Taking a Holiday in Austria
Austria is in the heart of Europe and boarded on all sides by several other European and Eastern European countries including Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. The capital of this beautiful country is Vienna which is situated beside the River Danube.
However, along with the spectacular vistas that both Vienna and Salzburg offer this country has a lot more to offer its visitors. There are mountains, lakes and rivers where a variety of different outdoors activities take place from mountain climbing, to skiing and even kayaking.
The best time of year for visiting Austria will depend on the kind of activities that you would like to be doing whilst there. For those who enjoy hiking and mountain biking then going in the summer is best. Whilst for those who want to have a go at skiing or snowboarding of course the winter months are the ideal time to plan a break to this country.
Generally the warmest weather occurs during the months of April and October, but be prepared and take some warm clothing as occasionally April and October can be slightly colder than the rest. However, if you are someone who has problems with heat avoid the months of July and August as this is when the temperatures can become unbearable. Plus the costs of accommodation etc. generally go up during this month’s as it is the height of the summer season in Austria.
Another reason why many people do not choose to visit Austria in July and August is that many of the major attractions such as the Spanish Riding School and the Opera House are closed. Simply because the heat is unbearable and it is difficult for people to work in it.
However, although these attractions may be closed there are plenty of other events going on throughout the year. Certainly when it comes to music festivals these seem to be continuous in Austria. In Vienna in January there are the New Year concerts with their lavish balls. Then in February the Shrovetide Carnival (Fasching) takes place and this celebrates the return of spring.
As well as the festivals already mentioned another important one in the Austrian calendar takes place on the 2nd Thursday after Whitsun to celebrate Corpus Christi. In places such as Salzkammergut rather than the carnival taking place in the town instead it is held on the lake. But of all the music festivals which take place in Austria throughout the year the major one is the Wiener Festwochen which starts in May and continues through until the middle of June.
If you do decide to go on holiday to Austria as you will soon discover this beautifully landlocked country has so much more to offer its visitors than just skiing and mountain climbing. Certainly there are enough things for one to do and see that you may find yourself having to return several times in order to take it all in.
