Exploring AUSTRIA

Austria is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft),
and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft)^. The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Hungarian, Burgenland Croatian, and Slovene.

Celebrated for its baroque architecture and as the birthplace of Mozart, the city of Salzburg offers all the historical splendours you’d expect from a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yet Salzburg also innovatively blends tradition and modernity. Headquartered in Salzburg, Red Bull may have sent the city’s second-most famous son, Felix Baumgartner, skydiving from the stratosphere, but is also behind the design of the super cool "Hangar-7", one of Austria’s most contemporary bars and restaurants. Alternatively, why not mingle with other music lovers at the Salzburg Festival 2013 which features a live screening on the Kapitelplatz square

^MOZART