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| Austria and Switzerland are located in Central Europe. Both countries are predominantly known for their mountains, primarely the Alps. |
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Austria and Switzerland are located in Central Europe. Both countries are predominantly known for their mountains, primarily the Alps, but they also have rolling hills, plains, lakes and rivers. Both Austria and Switzerland are famous for winter sports, with a season starting around early December and lasting to April. In some areas of Switzerland it is possible to ski later or even all year.
Austria's ski resorts are not as spectacular and glamorous as the mega-resorts found in Switzerland, but they are cozier, less prone to mass tourism and a little cheaper. Most of Switzerland's ski resorts are surrounded by impressive landscapes such as large ice fields and high mountains.
Although the two countries are best known for their winter sports many tourists also go to visit in the summer due to the many natural wonders, beautiful historic cities and great facilities. |
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Austria is the bigger of the two countries, with an area of 83,858 sq. km. and a population of around 8.2 million. Vienna is the capital and by far the largest city with a population of around 1.7 million. Vienna is Austria's cultural, economic and political center. As the former home of the Habsburg court and its various empires, the city still has the trappings of the imperial city it once was. The beautiful city of Salzburg, birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is together with Vienna among the most popular tourist attractions the country has to offer.
There are 5 international airports in Austria with scheduled flights. The most important international airport is in Vienna which has connections to all major cities of the world. The other four international airports are Graz, Innsbruck, Linz and Salzburg which provides domestic flights as well as connections to some European countries. The language spoken is Austrian-German.
Switzerland has an area of 41,285 sq. km. and a population of around 7.5 million.Zurich is the largest city with a population of about 1 million and is a major center of banking and also has a thriving nightlife. Geneva is the center of arts and culture and the second largest city in Switzerland and in fact the international capital, home to around 200 governmental and non-governmental organizations. Bern is the Swiss capital and well known for its amazingly well preserved old-town with arcades along almost every street.
There is no Swiss language. Depending on where you are in the country the locals might speak Swiss-German (Schwyzerdutsch), French, Italian or Romanisch (an ancient language related to Latin). All four are official languages, but most people also speak English quite well. The most important international airport is in Zurich, which has connections to all major cities in the world and is one of the major airports of Europe. Among other international airports are Geneva and Basel, with smaller airports in Lugano and Berne. |
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