2021 Travel the World - Week 18

I started a 50-week series in 2019 that I called Travel the World. Each week of the series I visited a randomly-selected country, sharing bits of information about that country. I then chose one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. As I explored those 50 countries in 2019, I knew I would continue on until I've visited every one of the 195 countries in the world, so I continued the series in 2020 and here I am in 2021, the third year of traveling the world. 

This week's country is...

Austria

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe. 

Austria shares borders with eight countries: Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland.

Its longest border is shared with Germany.

Austria can be compared in size with the state of South Carolina in the USA. 

Vienna is Austria's capital and largest city.

Slightly over 62% of the country is covered by the Austrian Alps, thus over two- thirds of the country is over 1,640 feet above sea level.

At 12,460 feet, the highest mountain in Austria is the Grossglockner. 

The Grossglockner high alpine road criss-crossing the Austrian Alps is famous for all hairpin-curves and panoramic views of Austria's highest mountains.

Tourism in Austria brings in around one billion dollars each year.

Most of the around 17 million tourists visiting Austria every year come from other European countries.

The country is also famous for its high quality arts and crafts, jewelry, ceramics and glassware.

Austria is one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Austria is known for its mountain trains and railways.

Located in Vienna, the Austrian National Library is one of the world’s major libraries. It has works dating back to the 14th century and is currently home to more than 2 million books.

Vienna (Austria's capital) has the oldest zoo in the world which was founded in 1752.

The first postcards used was in Austria.

The sewing machine was invented by Austrian Josef Madersperger.

The energy drink “Red Bull” was created in Austria.

Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the sports car company Porsche, was born in Austria.

The founding father of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud was born in Vienna.

Austrians are very proud of being the home of Mozart. One way that fact is celebrated is the introduction of “Mozartkugel”, a very high-quality type of chocolate.

One of the must-see museums in Vienna is the famous Mozarthaus. This is actually one of the many apartments the legendary composer lived in during his time in Vienna. It is the largest of his apartments and also the only one still standing. You can not only learn a great deal about Mozart himself, but you will also get an idea of 18th-century life in Vienna’s society.

The waltz was born in Austria. Specifically in the 17th-century suburbs of Vienna.

Austria is home to the largest ice cave in the world. It extends for over 26 miles.

Wild animals that can be found in the mountainous regions of the country include red deer, mountain goats (alpine ibexes), wild pigs, lynxes and marmots.

All Austrian men are required to complete compulsory military training. It lasts less than one year, but there are required periods of retraining later.

Coffee has been an important staple of Austrians since the Turks were forced to retreat in the 17th century and left behind an enormous amount of coffee beans. Coffee houses have become iconic as gathering places for shoppers, businessmen, students, and workers alike. The daily coffee break, known as “jause” usually takes place around 3 in the afternoon when cakes and pastries are also enjoyed.

If you share a toast with an Austrian, be sure to make and maintain eye contact. Not doing so is considered bad luck and the price is seven years of bad sex.

Going to school is compulsory in Austria with all children between the ages of 6 and 10 years attending an elementary school. Following that, most students go into general secondary schools, while a small percent attend more prestigious upper-level secondary schools. Technical schools are very popular and there are 12 universities and six art colleges in Austria.

Workers in Austria are well taken care of with 5 weeks of paid vacation per year in addition to 13 legal holidays. Men in Austria can retire at the age of 65 and women at 60, when they may begin to collect old-age pensions.

The main waterway in Austria, the Danube River, is the second longest river in Europe. It is unique in that it is the only river in the world which flows through ten different countries.

Austria is the first country to establish national regulations regarding organic farming. 

Favorite outdoor sports among Austrians include skiing, soccer, hiking, water-skiing, and sailing.

Alpine, or downhill, skiing has been the most popular sport in Austria for over 100 years.

One of the oldest amusement parks in the world, the Vienna Prater, is located in Austria.

Half of the Austrian men are overweight whereas only 20% of Austrian women are overweight – the lowest rate of all European countries.

Every October 26th, Austrians celebrate National Day. This commemorates the passing of the constitutional law regarding permanent neutrality. It was passed in 1955.

The annual Salzburger Festspiele is the largest and most important opera and theater festival in Europe.

My inspiration for this week's card is based on this fact about Austria... Boasting one of the largest unspoiled landscapes in western Europe, Austrians love walking and hiking. This may account for the popularity of its roughly 35,000 miles of mountain paths.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Kraftin Kimmie Happy Campers stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Paper: Cougar 110# White and SU Tempting Turquoise CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangle

Embellishments: SU Tempting Turquoise Brads and a Butterfly Brad from an unknown vendor