subject: Enjoying Your Vacation In Austria [print this page] Austria is the musical gem of Europe and home to some of the world's most famous music celebrations, like the International Chamber Music Festival, the Haydn Festival in Vienna and the Salzburg Festival. Austria's capital, Vienna, is not only the seat of Austrian government but the heart of European music. After centuries of building and rebuilding, of good times and bad, Vienna remains a place of constant musical invention. Vienna has been home to some of the world's great composers, like the Viennese native Mozart.
Music and art are in full flare here after centuries of hardship and innovation. That explains Vienna being the birthplace of Mozart. Horse dances are also part of these festivals. Since it snows in winter, the snow covered Alps is a must be visited place during the winter. Austria experiences a moderate summer. Rains can be expected year round. In case of emergency call 120 or 123.
The romantic castles simply leave you astounded. The Schloss Durnstein provides a magnificent view besides the River Danube. A 10% tip should be paid to the taxi drivers, which is customary here.
There are many languages spoken in Austria, including German, Hungarian, Slovene and Croatian. Every greeting with a local should begin with a handshake. Austrians still follow many of the old conventions, like a new acquaintance should be addressed by their family name when you first meet, but as you get to know each other, use of the first name is acceptable. If you want to say hello to someone, use the phrase Guten Tag or Gruss Gott, and to say goodbye, just say Auf Wiedersehen. If you're invited to a friend's house, you should always take some flowers along. Austrians love their horses and love riding their horses. The best horsemen in the world have called Austria home for 400 years, and today's riders come from all over the globe for a chance to learn at one of the many riding schools; shows are available but you'll need to reserve your tickets well in advance. Restaurants automatically add a service charge to each bill, but an additional 5% should be left as a tip.
Austria is home to three national airlines which operate within the country's borders and work in cooperation with the Austrian Airlines Group - these airlines are Austrian Airlines, Lausda Air and Austrian Arrows. Vienna's main airport is only 18 kilometers from the heart of the city. Buses are available at the airports to take visitors to either the South Train or West Train stations.
