AUSTRIA - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 37

AUSTRIA
Austria's central location in Europe and its six international airports of the Imperial
Cities—Vienna (Wien), Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Linz, and Salzburg—make it a
convenient gateway country for European travelers. Although German is the native
language of Austria, most tourism officials also speak English. With a smile on your
face, try the informal German greeting “Grüss Gott,” and ask slowly and distinctly,
“Do you speak English?” A smile almost always elicits a cooperative attitude.
Austria is more than museums and antiques; it is also “the sound of music,” spec-
tacular scenery, and gourmet foods. Austria is a country where one can easily over-
indulge in temptingly tasty pastries and piles of schlagobers (whipped cream)—and
what a way to go. We discovered why the schlagobers is so delicately delicious—it's
the real thing.
Sports enthusiasts can enjoy a variety of summer activities, including hang glid-
ing, hiking, mountain climbing, water sports, and a dip in Austria's largest “hot tub,”
Kopeiner See, where lake water temperatures climb to 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit in
summer.
As the Austrian National Tourist Office succinctly states: “Austria is more than
1,000 years old. So far, so good.” For more information and pretrip planning tips,
be sure to visit Austria's website, www.austria.info , or contact the Austrian Tourist
Office in North America:
New York: P.O. Box 1142, New York, NY 10108. Tel: [phone]; Fax:
[phone]; E-mail: [e-mail]
Toronto: 2 Bloor Street West, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M4W 3E2, Canada.
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail]
Banking
Currency: Euro (€)
Exchange rate at press time: 0.72 = U.S. $1