Archive for the ‘Countries Near Austria’ Category

Germany Tourist Info

Touring Germany, when in Austria is as easy as pie. Not  only does it share its language but also much of its Southern border, and culture with Austria. When traveling you’ll also find that the Bavarian

region and Salzburg in Austria are especially intertwined.

Leave from Vienna on  a tour boat on the Danube River,  wind your way into Southern Germany, link up with the Rhine River through the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, located in Bavaria that joins the the two. From that point, depending on your tour, you may travel south all the way into Switzerland, or north up to Amsterdam. The Rhine is a historical river dotted with villages, castles and vineyards.

Germany is officially known as the Federal Republic of Germany and is the most prominent and financially strongest country in Europe. It has endured many historical movements, such as the Roman Empire, the Nazis, the rule of a good portion of its land by the Soviet Union and the reunification of East and West Germany after the fall of the Iron Curtin and the Berlin Wall.  I can still hear President Reagan saying; “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall”.  Read more... (722 words, 3 images, estimated 2:53 mins reading time)

Switzerland Tourist Info

Switzerland, which is to the West of Austria and right in the midst of the Alps,

is a country that is best known for its picturesque and natural landscapes, its watches, clocks and chocolates. It is one of the most tourist visited places in the world, with most going to the Swiss Alps, where skiing, hiking and spas are abundant. You can even stay in an igloo in places St. Moritz and Zermatt, or take a cog rail up to peaks such as Jungfrau or Gornegrat and view the expanse of the Alps and its glaciers.  OK, want to do some serious climbing there’s always the Matterhorn. Ready to come down from the heights, stop into one of the Chocolate stores.

Because of its bordering countries; Italian, German, and French are all the official languages here. Having said that, there are English speaking people here as well and the money used is the Swiss Franc. Remember, Switzerland is a neutral country and thus not aligned with the EU or other alliances.  Read more... (398 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)