Austria unusual facts about the country for kids. A week to Austria: where to go, what to see. Balloons and paragliding

Many people know Austria as the birthplace of world famous composers and musicians, as a country with beautiful landscapes and rich history. At the same time, there are facts that not everyone knows about. Interesting, unusual and unique facts about Austria are collected in our today's review.

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Most of the territory of modern Austria is covered by the mountain ranges of the Eastern Alps. They occupy 62% of the entire area of ​​this state. The second highest peak in Europe is also located here.

What else is remarkable about the geography of the country? For example, Austria holds the record for three types of natural water bodies at once. The first is the largest glacier in the European part of the continent. There is also the highest cascading waterfall in Europe - Krimml. Water falls down from a height of 380 meters.

It is not surprising that this amazing natural phenomenon causes incomparable delight among all tourists who find themselves in its water domain. So how can you forget about Lake Neusiedler? In Europe, it has no equal among similar reservoirs of natural origin. The lake is so huge that it is located on the territory of two states at once - Austria and Hungary.

Modern Austria is located on a territory that for several centuries in a row belonged to the state formation of Austria-Hungary. Nine out of ten indigenous people are Catholic. The remaining 10% of the population are either of the Muslim faith or are considered Protestants.

A bit of history

An interesting fact is related to the origin of the flag. The red and white canvas is considered one of the oldest flags in the world. According to legend, the flag was first adorned with the battle banners of the troops of Leopold of Austria in the 12th century. After the battle, the leader threw off his shirt drenched in the blood of enemies and found a white stripe, which was where a wide belt was tied. From that moment on, the red and white canvas became a constant companion of the Austrian emperor, and after that it became the official sign of the whole country.

The first mentions of Austria date back to the 10th century and are associated with the nomadic tribes of the Celts, who were soon conquered by the troops of the Roman Empire.

An interesting legend is connected with another event. In the old days, the locals of the modern city of Salzburg were called "bull washers". There are two versions of the origin of this original name. According to the first, residents traditionally washed slaughtered bulls in a local river. If you believe the second, then they began to call the inhabitants of the town so after they cunningly forced the enemy army to retreat, besieging the city fortress. The residents used an interesting tactic: every day they painted one bull in different colors and accidentally showed them to the attackers. They decided that the city was full of provisions and would not be starved to death and abandoned all attempts to conquer Salzburg.

First, best, real

The first railroad in the mountains was laid in Austria. The beginning of its construction fell on the 19th century. Despite this, the Semmering railway is actively operated to this day.

The Baroque style with an "Austrian flavor" is reflected in the famous cultural monument - Schönbrunn Palace. Just imagine, it has 1441 rooms of different sizes and purposes.

Tell me, how many of you know that the world famous actor, athlete, holder of all kinds of knowledge from the world of bodybuilding, and just the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Austria? The celebrity was born in a small village on the outskirts of the town of Graz.

And the cleanest tap water flows in Vienna. Therefore, it is here that you can safely drink water from the pipeline, which is supplied from the cleanest sources in Austria.

Old fashioned austria

In the capital of the state of Vienna, you can visit the oldest Ferris wheel in the whole world. The low height of 65 meters is unlikely to give tourists an impressive dose of adrenaline. But it will become another place that every lover of everything rare and old-fashioned should definitely visit. The oldest zoo in the world is also located in the main city of Austria.

Austria boasts another old-fashioned feature. It was in this state that the world's first newspaper appeared.

Interesting facts about Austria: geography, nature, history and culture of Austria, Schönbrunn Palace, musicians and composers of Austria.

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Austria is the birthplace of great musicians and composers, a country where high culture coexists with beautiful mountain landscapes and excellent gastronomy. If you still know little about this state, then 15 interesting facts will help you get to know not only the geographical features of the local provinces, but also with the eventful history of the region.

Geography

  1. Most of the territory of Austria is covered with mountains. The Eastern Alps make up 62% of the total area of ​​the country. The highest point, Mount Großglockner (3798 m), is also the second highest peak in Europe. It is here that the largest glacier Pasterets is located, which has been actively melting since the 19th century. It is here that all the best ski resorts in Austria are located.
  2. The cascade of the Krimml waterfalls on the Krimler Ahe river in the federal state of Salzburg is the highest in Europe. The view of the falling water from a height of 380 meters will impress anyone who comes to see this magnificent natural landmark.
  3. The largest lake of natural origin is the Neusiedler See. This is the fourth largest body of water in Europe, located in the federal state of Burgenland. Its southern tip belongs to Hungary. The lake itself is saline and is under the protection of UNESCO. Clear waters and good beaches have made the coastal area a popular holiday destination. By the way, other Austrian lakes are no less rich in entertainment and beauty.
  4. Today's Austria is the German-speaking part of a huge empire called Austria-Hungary, ruled by the Habsburg dynasty from 1526 to 1918. This imperial family was one of the most powerful in Europe for several centuries. Most of the population is Catholics (about 90%). There are also Protestants and Muslims.
  5. Austria has five big cities: Vienna, the largest city and capital of the state, Graz, the second largest, Linz, a port city on the Danube River, Salzburg, which is of great cultural value, and Innsbruck, the capital of the Tyrol region. About one quarter of the Austrian population (at least 20%) lives in Vienna.

History

  1. The name of the state comes from ancient German and means "eastern country" in translation. The flag of Austria is one of the oldest in the world. Two colors, red and white, symbolize the blood of the fighters for the independence of the republic and the Danube River. According to legend, the choice of these colors is associated with the events of the 12th century, when Leopold V of Austria, during one of the battles of the third crusade, drenched his white shirt with blood, but after removing his belt, he found a strip of fabric untouched in red. At first, the flag was his banner, and only after that it became the flag of the whole country.
  2. The territory of Austria has been inhabited by people since prehistoric times. In particular, in 1991, the body of an ancient man was found in the ice of the Alps between Austria and Italy. However, the real history of the region began at a time when the local lands were chosen by the Celts, who were later conquered by the Romans. Austria was first mentioned in documents at the end of the 10th century.
  3. In the old days, the inhabitants of Salzburg were called nothing else than "bullwashers" (Stierwascher). There are two versions of the origin of the unusual nickname. According to the first, there was a custom among the population to wash the meat of a freshly slaughtered animal in the waters of the river flowing here, and a name was given in honor of this tradition. Another legend says that during the siege of one of the fortresses of Salzburg, the defenders suffered greatly from hunger, but did not want to surrender. To deceive the enemies, they came up with the following: every day they painted one surviving bull in different colors and, as if by chance, showed him besieging. Such tactics led to the fact that the enemies retreated, having lost hope of starvation to take the fortress. At the same time, the unfortunate bull remained for centuries, giving the nickname to the population of the whole city.
  4. The famous Queen Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, who died tragically during the French Revolution, was the youngest daughter of Emperor Franz I and Marie Theresa. The latter successfully ruled the Austrian territories and was an active reformer. Among the representatives of the Habsburg dynasty, it was Maria Theresa who enjoyed the greatest popularity.
  5. The Semmering Railway in Austria is the world's first mountain railway, the construction of which began in the middle of the 19th century. This miracle of engineering continues to function today as part of the Southern Railway. Implementation of the project was a difficult and time-consuming process, especially considering the elevation differences and difficult mountainous terrain.

The founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, created his theory while drinking coffee and discussing pressing problems in wonderful Austrian coffee houses.

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Culture

  1. Austria is the birthplace of many famous composers, whose names are familiar to everyone from childhood. Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Liszt, Strauss, Mahler - just a small list of world famous authors of genius musical works. The renowned Viennese Waltz was created here. The music that accompanied the Austrian folk dance was taken as a basis.
  2. - the main attraction not only in Vienna, but throughout Austria. This greatest architectural monument is one of the best representatives of the Austrian version of the Baroque style. 1441 rooms of the palace excite the imagination of both those who are just about to visit the imperial residence, and those who have seen all this splendor live.
  3. The founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, created his theory while drinking coffee and discussing pressing problems in wonderful Austrian coffee houses. The influence of this teaching on the science of man, and indeed the entire culture as a whole, cannot be estimated. Freud was and remains the greatest scientist who made a giant breakthrough and left behind numerous disciples.
  4. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a world famous Hollywood actor and former governor of California, is not at all a native of one of the American states. His birthplace is a small village near the city of Graz in Austria.
  5. The world's oldest Ferris wheel is located in the Prater Park in Vienna. It was built in the 19th century. Of course, the height of 65 meters is nothing compared to modern attractions, but lovers of everything unusual will definitely appreciate the old-fashionedness of the inhabitants of the Austrian capital.

Austria- a country in the center of Europe. The name of this state comes from the ancient German "Ostarrichi" - which means "eastern country". The name "Austria" was first mentioned on November 1, 996 AD.

So, the most interesting facts about Austria:

  • The oldest state flag in the world is the flag of Austria. Its appearance falls on the year 1191.

  • The most famous Austrians are the creator of the Porsche car Ferdinand Porsche, the world famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, no less famous and beloved actor who is still the governor of California - Arnold Schwarzenegger.

  • Austria is the country of the Bigfoot. In 1991, a frozen mummy was found here. According to the results of the study, it was found that this is the body of a man with a height of about 160 cm at the age of about 35 years. Chemical analysis and X-ray studies showed that the man lived more than 5 thousand years ago. This find was named Etti, or "Bigfoot".

ski resort Obergurgl - Hochgurgl

  • The settlement at the highest altitude in Europe is located just in Austria. This is the village of Hochgurl, located at an altitude of 2150 meters above sea level.

  • Austria ranks third in the world after the USA and France in terms of the number of lifts. In Austria there are 3527.

  • Winter Olympics were held in Austria in 1964 and 1976 in the city of Innsbruck. By the way, the Olympic games 1964 years were the first Games, which were fully equipped with electronic systems for counting and time recording.
  • Austria is also unique in that it is the only country in the European Union in which citizens receive the right to vote only at the age of 19. In other countries, this is the classic age of majority - 18 years.

  • Austrians are real workaholics. Austria ranks one of the first places in Europe in terms of the length of the working week. Here residents work 45 hours a week, more than in most European countries.
  • Austria is often confused with, so the expression “There is no kangaroo in Austria” stuck to Austria. It is often used on road signs, souvenirs, and shops. Even at the highest level, confusion often occurs - at UN meetings, or, for example, the case of US President Bush, who sent the Prime Minister to Australia to support the Austrian contingent in Iraq.

one of the squares of the Vienna Central Cemetery

  • The largest cemetery in Europe is located in Austria - Vienna's Central Cemetery. More than 3 million people are buried here. It was founded in 1874. In addition, it is also a huge and very beautiful park. Many people often come there just for a walk, to arrange a family outing. In the meantime, you can raise your educational level, study both history and culture - among the 500 "honorary graves" there are graves B ethoven, Brahms, Schubert, both Strauss, and many many other famous people.

Vienna Ferris wheel

  • The oldest Ferris wheel in the world is located in Vienna's Prater. It was built in the 19th century. Moreover, it is not large in comparing with modern giants - only 65 meters in height.

  • Austria is the birthplace of the Vienna Waltz.

Vienna Opera Building

1. Austria is consistently at the top of the list of countries with the highest living standards in the world, and Vienna often tops the list of the World's Most Livable Cities.

2. Austria is a member of the EU, but not a member of NATO.

3. Vienna is home to the world's oldest zoo, the Tiergarten Schönbrunn. It was founded as a menagerie at the court of Emperor Franz Stephen in 1752.

Express info by country

Austria (Austrian Republic)- a state in Central Europe.

Capital - Vein

Largest cities: Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck

Form of government- Federal Republic

Territory- 83 871 km 2 (112th in the world)

Population- 8.4 million people (94th in the world)

Official language- German

Religion- Catholicism

HDI- 0.885 (23rd in the world)

Gdp- $ 436.88 billion (27th in the world)

Currency- euro

Borders with: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Germany

4. Among the great Austrians are the painter Gustav Klimt, whose most famous work, The Kiss, is exhibited at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna; the founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud; composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Schubert; the monk Georg Mendel, whose experiments with peas formed the basis of modern genetics; the physicist Christian Doppler, who invented the Doppler Effect; car designer Ferdinand Porsche. Born in Germany, Ludwig van Beethoven lived most of his adult life in Vienna.

The most famous living Austrian is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Monument to Strauss in Vienna

5. Salzburg Festival (Salzburger Festspiele) - the most important and largest opera and theater festival in Europe. The purpose of this festival is to perpetuate the memory of Mozart, therefore only the works of this great Austrian composer are performed at the festival.

Salzburg by night

6. The most famous Austrian dish is Vienna schnitzel. These are thinly beaten veal cutlets, which are dipped in an egg, sprinkled with bread crumbs, and then fried. In Austria, schnitzel is never served with sauce.

7. The Austrian tradition of baking cakes goes back centuries, when cities fiercely competed among themselves for the best cake. Even in small villages, bakeries try to out-perform each other. Almost every Austrian city has its own specialty cake. The most famous Austrian cake is the Viennese Sachertorte. This chocolate cake was invented by chef Franz Sacher for Chancellor Metternich in 1832.

8. More than 60% of adults in Austria are overweight. This is the highest in the EU.

9. Before eating, Austrians say Guten Appetit! And, before drinking, they clink glasses, looking into each other's eyes. Not looking your counterpart in the eye is considered very impolite behavior that will bring the rude person seven years of bad sex.

10. The Vienna Academy of Arts (Vienna's Akademie der Bildenden Künste) once refused to accept a young artist named Adolf Hitler for training. In 1907, out of 128 applicants, 100, including Hitler, did not enter. For the competition Hitler submitted works "Expulsion from Paradise", "Builders" and "Death". ...

11. Alpine, or downhill skiing, has been the most popular sport in Austria for over 100 years. Matthias Zdarski wrote the first skiing manual in 1897, he also invented the first ski bindings and organized the first slalom in 1905.

12. Zentralfriedhof - one of the largest cemeteries in Europe. Buried here are Beethoven, Brahms, Johann Strauss, Sr. and Jr., Franz Schubert, the pop icon Falco. There is also a monument to Mozart in the cemetery, although he was buried in an unmarked grave in another cemetery (St. Mark's Cemetery). More than 2.5 million people are buried here, while the population of Vienna is about 1.8 million. In Vienna, they say about the dead: “He sat down at 71” (the Zentralfriedhof cemetery is the last stop of the 71 tram).

13. Austrian caves Eisriesenwelt, which is called "the world of ice giants" - the world's largest accessible system of ice caves.

14. As the center of the powerful Austro-Hungarian Empire, after the defeat in the First World War, Austria was reduced to a small republic.

15. Waltz was born in the suburbs of Vienna and in the Alpine region of Austria. Already in the 17th century, waltzes were played at balls at the Habsburgs. It became very popular in Vienna in the early 19th century and then spread to the rest of Europe.

Vienna hosts over 300 balls annually, usually from January to March. The most famous are Opernball (held at the Vienna State Opera since 1877), Philharmonic Ball (with a performance by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra), Blumenball (known for its floral arrangements), Zuckerbäckerball (held in the best pastry shops in Vienna with an excellent selection of sweets).



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