Introduction
Austria is a country of startling contrasts, from the Austrian Alps in the west to the Danube Basin in the east. It is not only famous as one of the world’s premier skiing regions, but also for its historical buildings, world-class museums and galleries, breathtaking scenery, magnificent mountains and established hiking trails. The nine Federal Provinces (Vienna, Upper Austria (Oberösterreich), Burgenland, Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), Styria (Steiermark), Carinthia (Kärtnen), Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg) divide the country along geographical and cultural lines. After Vienna, the western provinces of Salzburg, Tirol and Vorarlberg are the most popular tourist regions, although the southern province of Carinthia (bordering Italy and Slovenia) is now taking a larger share of the trade owing to its mild climate and attractive lakes.
Austria lends itself to walking, cycling and climbing as well as skiing, with an extensive network of hiking and mountain routes carefully signposted and cross-referenced to detailed maps. Alpine huts between 915m and 2744m, with resident wardens in the summer, are for hire. Further information can be obtained from the Austrian Alpine Club (Österreichischer Alpenverein), Wilhelm-Greil-Strasse 15, 6010 Innsbruck (tel: (512) 595 470; fax: (512) 575 528). Skiing facilities can be found in over 600 wintersport resorts between Brand in the west and Semmering in the east. Skiing enthusiasts of all ages and levels have a choice of more than 400 schools and top ski-instructors. It is possible to travel leisurely by boat from Passau on the German border to Vienna; this stretch of the Danube includes some of the finest scenery of its entire course.
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