Capital: Vienna        …            8,773,000 People            …            83,879 km²

The Country

As the home of Mozart, slow-motion videography, and schnitzel, Austria is a landlocked country in Europe that has had 21 Nobel prize recipients. As seen in the Sound of Music, Austria has a lush countryside with rolling green hills, where nearly 3/4 of the country has a view of the alps. Famous baroque architecture in the country brings tourists from all around the world, and it is known as one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Fun Facts:

• Austria has the oldest zoo currently still in operation, which opened in 1752.

• Austria is the only EU member that is not a member of NATO.

• The first country to register an organic farm was Austria.

My Experience

I will not pretend I am well-traveled within Austria, because at the moment it is the country I have spent the least amount of time in. Going to Austria was part of a day trip where a few friends and I drove from Italy to Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria and back in a single day. Because of this, we only spent 45 minutes in Austria before driving back to the town of Cannobio in Italy. 

During our time in Austria, we drove into the town of Feldkirch, which borders Liechtenstein. We sat at a cafe near the Ill river, and had coffee before returning to Italy. With an extra shot or two of Baileys (except for our friend who was driving, since no one else knew how to drive with standard transmission), we packed up and headed back. We laughed that we drove all day and across 3 different countries all for a cup of coffee; maybe it was the hype, but it was without a doubt the best coffee I ever had.

I have plans to return to Austria in the next few years to see Vienna and Linz, but until then, Austria will remain on my list as the country I have spent the least amount of time in (second only to Liechtenstein).

Photos of Austria