National parks and reserves of Austria. Austria: history, nature, population, economy, foreign economic relations Austria nature and its protection brief message

Austria's nature is highly diverse, with an estimated 43,000 native species in its flora and fauna, while Germany, being much larger in area than Austria and with access to the sea, is home to 48,000 species (only 5,000 more) .

This diversity reflects the diversity of Austria's geographical environment, which ranges from the alpine ecosystem to the steppe lakes of Burgenland in the east of the country. Different altitudes of ecosystems and climatic conditions are the main factors in the formation of the biodiversity of the flora and fauna of Austria.

But there are also historical reasons why Austria serves favorite place for lovers . At the beginning of the Tertiary period (approximately 65-70 million years ago), the vegetation of Austria was similar to the montane rainforests of Southeast Asia in modern times. At the end of the Tertiary period (about 25 million years ago), heat-loving plants gradually disappeared.

The influence of the Ice Age on the formation of the nature of Austria

By the time of the Ice Age, the basis of the flora of the Alps was spruce and various types of broad-leaved trees. During the Ice Age, many northern plant species migrated from the northern Alps to areas that were not covered by glaciers. Some mountain ranges reached the maximum thickness of glaciers and during this period, separate islands of various flora and fauna formed.

An example of this development of wildlife is the Kapuzinerberg mountain in Salzburg, which is still home to animal and plant species found nowhere else in central Europe. The Ice Age was a time of exchange between alpine and arctic ecosystems. The Alpine ecosystem today consists of animals that migrated from the Caucasus Mountains, the Baltic region and the Arctic part of Europe.

Fauna of Austria

For bird lovers, we recommend stopping in the east of the country, in particular in the Neusiedler See National Park where about 320 species of birds nest throughout the year. Here you can observe (Merops apiaster), bustard (Otis tarda), and a large population of greylag geese (Anser Anser). On the nearby rivers and lakes of the Neusiedler National Park you can see the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) and gray heron (Ardea cinerea). Austria is rich in birds of prey, in particular falcons (Falco), as well as the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla).

Of the reptiles, the most common are the beautiful and large Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis) and the Common Snake (Natrix natrix). Mammals are largely represented by the wild boar (Sus scrofa), common badger (Meles meles), blackbuck (Rupicapra rupicapra), mountain goat (Capra), European roe deer, roe deer, wild goat or simply roe deer (Capreólus capreólus ), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and the common or red fox (Vulpes vulpes). There is also a small population of brown bear(Ursus arctos) who moved from Slovenia.

In Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse or other areas of the alpine terrain, it is quite possible to meet a very funny animal - the alpine marmot (Marmota marmota).

Flora of Austria

Thanks to its rich topographic diversity, Austria has a significant amount of vegetation. Austria is one of the countries in Europe with the largest forest cover (about 44% of the country's territory is covered with forests). Typical for the country are deciduous forests (oak, beech) and mixed forests (beech, fir), while spruce, larch and pine grow in the mountainous regions. The alpine flora of Austria is the most diverse and colorful: orchids, edelweiss, gentian, alpine carnation, arnica, rhododendron (alpine rose), heather and much more grow here. The northern part of the Alps is dominated by grasslands, scrub forest typical of the Pannonia region, mixed deciduous forest and steppe marshes.

Austria

About 3 percent of the country's area is occupied by protected lands on which seven national parks:

1. Hohe Tauern National Park is the largest in Austria and one of the largest national parks in Europe. It covers a total area of ​​1,800 square kilometers and is located in three contiguous federal states: Tyrol, Salzburg and Carinthia;
2. Nockberge National Park is a park located in the Nockberge Mountains in the federal state of Carinthia. The park's area is approximately 216 square kilometers;
3. The Neusiedlersee - Seewinkel National Park is a very special one, covering 95 square kilometers, including the steppe plains of Lake Neusiedler in the Burgenland nature reserve. It was founded in 1993 and is associated with the Fertő-Hanszág National Park (Vngria). Together these two parks cover approximately 300 square kilometers of land;
4. Donau-Auen National Park is a protected area in Lower Austria that consists of the last large river meadows left in Central Europe. It covers only 9,300 hectares of land;
5. Kalkalpen National Park is a park located in the south of Upper Austria and has an area of ​​21 square kilometers. From a botanical point of view, this is a very attractive place, as more than 1000 different species of higher plants can be found here. Much of the park's flora and fauna is typically alpine;
6. Tajatal National Park - covers 1330 hectares of land in the north of Lower Austria and is located on the border with the Czech Republic. It joins the Podyji National Park (Czech Republic) and is famous for its narrow valley through which the Die (Taya) river flows;
7. Gesoise National Park is a park located on the territory of the federal state of Styria. Famous for its untouched wildlife and beautiful mountain scenery. The current area of ​​the park is 110 square kilometers, but there are plans to expand it to 125 square kilometers in the future.

Austrian nature photos

Video about the beautiful nature of Austria

General information

Austria is a small country located in the center of Europe and has no access to the sea. Here on an area of ​​84 thousand square meters. km live about 11 million people, i.e. less than in Greater London. Austria borders on the east with the following countries - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, and on the west with Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the Principality of Liechtenstein. The territory of Austria is elongated in the form of a wedge, greatly narrowed in the west and expanded in the east. This configuration
the country resembles, according to some, a bunch of grapes.

Austria is both an Alpine and a Danube country; in addition, it is located at the “crossroads of Europe”: routes from countries lying north of Austria to the countries of the Mediterranean basin, and from countries lying west of it to the Danube (Balkan) countries pass through its Alpine passes. The most densely populated and economically developed regions of Austria are located in the east, which creates additional favorable opportunities for
expanding ties between Austria and other countries.

Austria is a federal republic; it consists of 9 states that have their own parliament (landtag), constitution and government. The lands of Lower Austria and Upper Austria lie on both sides of the Danube, and Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Carinthia and Styria lie entirely or mostly in the Alps; Burgenland is located on the outskirts of the Middle Danube Lowland in the east of the country. The city of Vienna, the capital of Austria, is administratively equal to the lands. The division of the country into lands has developed historically: almost each of the lands is a former independent feudal possession. In fact, modern Austria is a centralized state; Land rights are limited by the constitution to a narrow range of local issues. The highest government bodies of the country are the parliament, consisting of two chambers (National Council and Federal Council), and the government. Deputies of the National Council are elected in general elections for 4 years, the Federal Council consists of persons appointed by the Landtags of the states. The government, headed by the Federal Chancellor, is formed by the party that receives the largest number of seats in the National Council. The head of state, the president, is elected for a 6-year term by universal suffrage.

MAJOR HISTORICAL EVENTS

In ancient times and in the early Middle Ages, many different tribes passed through the lands of modern Austria, located at the crossroads of important trade routes, the main one being the route along the Danube. Some of them left their mark on the ethnogenesis of the Austrian people; The Celts, who settled here in the 5th-6th centuries BC, had a noticeable influence on the formation of the Austrian Ethnic Community.

The conquest of Austrian lands by the Romans, beginning in the 2nd century BC, led to the gradual Romanization of the local Celtic population. Administratively, these lands were included in different Roman provinces: Pannonia in the east, Noricum in the center, Raetia in the West.

The settlement of its lands in the centuries by Germanic (Barbarians, Alemanni) and Slavic (mainly Slovenes) tribes was of great importance for the history of Austria. On the basis of the predominantly Germanic tribes of the Bavarians and Alamanni, merging with some Slavic and with the remnants of Celtic and other tribes of the early Middle Ages, the Austrian ethnic community was formed.

In the 7th-8th centuries, the lands of present-day Austria did not yet constitute a single whole, but were part of various European states: western and northern (with a German population) - in the Duchy of Bavaria, eastern (with a Slavic population) - in the Slavic state of Carantania, which soon fell into
dependence on Bavaria. At the end of the 8th century, both of these states were included in the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne, and after its division in 843 they became part of the German East Frankish Kingdom.

In the 7th-10th centuries, the lands of modern Austria were subjected to devastating raids by nomads, first the Avars (8th century), and then the Hungarians (9th-10th centuries).

In the second half of the 10th century, the Bavarian East Mark was formed on the territory of modern Upper and Lower Austria, which began to be called Ostarrichi (Austria). It was she who later became the core of the Austrian state.

In the 12th century, Austria, like many other European states, became part of the Holy Roman Empire.

In the 15th century, almost all of its modern lands were included in the Austrian state, with the exception of Salzburg and Burgenland. However, this political unification was still unstable, its borders often changed, and the regions included in the state were connected to each other only by dynastic ties.

In the XII-XV centuries, Austria was one of the economically prosperous countries in Europe. The development of feudalism in Austria was distinguished by certain features. Until the 15th century, the feudal dependence of the peasants was much weaker in it than in neighboring countries; The enslavement of peasants took place here more slowly due to long-term population movements and raids by nomads. In mountainous pastoral areas, especially in Tyrol,
free peasantry united in rural communities.

In the 15th century, Austria became not only the economic, but also the political center of the “Holy Roman Empire,” and its dukes, the Habsburgs, became emperors. Against the backdrop of general economic and political growth, the culture of medieval Austrian cities flourished, first of all Vienna, then Graz and Linz. The foundation of the University of Vienna in 1365 was important.
In the 16th century, Austria led the struggle of the countries of southeastern Europe against the Turkish invasion. Taking advantage of the weakening of the Czech Republic and Hungary in the wars with the Turks, Austria included most of their territories into its possessions, beginning from that time to turn into a multinational state.

During this period, the country's economy is increasingly strengthened and developed. In the mining industry (extraction of iron and lead ores in Tyrol, Styria, Upper Austria), the emergence of capitalist relations began already in the 16th century. The first manufactories appeared in the production of velvet, silk, and luxury goods.

In the 17th-18th centuries, the Austrian Habsburgs continued to expand their possessions: the entire territory of Hungary, almost all of Croatia and Slavonia, the Southern Netherlands, some regions of Italy, and a number of Polish and Ukrainian lands were annexed to Austria. In terms of area, Austria began to take second place in Europe after Russia.

In the 18th-19th centuries, feudal-absolutist Austria was a stronghold of Catholic reaction in Europe. She was the initiator of the intervention against revolutionary France, and later participated in all anti-French coalitions and led the fight against the revolutionary movement in Europe.

The defeat of Napoleonic France in the European wars of the early 19th century further strengthened Austria's external position. By decision of the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815. not only were the lands conquered by Napoleon returned to her, but the region was also given Northern Italy in exchange for the southern Netherlands. In the second half of the 19th century, Austria lost its hegemony in European affairs. The struggle with Prussia for supremacy among the German states ended with the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. The creation of the union of German states (1867) took place under the auspices of Prussia and without the participation of Austria.

In 1867, Austria became a dual monarchy, Austria-Hungary. The Austrian and Hungarian ruling classes formed an alliance to exploit and suppress the resistance of other peoples.

At the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, changes occurred in Austria's foreign policy: having failed to achieve hegemony among the German states that were united by Prussia in 1871, Austria launched an offensive in the Balkans, which led to a worsening of its relations with Russia and rapprochement with Germany. In 1882, the so-called Triple Alliance was concluded between Austria-Hungary, Germany and Italy, which took part in the First World War of 1914 against the Entente countries.
In 1918, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy broke up into three states - Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary: in addition, part of its lands became part of Romania, Yugoslavia and Poland.
In 1938, the troops of Nazi Germany occupied Austria. The entire economy of the country was subordinated to the military needs of Germany. Austria participated in World War II as part of Germany.

In March 1945, Soviet troops crossed the border into Austria. On April 13 they entered Vienna and soon after that the Soviet Army and allied forces liberated the entire country.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany, according to an agreement between the USSR, the USA, England and France, the entire territory of Austria was temporarily divided into 4 occupation zones.
On the initiative of the Soviet Union, in 1955 the State Treaty on the restoration of an independent and democratic Austria was signed and the occupation was ended. In the same year, the Austrian parliament passed a law on the permanent neutrality of Austria.

NATURE

The main thing that determines the natural features of almost the entire territory of Austria is the Alps. Their white-headed peaks are visible from everywhere in the country.

Austria lies in the Eastern Alps, which are lower and wider than the Western Alps. The border between them coincides with the western border of Austria and runs along the upper Rhine valley. The Eastern Alps have fewer glaciers and more forests and meadows than the Western Alps. The highest point in Austria - Mount Großglockner in the Hohe Tauern - does not reach 4 thousand meters (3797 m). From the highest peaks flows the largest glacier of the Eastern Alps - Pasierce - over 10 km long. Other peaks of the ridge granite-gneiss zone of the mountains - the Ötztal, Stubai, and Zillertal Alps - are also covered with snow and ice.
In this crystalline zone, the so-called alpine landforms are most pronounced - sharp ridges, steep-sided valleys plowed by glaciers.

To the north and south of the ridge zone stretches the chain of the Limestone Alps. Of the caves, the ice cave is especially widely known - Eisriesenwelt (world of the ice giants) in the Tennengebirge mountains, south of Salzburg. The names of the mountain ranges themselves speak about the inhospitability and wildness of these places: Totes-Gebirge (meter-high mountains), Hellen-Gebirge (hellish mountains), etc. The limestone Alps to the north turn into the Pre-Alps, descending in steps to the Danube. These are low, rugged mountains, overgrown with forest, their slopes are plowed in places, and the wide, sunny valleys are quite densely populated.
If it is appropriate to compare the geologically young Alps with the Caucasus, then the mountains lying on the other, left side of the Danube resemble the Urals. These are the southern spurs of the Sumava, part of the ancient Bohemian massif, almost to its foundation, destroyed by time. The height of this border elevation is only 500 meters and only in a few places it reaches 1000 meters.

Areas with calm relief, flat or hilly lowlands occupy only about 1/5 of the country's area. This is primarily the Danube part of Austria and the adjacent western edge of the Middle Danube Plain. The vast majority of the population lives here and is the “center of gravity” of the entire country.

2. Minerals

Austria has a fairly diverse range of minerals, but among them there are very few whose significance goes beyond the country.
The exception is magnesite, which is used for the production of refractory materials and partly for the production of metallic magnesium from it. Magnesite occurs in the Styrian, Carinthian and Tyrolean Alps.
There are very few energy minerals. These are very modest deposits of oil (23 million tons) and natural gas (20 billion cubic meters) in Lower and partly in Upper Austria. Even at the Austrian scale of production, these reserves are projected to be exhausted within two decades.

There are somewhat larger reserves of brown coal (in Styria, Upper Austria and Burgenland), but it is of low quality. Relatively high-quality iron ores, but with a high metal content, are found in Styria (Erzberg) and a little in Carinthia (Hüttenberg). Non-ferrous metal ores are found in small quantities - lead-zinc in Carinthia (Bleiberg) and copper in Tyrol (Mitterberg). Of the chemical raw materials, only table salt (in Salzkamergut) is of practical importance, and of other minerals - graphite and feldspar.

This part of Austria has vast areas of fertile land, a warm and fairly humid (700-900 mm of precipitation per year) “grape” climate. This word has it all: a fairly warm, long summer with an average July temperature of + 20 degrees and a warm, sunny autumn. On the plains and foothills there is a relatively mild winter with an average January temperature of 1-5 degrees. However, most of the alpine part of the country is “deprived” of heat. With a rise every 100 meters
the temperature drops by 0.5 - 0.6 degrees. The snow line is at an altitude of 2500-2800 meters. Summer in high mountains cold, damp, windy, and wet snow often falls. In winter, there is even more precipitation here: gigantic layers of snow accumulate on the mountain slopes, which often break off for no apparent reason and rush down in avalanches. crushing everything in its path. Rarely does a winter go without casualties; Homes, roads, power lines are destroyed... And sometimes in the middle of winter the snow suddenly disappears. This was the case, for example, during the “white” Olympics in early 1976 in the vicinity of Insburg. Usually the snow is “driven away” by warm southern winds - hair dryers. The mountainous part of the country is distinguished by an abundance of clean fresh water. It accumulates in the form of snow and glaciers for most of the year, only to fall into them in the summer towards the Danube in thousands of roaring streams, filling the lake basins along the way. Alpine rivers also determine the regime of the Danube: it is especially rich in water in the summer, when lowland rivers usually become shallow. The tributaries of the Danube - Inn, Salzach, Enns, Drava - are fraught with large reserves energy, but all of them are not navigable and are only partially used for timber rafting. The country has many lakes, especially in the northern foothills of the Alps and
in the south, in the Klagenfurt Basin. They are of glacial origin, their pits were plowed by ancient glaciers; As a rule, lakes are deep, with cold, clear water. This type is located in the vast Lake Constance, which partially belongs to Austria.

4. Forest resources

Austria is a fairly wooded country. Forests occupy almost 23 of its territories. They were preserved mainly in the mountains, where the vegetation was relatively little changed by man. The foothills and lower parts of the mountain slopes are covered with broad-leaved forests - oak, beech, and coffin forests. Higher up they are replaced by coniferous, mainly fir, forests. Mountain forests are one of Austria's national treasures. Even higher than the forest belt there are tall-grass subalpine meadows - mattas, and then low-grass alpine almas. They serve as excellent summer pastures for livestock, mainly dairy. Here peasants prepare hay for the winter.
In the flat and hilly areas of the country, the vegetation cover has been almost completely changed by humans. Once these areas were covered with shady oak and beech forests, of which small groves remained. Now almost all the land is plowed, there are many gardens, vineyards, and parks. The roads are lined with trees, their green chains often separating the possessions of one owner from the lands of another.

5. Animal world

The mountain forests, mainly in nature reserves, are home to ungulates - red deer, chamois, mountain sheep, mountain goats, and birds such as wood grouse, black grouse, and partridge. On the plains, where almost all the land is already cultivated, there are no large wild animals for a long time. But there are still foxes, hares, and rodents here.

6. Environment

The environment in most of Austria is not yet as threatened by pollution as in most other industrialized countries in Europe. First of all, this concerns the Alps with their sparse population and generally insignificant in relation to this vast territory.
industry. The Austrian authorities, interested in attracting foreign tourists to the country, are taking some measures aimed at limiting environmental pollution, but not to an sufficient extent. The democratic public and scientific community in Austria are sounding the alarm about the unacceptable level of industrial waste pollution in the Danube below Vienna and the Mur and Mürz rivers. Nature reserves play an important role in the system of nature conservation measures. There are 12 of them in Austria with a total area of ​​0.5 million hectares. They are in everyone natural areas from the steppe surroundings of Lake Neusiedler See to the high Tauern. Most of the reserves are located in the Alps.

POPULATION

1. Ethnic composition, religion

The population of Austria is relatively homogeneous ethnically: about 97% of its population are Austrians. In addition, in Austria, in certain areas of Styria, Carinthia and Burgenland, small groups of Slovenes, Croats and Hungarians live, and in Vienna there are also Czechs and Jews. Many Austrian citizens consider themselves not only Austrians, but, by origin from one or another province, also Styrians, Tyroleans, etc.

Austrians speak Austro-Bavarian dialects of German, which differ significantly from the literary one. Literary German is used mainly as a written language or on official occasions, as well as in conversations with foreigners. Under the influence of local dialects, his vocabulary and grammar also received some originality.

By religious affiliation, 89% of Austrians are Catholics. About 6% are Protestants, most of whom are residents of Vienna and Burgenland; According to Austrian statistics, 3.4% belong to the group of “those outside religion,” i.e. atheists living mainly in Vienna.

2. Demographic situation.

One of the main features of the Austrian population is the cessation of its growth since the early 70s. This is explained by a large drop in the birth rate. If it were not for the noticeably increased average life expectancy, which reached 75 years in 1990, the demographic situation would have been even more unfavorable. The decline in the birth rate is associated with the difficult financial situation of the majority of the Austrian population, as well as with the consequences of the Second World War.
A small natural increase continued in the less developed western Alpine lands, as well as in rural areas. Austrian experts predict that until 2020 the population in the country will not change significantly, however, the reduction in the proportion of young people and the increase in the proportion of older people threatens to reduce the labor force. Considering that education in Austria is extremely popular among residents of Eastern Europe, including Belarus, an influx of assimilated population from of this region, which will generally have a positive impact on the demographic dynamics of Austria.

3. Population distribution structure

The country's territory is populated very unevenly. With an average density in the country of 90 people per 1 sq. km it ranges from 150-200 or more people in the eastern regions adjacent to Vienna, to 15-20 in the Alps. In most of the country rural population lives in farmsteads and in separate yards - this is due to the lack of convenient land. Due to difficult living conditions, the proportion of the Alpine population is continuously decreasing; there is an escape from the mountains -
"bergflucht". 2% of the country's population permanently lives above 1000 m above sea level.
77% of the population lives in cities (with a population of over 2 thousand people), but Austria does not give the impression of an urban country to a traveler. The fact is that more than a quarter of the townspeople are concentrated in the largest city in the country, Vienna. Half of the entire urban population lives in small towns with a population of up to 100 thousand people. Thus, large cities - with a population of 100 to 250 thousand - are not typical for this country. There are only four of them
Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Insburg. The functions of these cities, not to mention Vienna, are varied, which cannot be said about the mass of small cities, which for the most part are “one-size-fits-all”. As a rule, they are dominated by one or two industrial sectors.

The rapid growth in the number of urban residents is associated with an increase in the share of non-agricultural occupations of the economically active population. In 1990, in industry, including construction and crafts, its share was more than 41%, in agriculture and forestry about 12% (compared to 33% in 1960), in transport and communications - 7%.

4. Housekeeping. General information

After the formation of Austria as an independent state in 1918, it experienced a severe economic and political crisis during the 20s and 30s. Having lost its outlying possessions - the industrial Czech Republic and the agricultural territories of Hungary, and also burdened with the enormous costs of maintaining a large bureaucratic apparatus, which previously ruled a huge empire, and is now left out of work, Austria for a long time could not adapt to the new conditions. During the years of the Anschluss, German monopolies gained control over thousands of Austrian enterprises and sought to establish the exploitation of Austria's natural resources in the interests of Germany. Numerous hydroelectric power stations, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises, and chemical plants were built.

After the Second World War, former German property passed into the hands of the state in Austria, which was in the interests of the Austrian people. Currently, the main heavy industry enterprises and banks have been nationalized in Austria. State-owned enterprises produce mainly
electricity, cast iron and steel, aluminum, iron ore, brown coal, oil and natural gas are mined, oil is processed, nitrogen fertilizers, artificial fibers, and some mechanical engineering products are produced. Mostly light and food industry enterprises remained non-nationalized, as well as a group of industries related to the procurement, processing and processing of wood.

Foreign capital plays a significant role in the Austrian economy. Entire industries are under his strong influence, and in some cases under his control: electrical engineering, electronics, petrochemicals, magnesite, and the production of certain types of equipment. Foreign capital limits Austria's economic independence, in particular it hinders the development of the public sector. Austria is one of the economically developed countries with a relatively rapidly developing industry. Although the global economic crisis of 1974-1975 did not spare Austria either. but here it began a little later. Austria's economic development is also favorably influenced by the fact that, as a neutral state, it has relatively low water consumption.

In the post-war period, Austria's industrial development advanced significantly. Nowadays, Austria belongs to the industrial countries, and although industry exceeds agriculture in terms of production value by about 7 times, Austria meets its needs for basic agricultural products by 85% through its own production.
Austria's dependence on the foreign market is reflected in the fact that it imports missing energy raw materials and exports surplus manufacturing products.
The main industrial and agricultural region of the country is the Danube lands. Here, on 1/5 of Austria's territory, its vital economic centers are located. The rest of the country, especially in the high Alps, is dominated by almost uninhabited areas, still poorly connected with the outside world and with each other.

As in many Western European countries, industry in Austria is characterized by uneven development of individual sectors. Some critical manufacturing industries are absent altogether, such as aircraft manufacturing, while others are minor, such as automobile manufacturing and electronic equipment manufacturing.

1. Mining, heavy, light industries

Due to the poverty of mineral resources, the mining industry plays an extremely insignificant role in the economy, with the exception of magnesite, which is of export importance. In heavy industry, which in terms of production volume is three times larger than light and food industry combined, an increased role is played by industries that produce not finished products, but semi-finished products and electricity, namely metallurgy, sawmills,
pulp, electric power, etc. In these industries, Austria has excess capacity, and a significant part of their products is exported to Western European countries.

2. Fuel industry

One of the weakest points of the Austrian economy is its fuel industry. Austria imports all the necessary coal, more than half of brown coal, about 45% of oil, and almost half of natural gas. Since the early 70s, imports of primary energy sources have become
exceed their domestic production. Particularly high costs are associated with the transportation of oil and gas. Oil and natural gas account for approximately 60% of total energy consumption, and solid fuels and hydropower each account for 20%. The country produces less than 2 million tons of oil per year, and its production is gradually declining. However, oil lies relatively shallow and
is of high quality. The main deposits are located northeast of Vienna. Near the capital, in the city of Schwechat, at the only large oil refinery, almost all oil refining is concentrated. From abroad (mainly from Arab countries) it is obtained through the Trieste-Vienna oil pipeline, laid along the southeastern outskirts of Austria outside the Alps. laid parallel to it, but in the opposite direction
gas pipeline from Russia, through which Russian gas goes to Austria and Italy.

3. Energy

More than half of the electricity is produced at numerous hydroelectric power plants, but the importance of hydropower is falling, and electricity production at thermal power plants is growing faster. Hydroelectric power plants are mainly built on Alpine rivers in the west of the country, from where part of the electricity is transmitted to the eastern regions, part is exported and only a little is consumed locally.

4. Ferrous metallurgy

One of the most important branches of Austrian industry is ferrous metallurgy. The smelting of iron and steel significantly exceeds the country's needs and most of the ferrous metal is exported. Most of the iron is smelted in Linz in Upper Austria, the rest in Leoben. Steel production is approximately equally distributed between Linz and the Styrian region. Austria is the birthplace of a new, more efficient technological steelmaking process, namely the oxygen-converter process, which is increasingly replacing the open-hearth process. Only 34 metallurgical plants meet their needs from local ore. All alloying metals and metallurgical coke are imported from abroad.

5. Non-ferrous metallurgy

In non-ferrous metallurgy, only aluminum production is important. The development of this industry in Austria, which does not have bauxite in its depths, is associated with the use of cheap electricity from numerous hydroelectric power stations on the Inn River. Here in Ranshofen. near Braunau, one of the largest aluminum smelters in Western Europe was built. Other non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises do not even cover the country's internal needs. Only a little copper and lead are smelted from local ore.

6. Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering, although it forms the core of Austria's entire industry, is less developed than in other Western European countries, as a result of which Austria imports more mechanical engineering products than it exports. Machine-building enterprises, as a rule, are small: many of them employ no more than 50 people.

Machines and apparatus for the light and food industries, some types of machine tools, and equipment for the mining industry are produced in large quantities. Locomotives, small ones, are also produced sea ​​vessels. Largest center mechanical engineering - Vienna.

7. Timber industry complex

Austria is also characterized by a complex of industries, including timber harvesting, wood processing and the production of pulp, paper and cardboard.

The importance of the timber industry goes far beyond the country's borders. Forest products account for about a third of the country's total exports. Large areas
Timber harvesting is carried out in the mountainous regions of Styria, and its primary processing is mainly carried out here.

8. Agriculture

Agriculture is quite developed in Austria. Currently, the yield of the main grain crops - wheat and barley - exceeds 35 kg, the productivity of dairy cows reaches 3 thousand kg of milk per year. More than 23 products Agriculture provides livestock. This is facilitated by the fact that natural meadows and pastures occupy more than half of the total agricultural area. In addition, approximately a quarter of the arable land area is occupied by forage crops. And some of the feed is imported. All this makes it possible to keep 2.5 million heads of cattle. IN Lately meat and milk production covers all effective demand
population.

The area to be treated is small. There are lands that are not constantly cultivated. These are the so-called egarten (relogues). They are used alternately as arable land and as pasture. Egarten is typical for alpine regions. The main agricultural crops - wheat, barley and sugar beets - are cultivated mainly where there is a warm climate and fertile soils - in the Danube region of Austria and on its eastern flat-hilly outskirts. Rye, oats and potatoes are also sown here. But their crops are even more widespread - they are also found in the foothills of the Alps and mountain valleys, on the Šumava plateau. Outside the mountainous regions, vegetable growing, fruit growing and especially viticulture are common. The vine is grown only in warm areas on the northeastern and eastern edges of the country.

9. Transport

The network of communications in Austria is quite dense, not only on the plains, but also in the mountains, which is facilitated by the significant dissection of the Eastern Alps by deep transverse and longitudinal valleys. But, despite the deeply dissected terrain, it was still necessary to build numerous road engineering structures: tunnels, bridges, viaducts. There are over 10 tunnels in Austria, each more than a kilometer long. The longest is the Arlberg road tunnel, which is 14 km long.
Construction of mountain railways and highways contributed to the development of forest, hydroelectric and other resources of mountainous regions. The main modes of transport in Austria are rail and road. About 12 total lengths of railways are electrified. Areas with electric traction are located mainly in the mountainous part of the country, where cheap electricity from local hydroelectric power stations is used and where there are many steep climbs. The most important international routes have also been electrified, including Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and transalpine roads. On other routes, diesel traction predominates. The most important highways radiate from Vienna as the largest railway hub. The main one goes in a western direction, connecting the Danube and Alpine lands. In the northwest direction from this trans-Austrian highway there are roads to the countries of the former Czechoslovakia and
Germany. The Semmering Mainline, which runs from Vienna to the southwest and connects the capital with Upper Styria and Italy, is of great importance. The main highways are connected by two high-altitude lines crossing the Alps from north to south (Linz - Leoben and Salzburg - Villach). Road transport successfully competes with railway transport in the transportation of both goods and especially passengers. Now intercity buses alone carry twice as many passengers as railways. Over the past decades, several sections of new motorway-type highways have been built, the most important of which is the Vienna-Salzburg highway. The diagram of the highway network is similar to the diagram of railways.
expensive

The only navigable river in Austria is the Danube. It is navigable throughout the entire 350 km Austrian section. It is especially rich in water in the summer, when mountain snows and glaciers melt. However, river transport accounts for less than a tenth of the country's total freight turnover. The largest port in Austria is Linz, where the metallurgy industry consumes huge quantities of coal and coke, iron ore and other raw materials imported mainly by river. In terms of cargo turnover, Vienna is more than twice as large. Geography of foreign economic relations.

The Austrian economy cannot develop without close ties with foreign countries, and its import of goods and capital exceeds their export. But the services it provides to foreign partners are superior to the services it receives from them. We are primarily talking about tourism, which plays a big role in the country’s economy.

Austria's foreign trade has a negative balance, that is, the value of its imports exceeds its exports. A significant place in Austrian exports is occupied by raw materials and semi-finished products: wood and products of its partial processing, ferrous metals, chemical products, electricity. Some types of machinery and equipment and river vessels are exported from finished products. Food is exported in small quantities.
Predominantly finished products are imported, and primarily consumer goods; imports of machinery and equipment, automobiles, and household and industrial electronics products are somewhat less important. Oil, natural gas, coal and coke, metal ores, and chemical raw materials are imported in large quantities. They also import food and flavoring goods, tropical agricultural products, and a lot of feed.

In general, more than 85% of Austria's foreign trade is oriented towards the world capitalist market. Germany occupies the first place both in exports and especially in imports of Austria.
Austria's policy of state neutrality is a good basis for the further development of foreign economic relations with all countries of the world.

Conclusion

Working on this essay took me three working days (meaning the time from 16:00 to 21:00). Of course, I did not sit on this essay for 5 hours every day, but nevertheless it took about 3-4 hours on average I have this work every day, but be that as it may, I don’t think that this time was wasted; during my work I learned a lot of interesting things about Austria. I never knew anything about the history of this country and would hardly have known if it had not been for the work on this essay, not
knew that Austria was so dependent on the foreign market, etc. In my opinion, Austria has quite good development prospects, if only because of the high level of tourism, which brings quite a lot of income to the country, and currently brings even more profit.

I already said in the introduction that three years ago I visited Austria and therefore I had a double impression about this side: from the point of view of a tourist, Austria made a very strong impression on me because of the beauty of Vienna, nature, the Alps, but From the point of view of the person who prepared the essay on this country, it made an impression much less than France and Great Britain, with which, from a geographical point of view, I am very familiar.

1.Natural features

2. Environment

2. Economic situation

2.1 general information

2.2 Geography of foreign economic relations

3. Tourist attractions.

3.2 Lower Austria

3.3 Upper Austria

Introduction

Austria is a country of alpine peaks, meadows, mountain lakes and cool forests. Cozy ancient cities living in their own leisurely and serene rhythm. Austria is called the "open heart of Europe". Vienna is a recognized cultural center of Europe with many art galleries, luxurious palaces, concert halls, majestic squares, and picturesque streets. A city of poets and musicians, surrounded by the green necklace of the Vienna Woods.

Holidays in Austria are especially loved by fans of winter sports. Tyrol, the highest mountainous region of Austria, is rightfully considered one of the most popular holiday destinations. Resorts in Austria offer a lot of opportunities for a great holiday: 22,000 km. perfectly prepared slopes, the best ski schools in the world, the most modern equipment that can be bought or rented.

1.Natural features

Natural contrasts have formed diverse landscapes in the center of Europe, which attract with their beauty and uniqueness. The Alps are a forested region. The influence of the inhabitants of Austria greatly affected the nature of the Alps. In place of dense forests there are now pastures and agricultural lands, thanks to which this small country fully provides its population and a large army of tourists with products. Almost two-thirds of Austria's area is occupied by mountainous terrain. And only one third is located in the cozy valleys of the foothills with a mild, even, temperate climate. The mountainous nature of the country determines the presence of a large number of valleys and foothills in which a large number of alpine villages and resorts. Almost all the lands here are ideally suited for skiing, the topography of its surface is so rugged. Austria -

The main thing that determines the natural features of almost the entire territory of Austria is the Alps. Their white-headed peaks are visible from everywhere in the country. Almost ¾ of the country is occupied by the Eastern Alps, which are lower and wider than the Western Alps. The border between them coincides with the western border of Austria and runs along the upper Rhine valley. The Eastern Alps have fewer glaciers and more forests and meadows than the Western Alps. The highest point in Austria - Mount Großglockner in the Hohe Tauern - does not reach 4 thousand meters. (3797 m). From the highest peaks flows the largest glacier of the Eastern Alps - Pasierce - over 10 km long. Other peaks of the ridge granite-gneiss zone of the mountains - the Ötztal, Stubai, and Zillertal Alps - are also covered with snow and ice. In this crystalline zone, the so-called alpine landforms are most pronounced - sharp ridges, steep-walled valleys plowed by glaciers. To the north and south of the ridge zone is the famous ice - Eisriesenwelt (world of the ice giants) in the Tennengebirge mountains, south of Salzburg. The names of the mountain ranges themselves speak about the inhospitability and wildness of these places: Totes-Gebirge (meter-high mountains), Hellen-Gebirge (hellish mountains), etc. The limestone Alps to the north turn into the Pre-Alps, descending in steps to the Danube. These are low, rugged mountains, overgrown with forest, their slopes are plowed in places, and the wide, sunny valleys are quite densely populated.

If the geological young Alps are appropriately compared with the Caucasus, then the mountains lying on the other, left side of the Danube resemble the Urals. These are the southern spurs of the Sumava, part of the ancient Bohemian massif, almost to its foundation, destroyed by time. The height of this border hill is only 500 meters and only in a few places it reaches 1000 meters.

Areas with calm relief, flat or hilly lowlands occupy only about 1/5 of the country's area. This is, first of all, the Danube part of Austria and the adjacent western edge of the Middle Danube Plain. The vast majority of the population lives here and is the “center of gravity” of the entire country.

1.2.

Large relief contrasts - from lowlands to snowy mountains - determine the vertical zonation of climate, soils, and vegetation. Austria has vast areas of fertile land, a warm and fairly humid (700-900 mm of precipitation per year) “grape” climate. This word has it all: a fairly warm, long summer with an average July temperature of + 20 degrees and a warm, sunny autumn. On the plains and foothills there is a relatively mild winter with an average January temperature of 1-5 degrees. However, most of the alpine part of the country is “deprived” of heat. With every 100 meters of rise, the temperature drops by 0.5 - 0.6 degrees. The snow line is at an altitude of 2500-2800 meters. Summer in the high mountains is cold, damp, windy, and wet snow often falls. In winter, there is even more precipitation here: gigantic layers of snow accumulate on the mountain slopes, which often break off for no apparent reason and rush down in avalanches. crushing everything in its path. Rarely does a winter go without casualties; Homes, roads, power lines are destroyed... And sometimes in the middle of winter the snow suddenly disappears. This was the case, for example, during the “white” Olympics in early 1976 in the vicinity of Insburg. Usually snow is “driven away” by warm southern winds - foehns .

1.3 Environment

The environment in most of Austria is not yet as threatened by pollution as in most other industrialized countries in Europe. First of all, this concerns the Alps with their sparse population and generally insignificant industry in relation to this vast territory. The Austrian authorities, interested in attracting foreign tourists to the country, are taking some measures aimed at limiting environmental pollution, but not to an sufficient extent. The democratic public and scientific community in Austria are sounding the alarm about the unacceptable level of industrial waste pollution in the Danube below Vienna and the Mur and Mürz rivers. Nature reserves play an important role in the system of nature conservation measures. There are 12 of them in Austria with a total area of ​​0.5 million hectares. They are found in all natural areas - from the steppe surroundings of Lake Neusiedler See to the high Tauern. Most of the reserves are located in the Alps.

2. Economic situation

2.1 General information.

Austria is a developed industrial-agrarian country. It is one of the most developed countries in Europe. GDP per capita in 2002 was 24.7 thousand euros (in 1995 prices). This figure is constantly growing (in 1990 it was 20.1 thousand, in 1995 - 21.4 thousand euros), and in US dollars at current prices and at purchasing power parity in 2001 - 28.2 thousand (with an average in the EU 25.5 thousand). Thus, Austria was ahead of Sweden, Great Britain, Italy, France, Germany, and was second only to Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland and Luxembourg.

GDP in constant prices in 2002 amounted to 200.7 billion euros. GDP production per 1 employed person in 2001 (labor productivity) - 58.3 thousand euros.

The Austrian economy is characterized by a relatively low level of inflation (in 2002 - 1.8%) and unemployment (in 2000 - 3.7% of the working population, in 2002 - 4.3%). The consumer price index in 2002 by 1996 was 108.8, while in the EU as a whole it was 110.8.

Approximately 2.2% of GDP is produced in agriculture and forestry, 32.3% in industry, energy and construction, 65.5% in services, trade, transport and communications, banking and insurance systems. One third of the volume of industrial production falls on the public sector of the economy.

However, the Austrian economy faces a number of problems related to European integration. The agro-industrial sector is of particular concern due to the new conditions of competition dictated by the countries of a united Europe. The EU's price and quota policies are contributing to a painful transformation of agriculture, which is causing increasingly harsh opposition from Austrian farmers. As a result of Austria's adherence to the EU's common agricultural policy, 69% of all agricultural land turned out to be unprofitable.

The total volume of accumulated foreign direct investment in Austria at the end of 2001 was estimated at 23-24 billion euros. Of these, about 45% are in Germany, 28% in other EU countries, 12% in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, 7% in the USA and Canada, and 8% in other countries.

By attracting foreign investment and collaborating with foreign partners, Austrian companies are beginning to form the most important technological sectors that were practically absent in the country's economy (telecommunications equipment).

2.2 Geography of foreign economic relations.

The Austrian economy cannot develop without close ties with foreign countries, and its import of goods and capital exceeds their export. But the services it provides to foreign partners are superior to the services it receives from them. We are primarily talking about tourism, which plays a big role in the country’s economy.
Austria's foreign trade has a negative balance, that is, the value of its imports exceeds its exports. A significant place in Austrian exports is occupied by raw materials and semi-finished products: wood and products of its partial processing, ferrous metals, chemical products, electricity. Some types of machinery and equipment and river vessels are exported from finished products. Food is exported in small quantities.
Predominantly finished products are imported, and primarily consumer goods; imports of machinery and equipment, automobiles, and household and industrial electronics products are somewhat less important. Oil, natural gas, coal and coke, metal ores, and chemical raw materials are imported in large quantities. They also import food and flavoring goods, tropical agricultural products, and a lot of feed.
In general, more than 85% of Austria's foreign trade is oriented towards the world capitalist market. Germany occupies the first place both in exports and especially in imports of Austria.
The policy of state neutrality pursued by Austria is a good basis for the further development of foreign economic relations with all countries of the world.

3. Tourist attractions.

Austria is certainly a country for year-round holidays. Despite the fact that many people associate Austria with winter tourism, sightseeing, cultural and historical buildings in a country with rich traditions and a glorious musical taste can easily be combined with any time of year.

Regarded as the most beautiful country in Central Europe, tourists are attracted to Austria by the beauty of Vienna and its famous ski resorts, as well as the picturesque alpine villages of Tyrol, magnificent national parks and the “Lake District” in the west of the country.

Vienna, located in the most picturesque place of the middle reaches of the Danube and surrounded by the beautiful spurs of the Vienna Woods, is one of the most beautiful cities world and "music capital of Europe". The fusion of many cultures over the centuries has created a unique architecture here, severely damaged during the Second World War, but almost completely restored by the hardworking Viennese.

The symbol of the city is St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom), the patron saint of the capital of Austria. The cathedral is more than 800 years old. Under the cathedral there are ancient catacombs - the burial place of representatives of the Habsburg dynasty, his interior decoration It is simply breathtakingly beautiful, and in its spire there is a Turkish cannonball, which hit the cathedral during the Turkish siege of the city in the 16th century. On the walls of Stefansdom you can see the measures of length, size and weight, by which goods were checked when purchasing in the Middle Ages, and from its observation deck there is a magnificent view of the Danube and Vienna. Opposite the cathedral lies the beautiful Stephansplatz square and the post-modern glass building of the Haas House commercial center. The Graben street, the “heart of the city”, another symbol of Vienna, departs from the square, where such famous sights as the Peitzeule Column, the Sacher Hotel and the Peterskirche Church are concentrated. The most fashionable shops are also located here. It is interesting to get acquainted with the nearby Mihalerkirche, St. Marie am Gestad, Franciskanerkirche, the neo-Gothic Town Hall (1872-1883), one of the most beautiful squares in the world - Josephplatz with the Palace Chapel and Burgtheater (1874-1888), the building located on it Parliament (1883), in front of which stands the statue of Pallas Athena, and the famous Vienna Opera (1861-1869) - the venue for the iconic annual Opera Ball.

Somewhat southwest of the Graben and Josefplatz lies the majestic complex of the imperial Hofburg Palace (XIII-XIX centuries), built on the site of a Bavarian fort (1278), which now houses a number of government organizations of the country and the OSCE. In the premises of the palace there is a Spanish riding school - the famous Habsburg Winter Arena (1735), an exhibition of treasures "Schatzkammer" (its collection includes the crown of the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian imperial crown made in 962), a separate room of the "Burgundian Treasury" (regalia , ceremonial vestments, jewels and relics of the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Dukes of Burgundy, including the "Sacred Lance" with which the crucified Christ was supposedly pierced), the imperial reception hall and the bedroom of Kaiser Franz Joseph.

The separate buildings of the complex house the Vienna House of Arts, the unique Austrian National Library (XVIII century), which contains more than 2 million books, notes, manuscripts and ancient manuscripts, as well as the Augustinkirche court church and one of the richest art collections in the world - the Albertina Gallery (1800). Near the Hofburg Palace there is a unique Petit Pointe workshop, where handbags, brooches and miniature snuff boxes embroidered with tiny crosses have been made for many centuries.

You should definitely visit the Church of St. Ruprecht and the summer residence of the Habsburgs - Schönbrunn Palace, which has more than 1,400 rooms and halls. Nowadays there is a Museum of Weapons, a collection of costumes and horse-drawn carriages "Wagenburg", a beautiful park with fountains, a greenhouse and a zoo. Excellent examples of architecture are the palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy, located on a hill in the south-eastern part of the city - Belvedere Castle (1714-1723) with the Gallery of Austrian Art of the 19th-20th centuries. (the largest collection of Klimt, Schiele and Kokoschka) and the chambers of Archduke Ferdinand, the baroque Karlskirche (1739) and Stadtpark, the University, the palace of Count Manfeld-Fondi and the Vatican Church.

The pride of Vienna is its beautiful parks, varied in appearance and purpose. Prater Park is considered the most “people's” park in Vienna (it has been in operation since the 18th century) and is famous for the largest Ferris wheel in the world (65 m) and excellent restaurants. The historic Augarten Park regularly hosts dozens of musical performances and symphony concerts. The famous Vienna Woods park, located in the vicinity of the capital, in the foothills of the Eastern Alps, is a whole forest area with its own towns and hotels, resorts and thermal springs. Bounded on one side by the picturesque Danube valley and vineyards, and on the other by the famous resort area of ​​Baden and Bad Voslau, the “Vienna Woods” is a favorite holiday destination for Viennese and guests of the country. There are probably more interesting things in the Austrian capital museums than in any other city in the world.

No tourist can resist the temptation to visit the famous Viennese cafes and restaurants, which are as integral an attribute of the city as the Stefansdom or the “crooked house” of the Hundertwasser House. Viennese cafes are the oldest in the world. The most famous are the classic "Maria Theresa", the fashionable "Do-and-Co", the modernist "Museum", as well as "Mozart", "Fiacre", "Central", "Melange" and "Demel", where the most varied audience gathers, Freud's favorite cafe is "Landman", the respectable "Sacher" and "Havelka", the walls of which are decorated with paintings left as payment by famous artists, as well as "Dommeier", in which Strauss made his debut.

The capital's restaurants are no less famous and charming. The historic Piaristenkeller has two of its own museums and serves dishes based on 18th-century recipes. Restaurant "Greichenbeisl" is the oldest "drinking establishment" in Vienna; a tavern operated here already in the 16th century. Almost all famous people of the country and the world visited it - from Bekhoven and Strauss, to Mark Twain and Chaliapin. Also famous are the restaurants "Plashutta" on Auchofstrasse, "Temple" on Praterstrasse, "Hansen" and "Stomach", as well as the wine cellars ("heuriger") of the Grinzing district. In total, there are more than 180 cozy “heuriger” in Vienna - from tiny ones, no larger than a living room, where regulars come from neighboring streets, to huge, luxuriously furnished halls, where you can meet both a simple crowned prince and an aristocrat from the “high society”.

Neighborhoods of Vienna

The surroundings of Vienna are no less beautiful than the capital itself. On the banks of the Danube, 70 km west of Vienna, lie the ruins of the Durnstein fortress (12th century), of which the legendary English king Richard the Lionheart was a prisoner. In Tulln, at Atzenburg Castle, concerts dedicated to Schubert are held all year round (the estate of the great composer’s uncle, which he often visited, was located in these places). According to the "Song of the Nibelungs", it was here that the first battle of the legendary Siegfried with the king of the Huns Etzel (Attila) took place. Nearby lie the ruins of the Araburg fortress, the last stronghold of Protestants in Austria. The Cistercian monasteries of Heiligenkreutze are located 25 km southwest of Vienna. Gumpoldskirchen is home to the castle of the German knights with the parish church of St. Michael and the statue of St. Nepomuk on the picturesque bridge, as well as famous wine cellars. Very close to Vienna is the town of Klosterneuburg, where local monks have been producing wine for almost a thousand years, so the local winemaking school is considered one of the oldest in Europe.

3.2 Lower Austria

25 km south of the capital, among the green hills of the Vienna Woods, fields and vineyards lies the famous Baden. This resort with healing hot sulfur springs was known back in the days of Ancient Rome - here in the 2nd century. n. e. the camp of the Roman cohort was located here, spent last years life of Marcus Aurelius. In 1804-1834. the city was the summer imperial residence, all the nobility and cultural and artistic figures came here. The healing water of Baden is still used today for bathing, drinking and preventing rheumatic diseases, arthrosis, diseases of the spine and joints, as well as for general recovery and wellness procedures. Be sure to visit Theresienbad ("Theresian Baths") and Theresiengarten ("Theresian Garden") with many exotic plants, which was founded in 1792 in honor of Empress Maria Theresa.

Baden's parks are attractions in themselves - in the Spa Park there is a daily orchestra and a gazebo "Beethoven Temple", a flower clock and monuments to Strauss and Lanner, and from the end of June to the beginning of September there is an Operetta Festival in the "summer arena". Doblhofpark is famous for the Schloss-Weikersdorf castle and the wonderful rose garden, where the famous “Baden Rose Days” are held annually. City gardens and parks on the outskirts of the city smoothly merge with the Vienna Woods and the vineyards of the Helental valley.

Baden is home to Europe's largest casino in the magnificent Congress Palace, a gallery in the Beethoven House Museum, the majestic Villa Menotti, the Jünger Gallery, the Emperor Franz Josef Museum, a museum of puppets and games, a wonderful hippodrome, many quiet alleys with houses and villas in the " Biedermeier", a large pedestrian area, cozy coffee and heurigers. Near Baden there is the beautiful Klosterneuburg church, the historical Purkersdorf, as well as many luxury villas and parks.

St. Pölten

The federal province of Lower Austria lies in downstream Danube in the northeast of the country, on the border with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The capital of the province is St. Pölten. It is the oldest Austrian city and the youngest state capital. It is interesting to visit the City Hall, the Im Hof ​​Museum on Hessstrasse, the Pottenbrunn Palace with a collection of medieval cups, the Schallaburg Palace, the city cultural center with the Festival Hall, the Exhibition Hall and a modern tower, the Historical Museum of Lower Austria and the Museum of Contemporary Art in the Baroque Karmeliterhof Palace, Romanesque-Gothic cathedral Domplatz, Bischofshof Episcopate Museum and Herzogenburg Abbey, Nussdorf and Treismauer dinosaur park.

Most excursions to the beautiful vineyard region of the Wachau Valley, to the countless small lakes of the Waldviertel region surrounded by dense coniferous forests, or to the foot of the picturesque Voralpenland mountain begin from St. Pölten. In Asparn an der Thaya there is a Prehistoric Open Air Museum, in Spiez an der Donau there is a shipping museum, and in Waldkirchen an der Thaya there is a doll museum.

Castles and palaces

Medieval castles and palaces are scattered throughout the region. The Artstetten Palace (16th century) is very interesting with the Franz Ferdinand Museum, the palace church and the crypt, where Franz Ferdinand and his wife, killed in Sarajevo in 1914, are buried. The baroque Riegersburg (1735) is considered the most beautiful palaces in Lower Austria. and the Renaissance Shallaburg. However, they are not inferior to the ancient fortress of Rappotgenstein, one of the strongholds of Freemasonry - the Baroque Rosenau Palace, the Renaissance Weitra Palace (1606), the former border fortress of Raabas (11th century), the Wiener Neustadt fortress (13th century) with the chapel of St. George (1460), the Renaissance castles of Graillenstein and Resenburg, Orth Castle (13th century) in Orth an der Donau with a fishing museum and a local history museum, the summer residence of the emperor - Laxenburg and many other majestic buildings.

Monasteries

The local monasteries are also beautiful - the Benedictine abbeys of Seitenstetten (1112, rebuilt in 1719-1947), the masterpiece of the Austrian Baroque - Melk (976, rebuilt in 1702-1736), Altenburg (1144) and Göttweig ( 1083), Augustinian Durnstein (1410), Herzogenburg (1244) and Klosterneuburg (1114) with a magnificent treasury of works of art, as well as the Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz (1133) with a Romanesque church, chapel (1295 .) and stained glass windows of the 13th century.

National parks

The Donau-Auen National Park is the largest nature reserve in Central Europe and protects more than 5 thousand species of animals and birds, while also being a wonderful holiday destination. Thayatal National Park is located in the valley of one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe - Thaya, which is the most western point, where many plant species typical of Pannonia grow. The surrounding area of ​​the river is “strewn” with beautiful meadows, beautiful cliffs of Paleozoic rocks and mountains abounding in cliffs, which gives the park a unique appearance.

Styria is a federal province of Austria, bordering Slovenia and famous for its huge number of medieval castles and the “Land of Lakes” Salzkammergut. Ancient castles and monasteries are scattered throughout the region. Here are the largest baroque fortress in the country, Riegersburg, with a Gothic chapel, a real knight's hall and a collection of medieval weapons, the Renaissance Herberstein castle (XIII-XVII centuries) with an armory and a hall of family portraits, the pilgrimage church of Mariazell (1157) with a treasury, a chapel with a silver altar (1727) and a miraculous statue of the 13th century, the former abbey of the Cistercian Order in Neuberg (1350-1612), the Augustinian monastery in Forau (1163), the oldest Austrian monastery of the Cistercian Order in the Rhine (1129 .) or the unique Benedictine monastery in Göss (1000), as well as many other historical and architectural monuments.

The administrative center of Styria, Graz is one of the ancient outposts of the Austrian Empire on the Turkish border and one of the most distinctive cities in the country. In the city you can see the episcopal palace, the ruins of the Schlossberg castle (XI century) destroyed in 1805 by Napoleon with the Urturm clock tower and the Glockenturm bell tower, the Cathedral of the Teutonic Knights (XIII century), the old Town Hall (XVI century), the Domkirche church (XII century). c.), Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II (1614), the famous Opera House, which hosts the Opera Ball in January and the "Christmas in Styria" festival (January), the University, the Styrian Museum (including the Museum of Applied Arts with a rich collection tin and iron products), Museum of Forensics, Arsenal (Zeughaus) with the world's largest collection of medieval weapons (more than 30 thousand exhibits), Museum of Aeronautics, Schloss-Egenburg Castle (1625) with an archaeological museum, Alte Gallery -Galleries with a large collection of medieval art and the Herbstein Palace (17th century), which now also houses an art gallery.

Salzkammergut

The most attractive holiday destination in Styria is the “Land of Lakes” Salzkammergut. Lake Grundlsee (6 km long, about a kilometer wide) together with Lake Altaussersee forms a picturesque alpine landscape, which has attracted the attention of tourists and artists for many decades. Lake Toplitzsee, with its rugged rocky shores and cliffs of the Dead Mountains, has long been the subject of legends. No less picturesque and charming is Lake Stubenbergsee in eastern Styria, and near Peggau there are beautiful stalactite caves.

Southern Carinthia

Southern Carinthia, which is often called the “Austrian Riviera” for the beauty of its nature, has countless mountains and valleys, about 1,270 picturesque lakes, along the shores of which small resort towns with first-class hotels, beautiful beaches and complete recreation infrastructure are scattered, as well as famous ski resorts. centers.

Klagenfurt and main resorts

Capital of Carinthia , Klagenfurt, founded in 1252 near the picturesque lake Wörther See. This is a very beautiful place, famous for its Minimundus park - a museum of masterpieces of world architecture reduced by 25 times, as well as a miniature but fully functioning railway and a small port with model ships. Local attractions include the Renaissance Town Hall with the "arms of arms", the baroque bishop's palace (18th century), the cathedral (16th century), the Carinthian Museum, as well as the Happ Reptile Zoo and Dinosaur Park - one of the richest collections of amphibians in Europe. In the western bay of Wörther See, among the forested spurs of the Alps, lies Velden - one of the best lake resorts in the country with the most modern hotels, casinos, beach cafes, shops and excellent cuisine, as well as the beautiful resorts of Pertschach with a water entertainment center, Warmbad Villach with its thermal springs and national park (20 hectares), green Krumpendorf and picturesque Maria Werth on a small peninsula on the southern shore of the lake. The thermal complex of Bad Blumau (15 thousand sq. m of water area) with indoor and outdoor thermal pools (water temperature +36 C) is considered one of the most modern and technically equipped in Europe - here you can undergo almost all conceivable and inconceivable procedures.

Fortresses and monasteries

Carinthia has many medieval fortresses and monasteries - Portia Castle on the Drau (Drava) River, Landkron above Lake Ossiacher See and the main Carinthian fortress - Hochosterwitz Castle, as well as the Dominican monastery of Friesach with a magnificent basilica (1300), the Benedictine abbeys of St. Paul im Lavantal (1091), Ossiach (founded approximately 1028) and Millstatt (1060-1068) with a basilica (12th century), a Romanesque arcade and an excellent museum. In Maria Saal there is an open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture, presenting real life-size peasant huts, as well as the architectural features, traditions and way of life of the Austrian countryside. Treffen is home to the Ellie Riel Doll Museum, which displays beautiful dolls (more than 650) created by the owner of the museum herself. In Gmünd there is a private Porsche Museum - more than 30 models of cars of the famous brand dating back to the 50s of the 20th century.

Nature of Carinthia

But the real treasure of Carinthia is its nature. Here lie the most famous lakes of the country - Wörther See, Ossiacher See, Millstätter See and Weißen See, as well as small Afritzer See, Faaker See with unique landscapes, Feld See, Köchacher See, Klopeiner See (the most warm in Austria), Pressegger See and Langsee, where the water is amazingly clean and, thanks to thermal springs, warm. Mount Obir, located near Eisenkappel in southwestern Carinthia, is famous for its stalactite caves. IN national park Nockberg, which is located at an altitude of 1300-2440 m, you can enjoy the majestic mountain landscapes and get acquainted with the centuries-old traditions of Austria. Hohe Tauern National Park covers an area of ​​1187 square meters. km, attracts with the beauty of its peaks, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls, alpine flora and fauna, as well as the wonderful mountain village of Heiligenblut (“holy blood”), turned into a modern tourist center. Rosegg Nature Reserve protects over 350 different animal species and fragile alpine flora. Nearby is the terrible Ragga gorge, over which hanging bridges are stretched at a great height.

3.3 Upper Austria

The federal province of Upper Austria is located in the north of the country, on the border with the Czech Republic and Germany.

Linz - main city land and a major port on the Danube. The main attractions of Linz are the Trinity Column (1723), Landhaus (Town Hall, 16th century), Alter Dom Cathedral (17th century), Kefermarkt People's Garden and Weinberg Castle (15th century). Like many cities in Austria, Linz is famous for its museums - the Upper Austrian Museum, the City Museum, the New Gallery and the Diocesan Museum.

Castles and monasteries

Upper Austria also has a huge number of historical castles - Walchen in Vöcklamarkt, the palaces of Orth and Lanschloss (XVII century) in Gmunden, the former residence of the Landfürst in Wels (VIII century), the largest castle in Upper Austria - Schaunberg, the Klam fortress with an arched Renaissance courtyard and two Gothic chapels, the Renaissance Grainburg Castle with a vaulted gallery (1621), a hall for special events, a chapel and a shipping museum, as well as many other equally remarkable buildings.

The most famous of the country's provincial monasteries, the Baroque St. Florian (1071), is located in the city of the same name on the burial site of St. Florian. Magnificent rooms, collections, a chamber music festival and theatrical performances at Tillisburg Palace (July) attract thousands of tourists. Anton Bruckner is buried in the monastery church, and nearby is the original Fire Museum and the former hunting castle (1729) with a hunting museum in Hohenbrunn. No less interesting are the monasteries in Mondsee (748) - the oldest monastery in Upper Austria, the Benedictine abbey in Lambach (1056) with a church dating back to 1080, the Trappist monastery in Engelszell (1293), the abbey in Schlägl (1218) with an underground chapel, or the Benedictine abbey in Kremsmunster, founded in 777, famous for its Imperial Hall (1694) and observatory (1759).

The popular "Lake District" Salzkammergut continues into Upper Austria. The lakes Attersee, Irrsee, Traunsee, Kamersee, Hallstattersee and Mondsee are ideal for water sports and leisure activities. On the banks of the Wolfgangsee lies the beautiful resort of St. Wolfgang with a doll museum and the majestic Villa Wachler, and there are many interesting places scattered around the area. In Mondsee there is the Rauchhaus open-air farming museum. In Steyr, you should definitely visit the museums of its famous arms factories. In Obertraun there are stalactite and ice caves. In Natterbach there is the largest Wild West amusement park in Austria, in Hinterbüchle there is a unique underground lake, and in Ganserndorf there is a Safari Park.

The federal province of Tyrol, bordering Italy, Switzerland and Germany, is often called the “heart of the Alps”. There are more than 600 peaks - “three thousand meters” and 5 glaciers. Combined with excellent ecology, this allows the region to be considered one of the best winter resorts in the world.

The main city of Tyrol is Innsbruck. Known since the 13th century, and since the 16th century. was the residence of Emperor Maximilian. It is a center of arts and crafts and watchmaking, as well as one of the country's legendary mountain resorts. Innsbruck is a skiing legend: the city has hosted the Winter Olympic Games twice (1964 and 1976). All six ski areas around the city are combined into a single “Great Innsbruck Ski Pass” of 52 lifts. There are about 120 km of well-prepared trails at altitudes from 900 to 3200 m, more than 100 km of flat trails, a snowboard park and many trekking trails along the slopes of the surrounding mountains, and the city itself is a network of shops and restaurants, fascinating night life and casino.

In addition, in Innsbruck you can see the Hofburg Imperial Palace (XIV-XVIII centuries), the Franciscan Cathedral (XVI century), the Arsenal, the Triumphal Arch (1756), the Hofkirche court church (XVI century) with a bronze tombstone of the emperor, the castle Fürstenburg (XV century), St. Anne's Column (1703), City Tower, Maximilianeum Museum in the Goldenes Dahl Palace (Golden Roof), Ambras Castle, Ferdinandeum Ethnographic Museum with a collection of Gothic paintings, Alpine Zoo with a 360-degree panorama and the Museum of Tyrolean Art. In the town of Wattens, not far from Innsbruck, in an underground cave there is the Crystal Museum of the Austrian company Swarovski - the famous "Swarovski Crystal Worlds". This is a real labyrinth of seven rooms connected by narrow corridors and stairs. The halls display the smallest (0.8 mm) and largest (310 thousand carats) crystal crystals in the world, included in the Guinness Book of Records, as well as Dali’s famous “leaking clock” made of crystal, the ceremonial decoration of the Indian Maharajah’s favorite horse, and a mosaic path , a crystal hall and a wall lined with artificial crystals, 11 m high and weighing 12 tons!

Austria: Bratislava - Vienna / With Hungary: ... stylish cafe "Maximilian" in Austro- the Hungarian spirit or - if it arose...

Each country boasts its own flora and fauna, picturesque landscapes and breathtaking views. Austria is a fabulous country where you can relax your soul while traveling on personal car or a tourist bus.

Most of the country's territory, almost 80%, is occupied by the Alps. Moreover, due to the complex system of mountain ranges and quite excellent weather conditions It is customary to conditionally zone Austria into three regions: central, lower and upper.

Central Austria: varied mountain landscapes

The central part occupies almost 63% of the entire territory of Austria, covering almost the entire south of the country.

The nature of Austria consists of approximately 30 mountain ranges and massifs, which form a complex chain of mountains and valleys, each of which has its own natural and climatic conditions. Some of the mountains are covered with ice even in summer, but there are also many peaks that are completely devoid of snow cover in the warm season.

Numerous mountain rivers, which have the status of some of the cleanest in Europe, originate in picturesque valleys.

The highest point in Australia is Mount Grossglockner, which has two peaks at the same time: Grossglockner (3798 m) and Krainglockner (3770 m). At the foot of the mountain is the largest Austrian glacier - Pasterze, 9 km long. About 30 local mountains reach a height of 3 thousand meters, and 6 of them reach a height of 3.5 thousand meters.

The nature of Austria in the southern part is characterized by dense coniferous forests, picturesque beautiful valleys and crystal clear waters.

Upper Austria: a tourist paradise

Upper Austria consists of Alpine and Carpathian foothills with moderate high peaks mountains (up to 2.5 thousand meters). Austria's nature in this area is composed of mixed spruce, oak and beech forests that extend throughout the northwestern territory of the country. frame the Danube valley, gradually uniting with the Northern limestone Alps, forming a single vast resort area known for its natural beauty. Karst areas and healthy mineral springs make this region of Austria even more popular. The most picturesque alpine meadows, framed by glaciers, beautiful mixed forests and rivers at the foot of the mountains - all this is the nature of Austria, which is very difficult to briefly describe.

There are many mountain rivers and beautiful lakes in Upper Austria. Together with the Austrian Granite-Gneiss Plateau and the Bohemian Massif, this part of Austria occupies approximately 25% of the total territory.

Lower Austria: the best agronomic area

Lower Austria occupies about 12% of the total area of ​​the country, almost all of this territory belongs to the so-called Pannonia (Danube Valley), which is also known as the Vienna Basin. It is not for nothing that the lower part of Austria has such a name, since it is truly the lowest part of the country, nadir which is located just 115 meters above sea level. This part of the country is home to Lake Neusiedler See, which is also a biosphere reserve and a popular holiday destination for locals and tourists. In this place, the nature of Austria is picturesque in its own way.

Lower Austria is the most suitable and popular area for agricultural work.

What is remarkable about the nature of Austria

One of the main advantages of the country is the presence of areas untouched by human hands. natural complex. Thanks to this, local ecosystems were formed on them, which are inhabited by animals and plants that are not numerous in terms of species diversity, but have remained virtually unchanged since the Neolithic era.

Country Austria: nature and its protection

Despite the ever-growing popularity of the tourism sector, Austrians carefully protect not only protected areas, but also resort areas of their country. The Austrian government allocates colossal budgets to maintain the natural balance and protect flora and fauna. “The nature of Austria and its protection” is a constant topic that is often raised in research centers and in circles of activists for the preservation of the ecosystem.

Approximately 3% of the country's area is occupied by protected lands, on which 7 national parks are located:

• Hohe Tauern.
• Nockberge.
• Neusiedlersee-Seewinkel.
• Donau-Auen.
• Kalkalpen.
• Tayatal.
• Gezoise.

Ordinary residents of the country also pay great attention to the nature of Austria and its protection, observing established laws. Thus, they maintain such a valuable natural eco-balance, and this, you see, is worthy of respect!