equipment, cars, household and industrial electronics is of somewhat lesser importance. Oil, natural gas, coal and coke, metal ores, and chemical raw materials are imported in large quantities. Food and taste products, products of tropical agriculture, and a lot of fodder are also imported.
In general, more than 85% of Austria's foreign trade is oriented towards the world capitalist market. Germany occupies the first place both in exports and especially in imports of Austria.
The policy of state neutrality pursued by Austria is a good basis for the further development of foreign economic relations with all countries of the world.

3. Tourist attractions.

Austria is definitely a country of year-round recreation. Despite the fact that many associate Austria with winter tourism, sightseeing, cultural and historical sites of the country with the richest traditions and glorious musical taste can be easily combined with any time of the year.

In Austria, considered the most beautiful country in Central Europe, tourists are attracted by the beauty of Vienna and the famous ski resorts, as well as the picturesque alpine villages of Tyrol, magnificent national parks and the Lake District in the west of the country.

Vienna, located in the most picturesque place of the middle reaches of the Danube and surrounded by beautiful spurs of the Vienna Woods, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the "musical capital of Europe". The confluence of many cultures over the centuries has created a unique architecture here, badly damaged during the Second World War, but almost completely restored by hardworking crowns.

The symbol of the city is the Cathedral of St. Stephen (Stephansdom), the patron saint of the Austrian capital. The cathedral is over 800 years old. Under the cathedral there are ancient catacombs - the burial place of representatives of the Habsburg dynasty, its interior decoration is simply bewitchingly beautiful, and a Turkish cannonball is embedded in its spire, which fell into the cathedral during the Turkish siege of the city in the 16th century. On the walls of the Stephansdom you can see the measures of length, size and weight, according to which in the Middle Ages they checked the goods when buying, and from its observation deck a magnificent view of the Danube and Vienna opens. Opposite the cathedral lies the beautiful Stephansplatz square and the post-modern glass building of the commercial center Haas Haus. The Graben Street departs from the square, the "heart of the city", another symbol of Vienna, on which such famous sights as the Peitzeuile column, the Sacher Hotel and the Peterskirche church are concentrated. The most fashionable shops are also located here. It is interesting to get acquainted with the nearby Michalerkirche, San Marie am Gestade, Franciskanerkirche, the neo-Gothic City Hall (1872-1883), one of the most beautiful squares in the world - Josefplatz with the Palace Chapel and Burgtheater (1874-1888) located on it, the building Parliament (1883), in front of which stands the statue of Pallas Athena, and the famous Vienna Opera (1861-1869) - the venue for the iconic annual Opera Ball.

A little southwest of the Graben and Josefplatz lies the majestic complex of the Hofburg Imperial Palace (XIII-XIX centuries), built on the site of a Bavarian fort (1278), which now houses a number of government organizations of the country and the OSCE. The premises of the palace house the Spanish Riding School - the famous Winter Manege of the Habsburgs (1735), the Schatzkammer Treasure Exhibition (the crown of the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian Imperial Crown made in 962 in its collection), a separate hall of the Burgundian Treasury (regalia , ceremonial robes, jewels and relics of the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Dukes of Burgundy, including the "Sacred Spear" with which the crucified Christ was allegedly pierced), the imperial reception hall and the bedroom of Kaiser Franz Joseph.

In separate buildings of the complex there are the Vienna House of Arts, the unique Austrian National Library (XVIII century), which contains more than 2 million books, notes, manuscripts and ancient manuscripts, as well as the Augustinkirche court church and one of the richest art collections in the world - the Albertina Gallery (1800). Near the Hofburg Palace there is a unique workshop of Petit Pointe, where handbags, brooches and miniature snuff boxes embroidered with tiny crosses have been made for many centuries.

You should definitely visit the Church of St. Ruprecht and the summer residence of the Habsburgs - Schönbrunn Palace, which has more than 1400 rooms and halls. Now the Museum of Weapons, a collection of costumes and horse-drawn carriages "Wagenburg", a beautiful park with fountains, a greenhouse and a zoo are located here. Fine examples of architecture are located on a hill in the southeastern part of the city, the palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy - Belvedere Castle (1714-1723) with the Gallery of Austrian Art of the 19th-20th centuries. (the largest collection of Klimt, Schiele and Kokoschka) and the chambers of Archduke Ferdinand, the baroque Karlskirche (1739) and Stadtpark, the University, the palace of Count Manfeld-Fondi and the Vatican Church.

The pride of Vienna is the most beautiful parks, diverse in their appearance and purpose. The Prater is considered the most "popular" park in Vienna (it has been operating since the 18th century) and is famous for the largest Ferris wheel in the world (65 m) and excellent restaurants. Dozens of musical performances and symphony concerts are regularly held in the old Augarten park. The famous Vienna Woods park, located in the vicinity of the capital, in the foothills of the Eastern Alps, is a whole forest area with its own towns and hotels, resorts and thermal springs. Bounded on the one hand by the picturesque Danube valley and vineyards, and on the other hand by the famous resort area of ​​Baden and Bad Voslau, the Vienna Woods is a favorite vacation spot for the Viennese and guests of the country. There are probably more interesting things in the Austrian capital museums than in any other city in the world.

Not a single tourist can resist the temptation to visit the famous Viennese cafes and restaurants, which are the same integral attribute of the city as the Stephansdom or the "crooked house" Hundertwasser Haus. Viennese cafes are the oldest in the world. The most famous are the classical "Maria Theresa", the fashionable "Do-and-Co", the modernist "Museum", as well as "Mozart", "Fiacre", "Central", "Melange" and "Demel", where the most diverse audience gathers, Freud's favorite cafes are Landman, the respectable Sacher and Havelka, whose walls are decorated with paintings left as payment by famous artists, as well as Dommeyer, in which Strauss made his debut.

The restaurants of the capital are no less famous and charming. The historic "Piaristenkeller" has two museums of its own and offers dishes based on 18th century recipes. The Greichenbeisl restaurant is the oldest "drinking establishment" in Vienna; already in the 16th century, a tavern worked here. It was visited by almost all the famous people of the country and the world - from Bekhoven and Strauss, to Mark Twain and Chaliapin. Also famous are the Plaschutta restaurants on the Auhofstrasse, Temple on the Praterstrasse, Hansen and Stomach, as well as the wine cellars ("heuriger") of the Grinzing district. In total, there are more than 180 cozy "heurigers" in Vienna - from tiny, no larger than a living room, where regulars come from neighboring streets, to huge, luxuriously furnished halls where you can meet both a simple crown and an aristocrat from the "high society".

Viennese surroundings

The surroundings of Vienna are no less good than the capital itself. On the banks of the Danube, 70 km west of Vienna, lie the ruins of the Dürnstein fortress (XII century), the prisoner of which was the legendary English king Richard the Lionheart. In Tulln, in the castle of Atzenburg, concerts dedicated to Schubert are held all year round (in these places the estate of the uncle of the great composer was located, which he often visited). According to the Nibelungenlied, it was here that the first battle of the legendary Siegfried with the Hun king Etzel (Attila) took place. Nearby lie the ruins of the fortress of Araburg - the last stronghold of the Protestants in Austria. The Cistercian monasteries of the Heiligenkreutze are located 25 km southwest of Vienna. Gumpoldskirchen is dominated by the castle of the German knights with the parish church of St. Michael and the statue of St. Nepomuk on the picturesque bridge, as well as the famous wine cellars. Very close to Vienna is the town of Klosterneuburg, where local monks have been producing wine for almost a thousand years, so the local winemaking school is considered one of the oldest in Europe.

3.2 Lower Austria

25 km south of the capital, among the green hills of the Vienna Woods, fields and vineyards lies the famous Baden. This resort with healing hot sulfur springs was known even in the times of Ancient Rome - here in the II century. n. e. the camp of the Roman cohort was located, Marcus Aurelius spent the last years of his life here. In 1804-1834. the city was the summer imperial residence, all the nobility and figures of culture and art came here. The healing water of Baden is still used today for bathing, drinking and prevention of rheumatic diseases, arthrosis, diseases of the spine and joints, as well as for general recovery and wellness procedures. Be sure to visit Theresienbad ("theresia baths") and Theresiengarten ("theresia garden") with many exotic plants, which was founded in 1792 in honor of Empress Maria Theresa.

The parks of Baden are attractions in their own right - an orchestra plays daily in the Spa Park and there is a gazebo "Beethoven's temple", a flower clock and monuments to Strauss and Lanner, and from the end of June to the beginning of September the Operetta Festival takes place in the "summer arena". Doblhofpark is famous for the Schloss-Weikersdorf castle and the wonderful rose garden, where the famous "Baden Rose Days" are held every year. City gardens and parks on the outskirts of the city smoothly merge with the Vienna Woods and the vineyards of the Helental valley.

Baden has Europe's largest casino in the magnificent Congress Palace, a gallery in the Beethoven House Museum, the majestic Villa Menotti, the Jünger Gallery, the Emperor Franz Josef Museum, the Museum of Puppets and Games, a beautiful hippodrome, many quiet lanes with houses and villas in the " Biedermeier", large pedestrian area, cozy coffees and Heurigers. Near Baden are the beautiful Klosterneuburg church, the historic Purkersdorf, as well as many luxurious villas and parks.

St. Pölten

The federal province of Lower Austria lies on the lower reaches of the Danube in the northeast of the country, on the border with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The provincial capital is Sankt Pölten. It is the oldest Austrian city and the youngest capital of the federal state. It is interesting to visit the City Hall, the Museum "Im-Hof" on the Hessstrasse, the Pottenbrun Palace with a collection of medieval goblets, the Schallaburg Palace, the city's cultural center with the Festival Hall, the Exhibition Hall and the modern tower, the Lower Austrian Historical Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in the Baroque Karmeliterhof Palace, Romanesque-Gothic cathedral House at Domplatz, Bischofshof Museum and Herzogenburg Abbey, Nussdorf and Treismauer Dinosaur Park.

From St. Pölten, most excursions start to the region of beautiful vineyards - the Wachau valley, to the countless small lakes of the Waldviertel region surrounded by dense coniferous forests or to the foot of the picturesque Voralpenland mountain. Asparn an der Thaia hosts the Open Air Prehistoric Museum, Spitz an der Donau has a shipping museum and Waldkirchen an der Thaya has a puppet museum.

Castles and palaces

Medieval castles and palaces are scattered throughout the region. The Artstetten Palace (XVI century) with the Franz Ferdinand Museum, the palace church and the crypt, where Franz Ferdinand and his wife, who were killed in Sarajevo in 1914, are buried, is very interesting. The baroque Riegersburg (1735) is considered the most beautiful palaces in Lower Austria. and Renaissance Schallaburg. However, they are not inferior to the ancient fortress of Rappotgenstein, one of the strongholds of Freemasonry - the Baroque Rosenau Palace, the Renaissance Weitra Palace (1606), the former border fortress of Raabas (XI century), the Wiener Neustadt fortress (XIII century) with the chapel of St. George (1460), the Renaissance castles of Greillenstein and Resenburg, the Orth castle (XIII century) in Orth an der Donau with a fishing museum and a local history museum, the summer residence of the emperor - Laxenburg and many other majestic buildings.

Monasteries

The local monasteries are also beautiful - the Benedictine abbeys of Seitensteten (1112, rebuilt in 1719-1947), the masterpiece of the Austrian baroque - Melk (976, rebuilt in 1702-1736), Altenburg (1144) and Göttweig ( 1083), the Augustinian Dürnstein (1410), Herzogenburg (1244) and Klosterneuburg (1114) with a magnificent treasury of works of art, as well as the Cisterian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz (1133) with a Romanesque church, a chapel (1295 .) and stained-glass windows of the 13th century.

National parks

The Donau-Auen National Park is the largest nature reserve in Central Europe and protects more than 5 thousand species of animals and birds, being at the same time a wonderful place for recreation. The Taiatal National Park is located in the valley of one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe, the Taia, which is the westernmost point where many plant species typical of Pannonia grow. The surroundings of the river are "strewn" with beautiful meadows, beautiful cliffs of Paleozoic rocks and mountains abounding in cliffs, which gives the park a unique look.

Styria is a federal province of Austria, bordering Slovenia and famous for its huge number of medieval castles and the "Land of Lakes" Salzkammergut. Ancient castles and monasteries are scattered throughout the region. Here are the country's largest Baroque fortress Riegersburg with a Gothic chapel, a real knight's hall and a collection of medieval weapons, the Herberstein Renaissance castle (XIII-XVII centuries) with an armory and a hall of family portraits, the Mariazell pilgrimage church (1157) with a treasury, chapel with a silver altar (1727) and a miraculous statue of the 13th century, the former abbey of the Cistercian order in Neuberg (1350-1612), the Augustinian monastery in Forau (1163), the oldest Austrian monastery of the Cistercian order in the Rhine (1129 .) or the unique Benedictine monastery in Göss (1000), as well as many other monuments of history and architecture.

The administrative center of Styria, Graz is one of the ancient outposts of the Austrian Empire on the Turkish border and one of the most distinctive cities in the country. In the city you can see the episcopal palace, the ruins of the Schlossberg castle destroyed in 1805 by Napoleon (XI century) with the Urturm clock tower and the Glockenturm bell tower, the Cathedral of the Teutonic Knights (XIII century), the old Town Hall (XVI century), the Domkirche church (XII c.), the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II (1614), the famous Opera, which hosts the opera ball Opern-Reduit in January and the holiday "Christmas in Styria" (January), the University, the Museum of Styria (including the Museum of Applied Arts with a rich collection products made of tin and iron), the Museum of Criminalistics, the Arsenal ("Zeughaus") with the world's largest collection of medieval weapons (more than 30 thousand exhibits), the Museum of Aeronautics, the Schloss-Egenburg castle (1625) with the archaeological museum, the Alte Gallery -Galleries with a large collection of medieval art and the Herbstein Palace (XVII century), which now also houses an art gallery.

Salzkammergut

The most attractive holiday destination in Styria is the "Land of Lakes" Salzkammergut. Lake Grundlsee (length 6 km, width - about a kilometer) forms, together with Lake Altaussersee, a picturesque alpine landscape that has attracted the attention of tourists and artists for many decades. Legends have long been told about Lake Toplitse with its uneven rocky shores and the cliffs of the Dead Mountains. No less picturesque and charming is the Stubenbergsee lake in the east of Styria, and beautiful stalactite caves lie near Peggau.

South Carinthia

South Carinthia, which is often called the "Austrian Riviera" for the beauty of its nature, is countless mountains and valleys, about 1270 picturesque lakes, along the banks of which are scattered small resort towns with first-class hotels, beautiful beaches and complete recreation infrastructure, as well as famous ski resorts. centers.

Klagenfurt and the main resorts

Capital of Carinthia , Klagenfurt, founded in 1252 near the picturesque lake Wörther See. This is a very beautiful place, famous for its Minimundus park - a museum of masterpieces of world architecture reduced by 25 times, as well as a miniature, but fully functioning railway and a small port with ship models. Local attractions include the Renaissance Town Hall with the “armorial hall”, the baroque bishop's palace (XVIII century), the cathedral (XVI century), the Carinthian Museum, as well as the Happa Reptile Zoo and Dinosaur Park - one of the richest collections of amphibians in Europe. In the western bay of the Wörther See, among the forested spurs of the Alps, lies Velden - one of the best lakeside resorts in the country with state-of-the-art hotels, casinos, beach cafes, shops and excellent cuisine, as well as the beautiful resorts of Pertschach with a water entertainment center, Warmbad Villach with its thermal springs and national park (20 ha), the green Krumpendorf and the picturesque Maria Werth on a small peninsula on the southern shore of the lake. The Bad Blumau thermal complex (15 thousand square meters of water area) with indoor and outdoor thermal pools (water temperature +36 C) is considered one of the most modern and technically equipped in Europe - here you can go through almost all conceivable and unthinkable procedures.

Fortresses and monasteries

There are many medieval fortresses and monasteries in Carinthia - Portia Castle on the Drau (Drava) River, Landkron over Lake Ossiacher See and the main Carinthian fortress - Hochosterwitz Castle, as well as the Dominican Frisach Monastery with a magnificent basilica (1300), the Benedictine abbeys of St. Paul im Lavantal (1091), Ossiach (founded approximately in 1028) and Millstatt (1060-1068) with a basilica (XII century), a Romanesque arcade and an excellent museum. Maria Saal is home to the Open Air Museum of Wooden Architecture, which presents real life-size peasant huts, as well as architectural features, traditions and the way of life of the Austrian countryside. In Treffen, there is the Elli Riel Puppet Museum, which exhibits beautiful dolls (more than 650) created by the owner of the museum herself. In Gmünde - a private Museum of Porsche cars - more than 30 models of cars of the famous brand from the 50s of the XX century.

Nature of Carinthia

But the real treasure of Carinthia is its nature. Here lie the most famous lakes of the country - Wörther See, Ossiacher See, Millstetter See and Weissen See, as well as small Afritzer See, Faaker See with unique landscapes, Feld See, Kötschächer See, Klopeiner See (the most warm in Austria), Pressegger See and Längsee, where the water is amazingly clear and, thanks to thermal springs, warm. Mount Obir, located near Eisenkappel in southwestern Carinthia, is famous for its stalactite caves. In the Nockberg National Park, which stretches at an altitude of 1300-2440 m, you can enjoy the majestic mountain landscapes and get acquainted with the age-old traditions of Austria. The Hohe Tauern National Park, covering an area of ​​1187 sq. km, attracts with the beauty of its peaks, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls, alpine flora and fauna, as well as the wonderful mountain village of Heiligenblut ("holy blood"), turned into a modern tourist center. The Rosegg Nature Reserve protects over 350 different animal species and fragile alpine flora. Nearby is the terrible Ragga Gorge, over which hanging bridges are stretched at a great height.

3.3 Upper Austria

The federal province of Upper Austria is located in the north of the country, on the border with the Czech Republic and Germany.

Linz is the main city of the land and a major port on the Danube. The main sights of Linz are the Trinity Column (1723), Landhaus (Town Hall, 16th century), Alter-Dom Cathedral (17th century), Kefermarkt Folk Garden and Weinberg Castle (15th century). Like many cities in Austria, Linz is famous for its museums - the Museum of Upper Austria, the City Museum, the New Gallery and the Diocesan Museum.

Castles and monasteries

There are also a huge number of historical castles in Upper Austria - Walchen in Vöcklamarkt, Orth and Lanschloss palaces (XVII century) in Gmunden, the former residence of the landfurst in Wels (VIII century), the largest castle in Upper Austria - Schaunberg, Klam fortress with an arched Renaissance courtyard and two Gothic chapels, the Renaissance castle of Greinburg with a vaulted gallery (1621), a hall for celebrations, a chapel and a shipping museum, as well as many other equally remarkable buildings.

The most famous of the country's provincial monasteries, the baroque St. Florian (1071), is located in the city of the same name on the burial site of St. Florian. Magnificent rooms, collections, a chamber music festival and theatrical performances at Tillisburg Palace (July) attract thousands of tourists. Anton Bruckner is buried in the monastery church, the original Fire Museum and the former hunting castle (1729) with the hunting museum in Hohenbrunn are located nearby. No less interesting are the monasteries in Mondsee (748) - the oldest monastery in Upper Austria, the Benedictine abbey in Lambach (1056) with a church dating from 1080, the monastery of the Trappist order in Engelszell (1293), the abbey in Schlägl (1218) with an underground chapel, or the Benedictine abbey in Kremsmünster founded in 777, famous for its Imperial Hall (1694) and observatory (1759).

The popular "Lakeland" Salzkammergut continues into Upper Austria. The lakes Attersee, Irrsee, Traunsee, Kamersee, Hallstattersee and Mondsee are ideal for water sports and leisure activities. On the banks of the Wolfgangsee lies the beautiful resort of St. Wolfgang with its puppet museum and majestic Villa Wachler, and there are many interesting places scattered around the surroundings. In Mondze - open-air museum of peasant economy "Rauhhaus". In Steyr, you should definitely visit the museums of its famous arms factories. In Obertraun - stalactite and ice caves. In Natterbach - Austria's largest amusement park "Wild West", in Hinterbühle - a unique underground lake, and in Ganserndorf - "Safari Park".

The federal province of Tyrol, bordering Italy, Switzerland and Germany, is often referred to as "the heart of the Alps". There are more than 600 peaks - "three-thousanders" and 5 glaciers. In combination with excellent ecology, this allows the region to be considered one of the best winter resorts in the world.

The main city of Tyrol is Innsbruck. Known from the 13th century, and from the 16th century. was the residence of Emperor Maximilian. This is the center of art crafts and watchmaking, as well as one of the country's legendary mountain resorts. Innsbruck is a legend in skiing: the city has hosted the Winter Olympics twice (1964 and 1976). All six ski areas in the vicinity of the city are combined into a single "Innsbruck Grand Ski Pass" of 52 lifts. There are about 120 km of well-prepared trails at altitudes from 900 to 3200 m, more than 100 km of flat trails, a snowboard park and many trekking trails along the slopes of the surrounding mountains, and the city itself is a network of shops and restaurants, an exciting nightlife and a casino.

In addition, in Innsbruck you can see the Hofburg Imperial Palace (XIV-XVIII centuries), the Franciscan Cathedral (XVI century), the Arsenal, the Arc de Triomphe (1756), the Hofkirche court church (XVI century) with a bronze tombstone of the emperor, the castle Fürstenburg (XV century), St. Anne's Column (1703), City Tower, Maximilianeum Museum in the Goldenes-Dahl Palace ("Golden Roof"), Ambras Castle, Ferdinandeum Ethnographic Museum with a collection of Gothic paintings, Alpine Zoo with a circular panorama and the Museum of Tyrolean Art. In the town of Wattens, not far from Innsbruck, in an underground cave is the Crystal Museum of the Austrian company Swarovski - the famous Swarovski Crystal Worlds. This is a real labyrinth of seven rooms connected by narrow corridors and stairs. The halls exhibit the smallest (0.8 mm) and the largest (310 thousand carats) crystal crystals of the world, included in the Guinness Book of Records, as well as the famous Dali's "leaky watch" made of crystal, the ceremonial decoration of the Indian maharaja's favorite horse, a mosaic path , a crystal hall and a wall made of artificial crystals 11 m high and weighing 12 tons!

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