The birthplace of Schwarzenegger and chocolate cake: What did you want to know about Austria

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Austria is a small country, but located in the very center of Europe, in the foothills of the Alps. 

It is a country with the richest traditions, history and culture. Austria is the country that gave the world Mozart, Strauss, Schubert. 

This is a country where you can taste delicious “sacher”, listen to beautiful classical music and go skiing. 

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The Great Habsburg Empire

Austria is the former heart of the powerful Habsburg Empire, which occupied a huge part of Europe and subjugated most of the neighboring states. The capital of Austria is the city of Vienna. 

Today’s Austria is mostly a German-speaking part of the empire that was formerly called Austria-Hungary, which was ruled by the Habsburg dynasty from 1526 to 1918. This imperial family was one of the most powerful and famous in Europe for several centuries.

The name of the country comes from Old German, which means “eastern country”. 

Now Austria’s close neighbors are the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary and the Kingdom of Liechtenstein. Austria has no access to the sea. 

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Austria consists of nine federal states: Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Vienna. 

75% of the country’s territory is occupied by the Eastern Alps, which attract many tourists as resorts. About 20% of the Austrian population lives in Vienna, the capital of Austria.

The birthplace of waltz, Viennese coffee and “Sacher”

Vienna is a city that offers leisurely walks with tastings of Viennese sweets and listening to classical music concerts in historic imperial palaces and ancient churches. 

Of the most famous places and things that must be done and visited in Vienna, we can recommend the following: 

Not far from the border with Germany is the small Austrian town of Salzburg. Quiet streets, medieval houses, beautiful Mirabelle Park, palaces – this is the birthplace of the famous composer in the history of mankind – Amadeus Mozart. And you can spend the evening at the Vienna Opera, listening to the works of classics. 

If you haven’t been to thermal complexes, then you have not been to Austria. Aquadom thermal baths are among the best in Austria. In the heart of Tyrol, near one of the most popular ski resorts of Selden, a huge thermal complex was built on the site where there was a hot spring with thermal water. Thermal waters with a Jacuzzi were placed in the open air, sulfurous bowls with color music under water for complete relaxation.

To come to Austria and not try to ski or snowboard is simply impossible. Austria is home to the most important and largest ski region in Europe, Ski Amade: 356 ski slopes of various levels of difficulty, which stretch for many hundreds of kilometers.

It is known that the capital of Austria is Vienna. In every ancient house, castle, palace and cathedral of the city, the royal scope of the former Austrian Empire is felt. You can’t visit Austria without visiting Vienna!

After visiting the cities of Austria, you can visit one of the beautiful Viennese coffee shops and be sure to try Viennese coffee along with the Sacher cake. They say that Viennese coffee is the most delicious in the world.

Austria is a country of castles and palaces that take us back to the old Austria, medieval. Hochosterwitz, Hohenwerfen, Schattenburg, Anif are not all castles worth visiting. 

“And what to eat?”

Austrian cuisine is an extremely multifaceted and very fragrant concept. 

Chocolate cake “Sacher” in a Vienna coffee shop, strudel and coffee, sausages. But it seems to be German… more beer… and cabbage! 

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Beer or light dry wines, as well as schnapps, are usually drunk from alcoholic beverages in Austria. Beer is brewed here both light and dark, according to the color spectrum it can be with an amber shade, pale yellow or ebony. 

Schnapps is a drink that is very similar to Russian vodka, and has the same strength. And often fruit filler is added to the raw material. 

And what is a “Sacher”?

This is not a swear word, but the name of a cake known to the whole world. 

This is a chocolate cake by Austrian pastry chef Franz Sacher. Later, Eduard Sacher, the son of Franz Sacher, opened his own hotel, to which he gave his name. A pastry shop was opened at the hotel, where they began to bake an Austrian cake “Sacher” according to a slightly modified recipe. 

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“There are no kangaroos here,” or how Austria is similar to Australia 

Of course, speaking about Austria, we could not help but tell you some interesting facts that may surprise you very much…

  1. Often, due to the similarity of names, Austria is confused with the whole mainland – Australia, so the locals came up with a funny slogan for Austria, “There are no kangaroos here”, which is used on road signs and souvenirs.
  2. The world-famous Jewish psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud was born in Austria, as were the world-famous musicians Mozart, Strauss and Beethoven.
  3. In Austria, the world’s first railway running through the mountains was created. The construction of the Semmerinsky railway tracks began in the middle of the XIX century and lasted for quite a long time, so they function to this day.
  4. Orphanages in Austria are completely absent, and children from dysfunctional or collapsed families live in Children’s Villages in families – one such family can have from three to eight children.

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As you can understand, Austria is a country where everyone will find something to do, a dish and a castle to taste. Austria is a multicultural country where linguistic and cultural diversity in communication has spread. Austria is a real historical pearl of Europe, which you need to visit at least once in your life.