Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.
Its nine provinces are Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, Carinthia, Styria, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Burgenland, and Vienna. The greater part of Austria lies in the cool/temperate climate zone in which humid westerly winds predominate. With over half of the country dominated by the Alps the alpine climate is the predominant one.
Austria has few peers as a year-round holiday destination, with plenty of winter sports in the Alps. The cities have plenty to engage visitors. Austria has many great places to offer. Sightseeing, swimming, scuba diving or climbing a mountain, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone. The picturesque Tyrol region, in the western part of the country, is a favorite year-round tourist spot.
Austria includes much of the mountainous territory of the eastern Alps (about 75% of the area). The country contains many snowfields, glaciers, and snowcapped peaks, the highest being the Grossglockner 3,819 m. Skiing is one of the most popular sports in Austria and is famous throughout Austrian history. Many different skiing resorts in the Alps are well known throughout the world and attract tourists from almost everywhere. The skiing areas are very well organized, offering all sorts of transportation and many valleys are connected to one another. Many areas host big international skiing and snowboarding competitions and Innsbruck is considered to be the "snowboarding capital" of Europe.
More and more skiing resorts also offer exciting nightlife options, parties and other fun activities. Towns like Kitzbühel are meeting points for high society and party areas. A very positive experience for tourists is the very friendly climate and the welcoming inhabitants.
