Austria

1 of 3

Your vacations in Austria

Austria – officially, the Republic of Austria – is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,872 km², and enjoys the benefits of a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres and its highest point is 3,797 metres.

The Parliament of Austria is located in Vienna, the country's largest city and its capital. Austria became a federal, parliamentarian, democratic republic through the Federal Constitution of 1920. It was reintroduced in 1945 to the nine states of the Federal Republic. The head of state is the Federal President (Bundespräsident), who is elected directly by popular vote. The chairman of the Federal Government is the Federal Chancellor, who is appointed by the President. The government can be removed from office by either a presidential decree or a vote of no confidence in the lower chamber of parliament, the Nationalrat.

Austria is one of the 12 richest countries in the world. It enjoys a well-developed social market economy and a high standard of living.

Official language

German

Currency

Euro

Electricity

230 volts, 50 cycles

Shopping

There is a world of wonderful goods to discover in Austria. Be sure to check out the shopping malls and small souvenir shops, and stroll through the many public street markets. You can even make a day of it by touring the longest shopping miles of all – Mariahilfer Straße in Vienna, followed by Landstraße in Linz.