Landlocked Austria sits in the heart of central Europe, bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, the Slovak Republic and Hungary in the east, Slovenia and Italy in the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. Part of the Alpine region, the majority of Austria is mountainous. In fact, only 32 percent of the country falls below 500 metres. Austria—once one of the most powerful countries in Europe under the Habsburg dynasty—is divided into nine provinces: Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Wien.
How to get there?
Fly into one of Austria’s three major airports in Salzburg, Innsbruck or Vienna, the hub for Austrian Airways, which offers flights from 37 destinations within central and eastern Europe. British Airways also flies from London Heathrow to Vienna, as well as from London Gatwick to Salzburg and Innsbruck in winter. Travel by train throughout Austria on ÖBB, which connects cities like Vienna and Salzburg (less than 2.5 hours by rail).