Austria is a land-locked country located in Central Europe. It has nine provinces and is also home to the beautiful Alps. In addition, the country is blessed with many forests, valleys, lakes and rivers that are just waiting to be explored.
While Austria sees maximum tourists during winter who come here to ski and take part in other winter sports, it is also considered to be a year-round travel destination.
If you are planning a visit to the country, you should know what to expect in terms of weather and climate. The country has four distinct seasons, namely spring, summer, autumn and winter. The summers are warm but it can get cool at nights. It usually rains during this time but the showers last for a short while. The winters are sunny and nearly every year it snows covering the mountains and the cities in a white carpet. The winters are quite cold, but certain parts of the country have warm dry winds. Make sure you carry appropriate clothing for the season.
Austria is a haven for those who love old architecture and culture. It is home to Stephansdom, or Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, Schonbrunn Palace, Hofburg Palace, Goldene Dachl in Innsbruck, Melk Abbey and Loos Haus. It is also the country that gave the world composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss Jr., Johann Strauss Sr., and Johannes Brahms.
Because of the mountainous terrain, the most popular activities in the country are skiing in winter and hiking. There are many resorts that are located on the foothills of the Alps that cater to the visiting skiing community. There are ample opportunities for cross country skiing across the country. Austria has thousands of kilometers of hiking trails and you can use them to explore the Alps. You are bound to be taken up by the panoramic views as you hike.