The Beautiful Austrian Alps

The Alps are the mountains that occupy the center of the European continent. They are fold mountains, and were formed due to the slow but constant clash of the African and Eurasian continental plates. They are millions of years old, and they are indeed fantastic natural creations… Gazing at the high peaks of the Alps makes us feel small and insignificant, and gives us a humble feeling of awe and admiration. There are many peaks above 4000 meters, and the highest one is the famous Mont Blanc (White Mountain), at 4808 meters, situated at the border between France and Italy. The Alps go through several European countries, like Germany, Lichtenstein, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy and Slovenia.

These mountains are split in two: the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps. The Eastern alps have their highest peak at  Piz Bernina in Swizerland: 4049 meters. Austria is one of the countries that are “home” to the Eastern Alps, which are extraordinary, to say the least. The highest peak in the Austrian Alps is the imposing Grossglockner Peak, at 3798 meters, followed closely by the Wildspitze, a giant in the Otztal Alps rising up to 3772 meters.

When the weather is sunny and warm, hiking is one of the most enjoyable activities for tourists that arrive to this country. Nature is absolutely breathtaking, particularly in these mountains. There are six national parks, one more beautiful than the other. The largest one is the Hohe Tauern , occupying part of East Tyrol, southern Salzburg and western Carinthia, which are three different states in the Federal Republic of Austria.

Some peaks above 3000 meters in Austria keep their snow throughout the year, especially on the various great glaciers you can find in this country, so skiing is not a problem even in the summer. And if we take into consideration the fact that the Austrian Alps are filled with hundreds of excellent ski resorts and many,many lovely “three-line” slopes, we can deduce why hundreds of thousands of tourists choose Austria as their ski destination each and every year. As a matter of fact, tourism is a very important economic factor for Austria. As far as tourists are concerned, geography is Austria’s secret ally, because the Austrian Alps are situated right in the middle of Europe, and so they get visitors from every country. For example, it’s obvious that a Greek tourist would find it easier to ski in Austria than to go all the way to the Pyrennes at the French-Spanish border.

There are numerous hotels and resorts in almost every city in Austria. Even in the smallest towns you will probably find some 3 or 4 star hotels, not necessarily because the towns are fabulous travel attractions, but because the mountains surrounding those towns are not only beautiful to watch, but they are perfect for all sorts of winter activities like skiing and snowboarding. Actually, the town of Innsbruck has hosted two Winter Olympic Games already, in 1964 and 1976, and it will host the first Winter Youth Olympic Games, an official branch of the World Olympic Games, in 2012. This says a lot about the overall impression the Austrian Alps leave on people, and it says even more about the quality of the hotels, ski resorts, ski slopes and circuits in this land.

Due to the fact that the Alps occupy more than three quarters of Austria’s total surface, you might say that it is a mountainous country, and this, of course, means that the Austrians are excellent skiers and mountain climbers. Where there’s a ski contest or anything related to mountain sports, if there are any Austrian competitors, you know for sure that they will be very difficult to beat.

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