AUSTRIA

Austria

Austria is a land of chocolate, schnitzel, history and fun, all wrapped up in stunning natural scenery and some of Europe's most beautiful cities.

What you need to know about Austria

Language: German is the national language in Austria given the historic closeness of the country to Germany.

Currency: Euro

Banking: ATMs are found all over the country and all major cards are accepted.

Weather: In Austria you will find summers to be extremely lovely and warm. Summer days can regularly reach 30 degrees. In winter time the temperatures can easily drop below zero so there is definitely a need to pack a scarf if you travel in the festive period.

In the capital city of Vienna you will find romantic, period buildings that are amazing to explore.

Cities begging to be explored

There are few more pretty parts of Europe than the old city area of Vienna. You could just spend the day wandering around and enjoying the architecture, or equally you can jump into spectacular buildings like Stephansdom (St Stephan's Church) then sample some schnitzel and lovely food.

The Ottakringer brewery which has been producing beer for over 100 years in the Austrian capital and offers tours (and tipples) to all who visit. Elsewhere there is Mozart's House and a rich classical music cultural heritage that still stands today in institutions such as the Vienna State Opera.

Much more than just old cities

You would be wrong to think that Austria is just the landmark cities of Vienna and Salzburg. Getting out of the main cities will allow you to see places like Halstatt in the Austrian Alps, Alpbach and Feldkirch which is a lovely medieval city near the border with Liechtenstein.

Rolling hills and the chance to climb every mountain (maybe just one) for the active, outdoorsy nature lovers is too good a chance to turn down in the rural parts of the country. Definitely if time allows try to see the different sides of this lovely part of Europe.