From the elegant opera and culture of Vienna to the beautiful mountain town and skiers’ paradise of Innsbruck, Austria attracts travelers of every type and background.  The country is situated in central Europe, bordering Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. 

Ruled by the Hapsburgs dynasty for centuries, the region later jointly ruled with Hungary under the Austria-Hungary empire (which dissolved after the assassination Franz Ferdinand, sparking World War I).  The country became democratic in the 20’s, but fell under control of  despotic Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss in the ‘30s.  Once the Nazi regime in Germany took control, Austria became part of the Third Reich.  After the war, Austria returned to its autonomous status and passed a Constitution.  Today the country operates under a parliament, with a Federal President and Federal Chancellor headquartered in Vienna. 

Austria is home to many important people throughout history, most notably Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but also Gregor Mendel, Franz Kafka, Friedrich Hayek and the Austrian School of Economics, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 Map courtesy of: http://www.appliedlanguage.com/country_guides/Austria.shtml