Austria has so much to offer the visitor and those who choose to make it their home - why not look into it?
Whatever you are looking for in a holiday or in a country in which to buy a new home, be it mountains, a host of outdoor activities, lakes, vineyards, castles, spa’s, charming villages, great cities of culture such as Vienna, Salzburg and Graz, or merely the simple pleasures of life such as fine food and wine, locally brewed beer, peace and fresh clean air, Austria has it all.
Austrians are generally very friendly to visitors and often speak very good English, which makes life easier if your German is less than perfect.
Austria is wonderfully clean and environmentally friendly
As a nation, the Austrians are understandably very proud of their country and it shows, you will not find litter or graffiti here. Austria is a world leader in recycling and in protecting the environment and they are justifiably proud of the fact that all their lakes and rivers are pure enough to drink! When was the last time you swam in drinking water? This is the proud boast of the Austrian tourist board when talking about the country’s thermal swimming lakes, which are extremely popular places to visit in the summer months.
There are so many really beautiful parts of Austria that are not on the Holiday Companies ‘tourist trail’ and you are sure to be rewarded for making the effort to travel at least a little way off the beaten track.
Austria is very visitor friendly and with a variety of cheap flights available, very accessible. If you choose to make your discoveries by car or by rail and bus you will be delighted by the quality of roads and services and by the wonderful scenery that is all around. Enjoy!!!
Lower Austria is the province that surrounds Vienna. The Danube (die Donau) flows through the middle of Austria's largest province, but Lower Austria is also the home of Europe's first major mountain railway, a scenic rail route over the Semmering Pass. 
Upper Austria is one of Austria's most scenic provinces, offering the variety of lakes, mountains, and the Danube River (die Donau). The best known scenic region is the Salzkammergut, but the rocky peaks of the Dachstein massif are also an attraction for visitors year-round. The capital city of Linz is Austria's third largest city (pop. 190,000) situated on the Danube just south of the Czech border.
Capital Town: Linz
The province takes its name from its most famous city, the birthplace of Mozart and the historical power base for the bishops of Salzburg. But the province also shares the beautiful Salzkammergut region with Upper Austria, and features many other scenic attractions in the countryside beyond the "Sound of Music" city of Salzburg.
Known for its lush green landscapes and forests, “die grüne Steiermark” borders on Hungary and Slovenia to the south. Graz, the provincial capital, is Austria's second largest city, with a population of 240,000. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in nearby Thal bei Graz. 
Tyrol, the Austrian province most associated with skiing and winter sports, has twice hosted the Winter Olympics (Innsbruck, 1964 and 1976). Located in the heart of the Alps, Tyrol has a history of rugged independence. In 1809 Andreas Hofer led a rebellion against the ruling Bavarians and French, but it was 1815 before Tyrol was once again part of Austria. South Tyrol (Südtirol) became part of Italy after the First World War. (German is still the main language in that part of northern Italy.) South Tyrol's loss left East Tyrol (Ost-Tirol) as an isolated part of Tyrol to the south of the province of Salzburg. 
Facts of Austria
Capital of Austria
Vienna
Total Area of Austria
total: 83,870 sq km
land: 82,444 sq km
water: 1,426 sq km
Population of Austria over 8 Million
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)
Life Expectancy in Austria
total population: 78.92 years
male: 76.03 years
female: 81.96 years (2005 est.)
Government Type in Austria
federal republic
Currency of Austria
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by the financial institutions of member countries; as of 1 January 2002, the Euro became the only legal tender in EMU member countries, including Austria. See Euro for currency conversion
