AUSTRIA: Country Driving And Crossing Borders

Austria is approximately 83,879 square kilometres (32,386 square miles). It is the 113th largest country in the world by land area.

To put Austria’s size into North American perspective, it is slightly smaller than the state of South Carolina in the US and slightly larger than the country of Costa Rica.

By contrast, Canada is the world's second-largest country with a total area of approximately 9,984,670 square kilometres (3,855,100 square miles).

Canada's only land border is along the southern part of the country. And our only neighbour is south of that border.

We can drive in Canada for days without ever crossing a border or leaving the country.

Not so in Austria. We decided to go for a “country drive” on another rainy day. We crossed 3 borders in less than 2 hours. 

AUSTRIA: Alpine Cities

“Salz” is the German word for “salt”. 

Not surprisingly, Salzburg’s name and prosperity go back to the centuries-long international trade in, what else, but, salt.

Salt was so valuable that it was dubbed "white gold".

The income from the salt trade enabled the ruling prince-archbishops to build an affluent city. 

Salzburg was also called the "Rome of the North" because of its Italian character and numerous churches.

AUSTRIA: Hiking the Mountains

We love the mountains and think Austria is stunningly beautiful.

We haven't been getting the best of weather with low clouds obscuring the tops of the mountains a lot of the time, but when it hasn't been raining, and especially if the sun has been shining, we get out there!

We find that starting at a higher altitude we have to "work a lot harder" getting up the steeper inclines. 

That's our story and we're sticking to it.

We have decided that it has nothing to do with getting older and not being as active as we should be. 

But getting out there to enjoy the scenery is definitely a motivator to push ourselves. 

AUSTRIA: Mountain Villages reminiscent of The Sound of Music

Austria has super cute towns and villages nestled in the mountains and foothills.

This brings to mind the iconic movie "The Sound of Music" that takes place in Austria. 

As an aside, much to John's horror, my sister Marie and I love to belt out Sound of Music songs while we watch the movie. 

It really is probably not a pretty sight, nor sound, because not only am I parking challenged, I am also musically challenged! 

Having tin ears, I can't hear where Marie's singing talents lie.

AUSTRIA: High on the Alps

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is 48 kilometres (30 miles) long through the Austrian Alps.

It connects the city of Bruck, in the northern end, with Heiligenblut, in the southern end.

Over that distance, there are 36 twists and turns that snake through the steep slopes and rough terrain of the mountains.

Because of the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the weather in the mountains, the Grossglockner High Alpine Road opens in May and closes in November.

Even when it is open between May and November, the weather can change quickly to create dangerous conditions.

AUSTRIA: Vienna Looking Up

When I walk I tend to look at my feet to make sure I don't trip over anything.

BIG mistake. 

So many of the big cities in Europe have old buildings that are stunning. 

The attention to detail, from top to bottom, is amazing. 

Vienna is one of those cities with a plethora of beautiful buildings that have incredible details from the ground up to the soaring roofs and domes. 

I now know that when walking around the city it is important to look UP so as not to miss any of the intricate details that centuries ago someone took the time to create. 

This post is dedicated to looking UP in Vienna and not worrying about tripping over anything.

AUSTRIA: Vienna has a Long and Wealthy History

Vienna is a beautiful city with stunning architecture.

Compared to other European cities and countries during World War II “only” about 20% of Vienna was destroyed. Some of the monuments were damaged, some restored, and many important landmarks have been standing in the city for centuries. 

Since Vienna is such an old, and affluent city, the landmarks date back to different centuries and you can find various architectural styles around the city ranging from Gothic to Baroque to modern. 

The Habsburg family, primarily seated in Vienna, ruled Austria for over 600 years, from 1282 to 1918. Needless to say, they were a very rich and very powerful family that left their mark on the city.

AUSTRIA: Vienna's Lipizzaner Stallions

There is a prestigious riding school in Vienna called the Spanish Riding School.

It is here that the famous Vienna Lipizzaner Stallions, known for their striking white coat and elegant movements, train and perform.

These horses have performed to classical Viennese music for emperors and kings for hundreds of years.