Austria

Austria is relatively small landlocked country in Central Europe, running from the Alps in the west down to Vienna and the Danube in the east. When visiting Austria one could be shocked by its imperial glory and pompous looks that are contrasting with its nowadays easygoing and more provincial way of live. This is mainly because Austria was the heart of the Hapsburg empire in Central and Eastern Europe for more than 600 years. This imperial heritage is more visible in its grandiose front city – Vienna, which is full of extraordinary buildings and artifacts that remind us of the past glory. But this antagonism between new and old is not visible only in the looks and architectural landmarks of Austria, it is in almost everything – this is a country with 2 sides – the high-end aristocratic and traditional type of culture and entertainment is meeting here the new wave of modern sometimes surrealistic wave. This is visible in everything that is worth visiting in Austria: for every classical hall there is a hip modern night club, for every classical Viennese coffeehouse there is a modern sushi-bar around the corner, even for every classic style skier in the Alps there is one modern style snowboarder roaming on the next slope. All this variety makes Austria one unique and unforgettable place that is worth visiting by all means. You may decide to visit only the imperial, but yet cosmopolitan Vienna with its colossal architecture and cultural live, or Salzburg – the birthplace of Mozart, mediterranean Graz or snowy Innsbruck and everywhere you will feel this unique mix of great history and contemporary feels in the same time. Behind the stunning scenery and antique architecture a vibrant industrial and commercial society goes about its business in the cities and towns. Austrians work hard, but they also know how to play hard. Austrian hospitality and cuisine are legendary. From a cruise on the magnificent Danube River to a cycle tour through the Alpine meadows or a breath-taking day of sightseeing in busy Vienna, visitors to Austria find it impossible to have a dull moment.