Indeed, there is something special about walking in Austria. Walking is a recreational pastime that Austrians themselves are passionate about, and it’s obvious why. Austria’s topographical landscape offers a stunning natural playground of alpine peaks, rolling valleys, crystal-clear lakes and lush green woodlands, with hundreds of kilometres of well-marked trails weaving throughout the country. Just one visit and it’s easy to see why Austria is meant to be discovered on foot.

 

Austria is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe, attracting tourists not only in summer and winter - which in the mountain regions is almost as busy a season as summer - but also in the in-between seasons. It is the scenic beauties to be found in all the Alpine republic's provinces which are the main reason for inducing large numbers of tourists to spend their holidays in Austria year after year. But, in addition, Vienna (Wien), the historic capital, and the beautiful city of Salzburg, birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, are among the most popular tourist attractions the country has to offer.

Austria is situated in the south-east of Central Europe. It is predominantly a country of upland areas and high mountains - the Eastern Alps occupying a good 60 per cent of the country's territory. The River Danube flows for about 350km/217 miles from west to east through the northern part of Austria.