🙂 Vienna. Beautiful mountainous scenery. Great skiing and après ski. Chocolate. Apfelstrudl….
🙁 Hitler was born here. Lack of friendliness.
Currency: Euro (Austrian Schilling back in the day)
THREE things we did not know about Austria:
- Austria is famous for its flag, which happens to be one of the oldest national symbols still in use by a modern country. The iconic red and white stripes are difficult to miss and certainly impressive to behold, and the legend behind it is perhaps even more beguiling. The Austrian colours and symbols have been in use since 1230, but legend has it that it was Duke Leopol V who “invented” the flag we recognise today. Apparently, after a legendary battle, the Duke noticed his white coat had been stained red with bloodshed. When he removed his belt, a white stripe remained; thus, the Austrian flag was born.
- Austria is entirely landlocked, which is one of those well known facts about Austria. But what it’s not lacking is neighbours. It’s bordered by Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and even little ol’ Lichtenstein!
- After WWII, Austria was split into different zones: These were the British, French, American, and Soviet occupation zones. The country was split into four and run by the Allied Commission for Austria. Vienna, the capital, was also divided into four and was effectively an international zone. This lasted until 1955.
