Austria

Austrian people are known for their friendly and welcoming nature. They are proud of their country’s history and culture and are happy to share it with visitors. Austrians value hard work and education, and their level of education is high. Family relationships are also important in Austrian culture. Austrians enjoy participating in outdoor sports such as skiing, hiking and biking. They also have a love for music and especially classical music. Famous composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss were born or lived in the country.

Places

Vienna, the capital of Austria, is the most common tourist destination within the country. The city is famous for its coffee culture, architecture and rich history. Vienna’s historic center, known as the Innere Stadt, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to many famous landmarks such as St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Hofburg Palace. Vienna is also famous for its museums, such as the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Natural History Museum.

Another important destination is Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The city is famous for its baroque architecture and the impressive alpine landscape that surrounds it. Salzburg’s historic center is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to many famous landmarks, such as Salzburg Cathedral and Hohensalzburg Fortress. The city hosts music festivals, such as the Salzburg Festival, which takes place every summer.

For those looking for outdoor activities, Austria has a lot to offer. The Austrian Alps are a popular destination for skiing in the winter and hiking or mountain biking in the summer. The Tyrol region, in particular, is known for its stunning alpine scenery and traditional mountain villages. Located in the heart of the Tyrol region, the city of Innsbruck is a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts and also has a lot to offer in the summer months.

Hallstatt is a small town overlooking the lake of the same name, in the federal states of Upper Austria.

It used to be a quiet settlement above a large salt mine, but now it has become world famous for its impressive picturesqueness composed of its traditional architecture and position on a narrow rocky lakeshore with high mountains rising behind it. It is considered by many, to be one of the most beautiful places on earth and is often called “the pearl of Austria”.

Halstatt’s tourism began in the 19th century, but grew significantly after it was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. It became even more popular to East Asian tourists in 2006 when it was featured on a South Korean TV show.

Social media images of Hallstatt, captioned “the most Instagrammable city in the world”, have gone viral in East and Southeast Asia. A replica of the city was built in China in 2011 in Huizhou, Guangdong Province. The town has a population of 780 and an estimated 30,000 tourist visits per day, mostly for short stay via bus tours.

Hallstatt became the main example of hypertourism in Austria and led to controversy proposals about limiting the number of tourists. Fortunately during our visit, there was few tourism, but accommodation and food in the small town was quite expensive.