Many people know Austria as the birthplace of world-famous composers and musicians, as a country with beautiful landscapes and a rich history. However, there are facts that not everyone knows about. Interesting, unusual and unique facts about Austria are collected in our review today.
Unique geography
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. Here is also the second highest peak in Europe.
What else is the remarkable geography of the country? For example, Austria holds the record for three types of natural water bodies at once. The first one is the largest glacier in the European part of the continent. Here 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. Well, how to forget about Lake Neusiedl? 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 the territory that for several centuries in a row belonged to the state formation of Austria-Hungary. Nine out of ten indigenous people practice Catholicism. The remaining 10% of the population is either Muslim or considered Protestant.
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A bit of history
An interesting fact is connected with the origin of the flag. The red and white canvas is considered one of the oldest flags in the world. According to the legend, for the first time the flag adorned the battle banners of the troops of Leopold of Austria in the 12th century. After the battle, the leader threw off the shirt soaked in the blood of the enemies and found a white stripe, which turned out to be where a wide belt was tied. From that moment on, the red and white canvas became the constant companion of the Austrian emperor, and after that it became the official sign of the whole country.
The first mention of Austria dates back to the 10th century and is 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 such an original name. According to the first, the inhabitants traditionally washed the slaughtered bulls in the 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 inhabitants used an interesting tactic: every day they painted one bull in a different paint and randomly showed it to the attackers. They decided that the city was full of provisions and could not be starved out of it and abandoned all attempts to conquer Salzburg.
First, best, real
The first railway in the mountains was laid in Austria. Its construction began in the 19th century. Despite this, the Semmering railway is actively operated to this day.
Baroque style with an “Austrian flavor” is reflected in the well-known 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 purest tap water flows in Vienna. Therefore, it is here that you can safely drink water from the pipeline, which is supplied from the purest springs in Austria.
old fashioned austria
In Vienna, the capital of the state, you can visit the oldest Ferris wheel in the world. A small height of 65 meters is unlikely to give tourists an impressive dose of adrenaline. But it will become another place that is definitely worth a visit for every lover of everything rare and old-fashioned. Also in the main city of Austria is the oldest zoo in the world.
Austria boasts another old-fashioned trait. It was in this state that the world's first newspaper appeared.
How to plan an independent trip to Vienna, read our guide.