AUSTRIA by Richard Kershaw

Austria is a country famous for its mountains, which stretch right across this central European country. However, the skiing aside for a moment, have you ever wondered what Austria is like when you’re not whizzing across the snow? With its warm spring weather, hot summers, golden autumn days and magical winter wonderland, Austria is an all year round destination and you will be given a friendly welcome by its citizens.

 

Spring in Austria brings warm sunny days. As snow melts away, the green pastures and flowers create a lush green landscape to entice you into the hills, where you’ll find gushing streams of crystal clear mountain water. The cable cars become full of walkers heading towards the fresh mountain air and the breathtaking alpine scenery. The onset of summer brings valley temperatures up to 80 degrees, and people are drawn to Austria to swim in the lakes or sunbathe in the hills.

A wonderful place to get away from it all and re-invigorate.

Then, as summer nears to a close and the trees turn golden brown, temperatures fall and snow begins to arrive - the perfect recipe for a white Christmas! The verdant pastures make way for the snow-capped Alps in all their glory. The ski season starts across the Alps in late November. From the spectacular jagged peaks of the Voralberg in the west, to the vast Amade ski area in the east, the standard of the skiing is world renowned.

Whilst in Austria, be sure to visit lovely Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart, and if you can, beautiful Vienna with its important musical connections and birthplace of Schubert. Vienna's monumental buildings reflect the city's cultural importance: Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and typical Austrian Biedermeier structures all co-exist harmoniously there. As well as four opera houses and two stages for musicals, Vienna offers a choice of 50 theatres,100 museums and numerous theatre, music and dance festivals.

 

Bad Gastein

Nestled in the Gasteinertal with a spectacular waterfall running through the centre, Bad Gastein is ideal for activities such as skiing, snowboarding and ice climbing in the winter, or mountain biking, walking and climbing in the summer. The town is also one of the principle spa resorts in the Alps, with over 20,000 litres of geothermal water rising in hot springs each day...READ MORE

 

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