Photo of the Day

Can you guess where this is at :)?  

Pssst, we give you a tip: it’s in Vienna.

 

OH SO SOFT & SWEET, SALZBURGER NOCKERL

We looove food in Austria and have a variety of amazingly delicious national dishes :)!

Check out this super famous souffle named ‘Salzburger Nockerl’. This desert recipe is so famous in Austria that there is a popular song from an old Austrian movie, written about this Salzburger Nockerln, “as sweet as love, and soft like a kiss” (“Suess wie die Liebe, und zart wie ein Kuss.”).

Ingredients
Raspberry Jam, heated, recipe follows
7 ounces sugar
2 tablespoons tapioca flour, sifted
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (Recommended: Grand Marnier)
1 tablespoon orange zest, finely minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely minced
8 egg whites
Raspberry Jam:
12 ounces fresh raspberries (about 2 baskets)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour the warm raspberry jam into a 7 by 11-inch baking dish. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together 1 ounce of sugar, and tapioca flour. Add the egg yolks, Grand Marnier, orange zest and lemon zest. Whisk until light in color.
In an electric mixer, fitted with a wire whisk, beat together the egg whites and 1 ounce of sugar to soft peaks. Then, add the remaining 5 ounces of sugar in a slow, steady stream and continue to whip to stiff peaks.
Stir 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture to blend. Fold in the remaining meringue and continue to gently mix until well blended.
Spoon into 3 equal mounds over the raspberry jam, shaping to resemble the 3 mountains of Salzburg. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden and risen like a souffle. Serve immediately with extra raspberry jam and Creme Anglaise.

Raspberry Jam (optional):
In a small saute pan, combine 6 ounces of raspberries, sugar, orange juice and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes, whisking vigorously to break apart the raspberries. The mixture should resemble a loose jam. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 6 ounces of raspberries, stirring gently until well coated.

VIBRANT VIENNA – A photo tour

Ever wondered what makes VIENNA so special and why it is continuously voted as NUMBER 1 city to live in, in the world?

Even we locals and/or people who grew up in Vienna, are continuously fascinated and sucked in by the beauty of the City of Music, as well as amazed by all the many different layers the city has to offer. The Viennese say that, “you can spend your whole life in Vienna and never really know all of it’s mysterious secrets :).” This is a saying we know to be true. But that is another reason why we love Vienna, we love to be surprised. Do you?

Check out our beautiful picture tour of the capital city of Austria.

Photo Credit: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/vienna-photos-2/#/vienna-hundertwasser-haus_2702_600x450.jpg

Photo Credit: http://gencept.com/vienna-timelapse-and-hyperlapse-photography-video

Photo credits: http://christianmari.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/vienna-street-photography-2/

Photo Credit: http://www.theweddingnotebook.com/tag/acapella-photography/

Photo Credit: Peter Talke Photography

Photo Credits: Nadine Heller: http://www.flickr.com/photos/57816136@N03/6615593333/

Love the pictures & maybe want to see your own pictures of Austria on our site?! Then SUBMIT your unique shots here.

The Beauty of the German Language – Part 1

This is the first part in our new Sunday series on the beauty of the German language and the richness of German/Austrian/Swiss literature and poets, authors as well as dreamers.

We have heard so many times now over the years that German is not a very desirable language to learn and well, that it just does not sound good. However, we at TTMAA refuse to believe that and so we are going to make it our mission to show to the world that German/Austrian as well as Swiss German, is just as beautiful – if not more so – as other European languages like Italian and French; which are if we’re honest, a bit overrated ;).

But no, “Spass beseite,” every language is beautiful. Though now it is time for German to shine and show the world its richness as well as beauty. Take it from us, there is literally almost nothing you cannot describe in every detail in German.

Check it out. Here’s the first poem (called ‘Longing’  in English and ‘Sehnsucht’ in German) we want to show you and we have translated as well by the famous German writer Friedrich Schiller.

 LONGING.

   Could I from this valley drear,
    Where the mist hangs heavily,
   Soar to some more blissful sphere,
    Ah! how happy should I be!
   Distant hills enchant my sight,
    Ever young and ever fair;
   To those hills I'd take my flight
    Had I wings to scale the air.

   Harmonies mine ear assail,
    Tunes that breathe a heavenly calm;
   And the gently-sighing gale
    Greets me with its fragrant balm.
   Peeping through the shady bowers,
    Golden fruits their charms display.
   And those sweetly-blooming flowers
    Ne'er become cold winter's prey.

   In you endless sunshine bright,
    Oh! what bliss 'twould be to dwell!
   How the breeze on yonder height
    Must the heart with rapture swell!
   Yet the stream that hems my path
    Checks me with its angry frown,
   While its waves, in rising wrath,
    Weigh my weary spirit down.

   See—a bark is drawing near,
    But, alas, the pilot fails!
   Enter boldly—wherefore fear?
    Inspiration fills its sails,
   Faith and courage make thine own,—
    Gods ne'er lend a helping-hand;
   'Tis by magic power alone
    Thou canst reach the magic land!

SEHNSUCHT

Ach, aus dieses Tales Gründen, 
Die der kalte Nebel drückt, 
Könnt ich doch den Ausgang finden, 
Ach wie fühlt ich mich beglückt! 
Dort erblick ich schöne Hügel, 
Ewig jung und ewig grün! 
Hätt ich Schwingen, hätt ich Flügel, 
Nach den Hügeln zög ich hin.

Harmonieen hör ich klingen, 
Töne süßer Himmelsruh, 
Und die leichten Winde bringen 
Mir der Düfte Balsam zu, 
Goldne Früchte seh ich glühen 
Winkend zwischen dunkelm Laub, 
Und die Blumen, die dort blühen, 
Werden keines Winters Raub.

Ach wie schön muß sichs ergehen 
Dort im ewgen Sonnenschein, 
Und die Luft auf jenen Höhen 
O wie labend muß sie sein! 
Doch mir wehrt des Stromes Toben, 
Der ergrimmt dazwischen braust, 
Seine Wellen sind gehoben, 
Daß die Seele mir ergraust.

Einen Nachen seh ich schwanken, 
Aber ach! der Fährmann fehlt. 
Frisch hinein und ohne Wanken, 
Seine Segel sind beseelt. 
Du mußt glauben, du mußt wagen, 
Denn die Götter leihn kein Pfand, 
Nur ein Wunder kann dich tragen 
In das schöne Wunderland.

It’s truly a beautiful poem, isn’t it? Like this post if you want us to keep going in revealing and uncovering the beauty, as well as the mysteriousness, of the German language for you! And as always, we’d totally appreciate it if you liked this site to share our site with your friends and loved ones and Talk to Me About Austria ;).

Well, hello there…

This is how you are supposed to enjoy and relax on a Sunday, resting while taking in the breathtaking beauty of the Austrian Alps :).

 

Greetings from Krampus

Krampus is an Austrian tradition, hence the writing “Gruß vom Krampus” which is German and translates to “Greetings from Krampus”.

The legend of Krampus, which predates Christianity, started in the Alpine region of Europe, specifically, the Austrian Alps. The Krampus tale gradually spread throughout Austria and into neighboring countries including Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, northern Italy and Croatia.

It is an old tradition to send above card or similar ones anonymously to a friend pranking him/her or telling him something you wouldn’t want to tell in person. He is the companion of St. Nicholas and usually many guys dress up as Krampus and some older guys dress up as St. Nicholas’ and roam the streets on the evening of Dec 5th in almost every town in Austria.

Krampus usually frighten kids by looking scary (and let me tell you, they for sure do *brrr*) and hitting some of them with a wicker. Kids are being asked by St. Nicholas whether they did behave well in the past year and then receive small gift’s in red bags that they can open next day in the morning.

Living in America for the past 8 years I realized the fact that American kids never really seem to have to ‘earn‘ a Christmas gift. And this concept might be totally weird to you if you are coming from another country, but in Austria we kids have to literally earn our Christmas gifts and let me tell you, it is not an easy task to accomplish. Why? Because of the evil Krampus, the Demon of Christmas. Read on ;).

As a kid growing up in Austria you better make sure to not have been naughty over the course of the past year. Why? Because naughty Austrian children are annually threatened with a Pagan Fertility Demon from deepest, darkest hell — a goat-legged, horned satyr who won’t leave coal as much as he will beat them savagely for their misdeeds and then drag them to hell (it’s somewhat more effective). I get goosebumps just thinking about him even now, as an adult.

So, let’s get to know Mr. Krampus, the Child-Eating Holiday Hell-beast, shall we? Here are 7 things you want to know about this crazy Austrian tradition ;).

1) Krampus Is Older Than Jesus

Krampus (from the German “Krampen,” or “Claw,” or “Giddy Child Murderer”) was born of a pre-Christian, Alpine Pagan tradition, and has been described as a “boozy goat-horned menace that whips children around Europe.” Krampus can also be identified by his matted-black hair, Gene Simmons-like tongue, and cloven hooves. He also sports a large wicker basket on his back, filled to the brim with thorny, unbreakable birch sticks. What are the sticks used for? Oh, we’re getting to that! WE’RE GETTING TO THAT!

2) Austrian Krampus Tradition Explained

As a young Austrian child you may reach an age where you don’t believe this Krampus shit anymore. Oh, who am I kidding? You don’t. You will always feel the fear on December the 5th, even if you live abroad. On December 5th, a herd of Austrian men dress up as Krampus, show up in front of your bedroom window, in full-Satan regalia, rattling rusty chains and large bells and screaming at you…every (!) December 5th. And while you’re pissing down your lederhosen, your parents then let them in the house, asking if you have been a naughty child or not, if you have, you get spanked; and afterwards your parents sit down with the Krampus and Nikolo to have a few drinks (ok. not always).

Known as “Krampusnacht: Night of the Krampus”, the Christmas Demons invade also almost every single Austrian town and parade through the streets, displaying their horrifying masks and torture instruments.

3) Krampus Has Mastered Many Forms of Punishment

​When it comes to punishment, Krampus doesn’t stop at mere birch rods. That would be too kind. Under the careful tutelage of Pinhead and various Cenobites, Krampus’ retribution repertoire grew ten-fold over the centuries. According to a series of very popular 1800s postcards, Krampus enjoyed: ripping pigtails out, leading children off a cliff, sadistic ear-pulling, putting pre-teens in shackles, forcing children to beg for mercy, and throwing youngsters on an Express Train to The Lake of Fire (making no local stops). And then there’s my favorite: drowning children to death in ink and fishing out the corpse with a pitchfork. It’s like The Grinch meets Hostel. So be aware if you find yourself in Austria on December, the 5th :).

4) Krampus Makes a Terrible Video Game Boss

Krampus’ made a brief cameo in the arcade game CarnEvil — better known as that shitty first-person shooter with the broken trigger collecting dust at your local Multiplex game lobby. While he looks more like a Santa/Krampus/Rudolph hybrid, and spouts off terrifying bon mots such as “I’ll stuff YOUR stocking!”, the pixilated poser can’t hold a candle to the real, eye-gouging legend of old. But it’s another pretty good example of America taking something foreign, and making it less fun or interesting.

5) Krampus Brought Nazis and Christians Together For a Common Purpose

It’s true! If it’s one thing both Hitler and Christian fundamentalists can agree on, it’s hating Krampus. Not since Mel Gibson has there been such a confluence of anti-Semitism and religious fervor. A 1934 New York Times article headlined “Krampus Disliked in Facist Austria” declared Krampus “Strictly Verboten”: police were ordered to “arrest the devil on sight.” He was even labeled – and I am not kidding you – “the work of wicked Social Democrats.”

But the Krampus tradition survived, as it did during the Inquisition when you’d be put to death by the Catholic Church for impersonating the devil. The New York Times goes on to call Krampus “harmless,” tell of his bringing “candies and delights” to children and remarks that “Krampus balls are the first sign of Christmas jollification.” Even in 1934, The New York Times did not actually check its sources.

6) Krampus Has More Terrible, Evil Brothers 

In case you might wonder, Krampus is not the only Holiday Demon in Europe. Iceland folklore cites “13 Santa figures, known as the Jolasveinar,” each more terrible than the next. Like, there’s Hurdaskellir, or “The Door Slammer.” Then there are vicious elves named “The Window Peeper,” “The Sausage Snatcher,” and “The Doorway Sniffer.” Not in my most scary nightmares can I imagine what any of these entail. There is also Pelzebock or Pelznickel in southern Germany, and Gumphinckel in Silesia. In Hungary, there is Krampusz, and in Switzerland, Schmutzli.

7) In case you still want to know more about Krampus, check out the following links:

http://www.kctv5.com/story/24246425/forget-santa-you-better-watch-out-for-krampus

http://krampus.com/

http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=krampus&search_type=handmade

http://www.amazon.com/Krampus-Devil-Christmas-Monte-Beauchamp/dp/0867197471/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292543449&sr=1-1

Gruss vom Krampus & Merry Christmas – & remember, only if you have been a good child this year ;)!

 

ICONIC ITINERARIES

ICONIC ITINERARIES

5 Perfect Days in Austria

Three Days in the City and Two in the Country

Sure, we all dream of the day when we’ll have weeks on end to devote to the vacation of our dreams . . . but really, who has the time? In this installment of our Iconic Itineraries series, we give you the perfect five-day trip in which we’ve paired some of our favorite cities with the most beautiful countryside destinations around (and you can buy the itinerary with just a single phone call). So whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, it’s worth remembering: Just because a trip is short doesn’t mean it can’t be the trip of a lifetime.

To read the full article on this iconic itinerary, 
go to: http://www.cntraveler.com/iconic-trips/2013/11/vienna-austria-travel-guide

Ski Season is Here!!!

Extra for you TTMAA Fans, we put together our favorite list of the Top Ski Regions in Austria that you want to check out ;)!

Our Favorite Austrian Ski Regions

Austria’s mountain resorts offer activities for the skier and non-skier alike. Regions like the Arlberg, Kitzbuehel, Innsbruck & Stubai Glacier & the Montafon ski region offer not only great outdoor activities but also great culinary delights!

The Arlberg:
Lech, Zuers, St. Anton. The Arlberg region is not only the birthplace of modern Alpine skiing, but did you know it is also the most popular playground for Europe’s Royal families ;).

Located 4,278 – 9,223 feet above sea level the Arlberg is serviced by 85 ski lifts, 161 miles of downhill terrain, 124 miles of deep snow and glacier skiing. It has all the right ingredients for winter fun in the Austrian Alps punctuated by variety, historic charm and world class amenities.

Enjoy the many Ski bars, tennis and squash, ice-skating, alpine curling, tobogganing and horse-drawn sleigh rides. The cuisine is as dazzling and varied as the terrain.

The nearest airports: Innsbruck, 62 miles; Zurich, 124 miles; Munich, 130 miles.Scheduled bus service between Zurich airport and Arlberg on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Kitzbuehel
A perfect Tyrolean town and the worlds most famous ski race “Hahnenkammrennen” define this center Alpine Skiing!

This jewel of a town has a decades-long tradition and an international reputation that has helped define winter sports and the entire ski industry. There is probably no winter sport, which cannot be practiced in Kitzbühel. The ski area is an el dorado with ninety-nine miles (160 kilometers) of manicured pistes, a top-notch fun-park for snowboarders, deep-snow slopes, and mountains perfect for ski tours. The town is famous not only for sports but also for its hospitality. Enjoy Kitzbühel’s excellent hotels, culinary delights, après-ski excitement, and its nightlife! 

Kitzbühel – A Name Full of Magic
Get enchanted by the Kitzbühel-Reith-Aurach region at the foot of the world-famous Hahnenkamm. Traditions paired with a cosmopolitan atmosphere create the distinctive Kitzbühel flair. 160 kilometers/100 miles of a skier’s/snowboarder’s paradise, 60 lifts, carving areas, over 50 kilometers/31 miles of artificially prepared runs, a spectacular selection of bars, restaurants, and shops, as well as a casino.Innsbruck & the Stubai Glacier
Innsbruck has earned the reputation of being THE winter sports capital!! The city works hard to maintain and improve its twin character as a top-class ski area as well as a sophisticated urban center. Innsbruck, with its striking location at the foot of the Alps offers guests a tempting choice of great skiing and snowboarding in six different areas.

Longing for the ultimate winter sports destination? The Stubai Glacier is your answer. Enjoy more than 50 kilometers of ski runs for intensive downhill skiing, carving and boarding or test your endurance on 2.8 miles of cross-country tracks. Have fun exploring the Stubai Glacier located at an altitude from 5,741 to 10.500 ft. above sea level.

Montafon
The Montafon valley is about 25 miles long and includes 11 villages located at altitudes of 1,969-4,757 ft. and ringed by majestic peaks of 3,312 meters, or over 10,000 ft.There are villages with a casual, sporty atmosphere and a varied program of leisure activities, cozy localities suitable for families, as well as quiet Alpine villages perfect for relaxing.

Schruns, Gaschurn, Gargellen in the Vorarlberg province are most easily reached via Zuerich as they are closest to our Swiss neighbors. Winter turns this Alpine valley into one big skiing paradise. 66 mountain railways and ski lifts, around 122 miles of marked, manicured downhill runs, ski tours on the sparkling white Silvretta glaciers, 62 miles of cross-country trails, 119 miles of winter hiking trails, artificial and natural toboggan runs and ten skiing schools.

P.s.: In case we missed one that you think is absolutely worth sharing and also Top, please let us know by commenting in the comment section below ;)!!

Austria’s Real Life Hogwarts

Do you miss the days when you were anticipating the next Harry Potter book in the series or waiting feverishly for the next movie to finally come out! Well, look no further than Austria’s International School for Witches and Wizards. They may not have flying broomsticks or dragons, but they have a headmaster named Grand Wizard Dakaneth and a garden full of special herbs.

Your enrollment in the International School for Witches and Wizards program begins in Klagenfurt, Austria. The course consists of seven semesters, with tests and thesis papers at the end of each. The school costs roughly 115 dollars per semester. Subjects include astronomy, potions, magical history, botany, fortune telling, etc.

More than one semester will take place on top of the scenic Magdalen Mountain, in a region of Austria known as Carinthia or Kaernten in German.

During their time spent on the mountain, students look for herbs to make potions, learn about runes and other sources of magical power and are given their witch and wizard names.

The co-founder of this school, Sonja Kulmitzer, leads one of many mountain rituals. She has been with the school since 1998.

What is even weirder than the school itself is the fact that zero clear pictures of the headmaster, Grand Wizard Dakaneth exist. No kidding, we searched for hours ;). He used to be an IT guy, but decided that magic is more his calling. He states:

“I’ve learned that everything is explainable, and magic is magic only until it is explained. If you understand the psychological aspects behind it, the magic disappears. A little obvious, but I’ll take it.”

Oh, I almost forgot! When you graduate, you even get a Certificate of Venefica (Witchcraft, in Latin). Well, that sells it; sign me up.

VIENNA – The World’s Most Livable City

For the fourth consecutiveve year, Vienna was ranked as the number one city with the highest quality of life in the world, surpassing cities in Switzerland, Denmark, and the U.S.!The title was bestowed by Mercer, a global consulting firm, and was based on a combination of traits such as stability, rising living standards, and advanced city infrastructures.Vienna, known for its coffee, low crime levels, and historical architecture, beat out the over 450 other world cities surveyed (!) & which might leave you wondering — what makes the quality of life in our beautiful capital city so high :)? Well, here’s a short little list of the things we Vienna locals love BEST!

Our Vienna has a thriving music and nightlife culture beneath the subway between the Thaliastrasse and Nussdorferstrasse stations with famous clubs like Chelsea and the Rhiz bar.

We Viennese (as we locals of Vienna are called 😉 ) have access to a ton of shopping options, including one of the best flea markets in Europe (!) — the Flohmarkt — with plenty of gems hidden among the piles of goods.

There’s also the fashion-forward 7th district of Neubau that includes the MuseumsQuartier Wien. Made up of museums, concert halls, and a theater, it was constructed from the original Hapsburg stables!

Though Vienna has a ton of global food options, its best known for its traditional Viennese fare. The restaurant Steirereck (one of the WORLD’S best restaurants) in particular is a hotspot for its selection of Viennese cheeses.

Our Viennese cafes are truly legendary and we Viennese claim to have invented the process of filtering coffee in 1683! Viennese coffee is 2 shorts of espresso mixed with whipped cream instead of milk. Try it out! You’ll be surprised how nice and creamier your coffee will taste ;). 

We Viennese are also surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful architecture, ranging from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period! The city was even designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site!!

Vienna is proudly one of the last European cities to hold carnival balls, and hosts over 450 per year in its palaces that we locals may attend!! What can we say? We Austrians LOVE a good ball haha.

In the winter, we love to go to Wiener Eistraum (“Vienna Ice World”), a gorgeous 75,000-square-foot ice skating rink located in the City Hall Square.

The quality of our Austrian police force is said to be comparable in training, efficiency, and expertise to the one in the U.S. And it really shows — Austria has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe!

There are over 150,000 public university students in Vienna, and almost 3,000 students of private universities, making it the European-equivalent of a fun college town ;)!

We Austrians can vote when we are only 16 years old, and drink when we are 18 (or 16 depending on the alcohol content of the beverage).

Vienna has a high level of public utilities and transportation facilities, with almost 4,500 stations serving us daily commuters.

Austria is a stable democracy with extremely low potential for war or civil unrest. Though political demonstrations sometimes do occur (since we Austrians can be pretty opinionated), they are peaceful.

Vienna is a central European city and meeting point, hosting more international congresses than any other world city (a total of 181 in 2011). As a result, our Viennese culture is extremely liberal and open-minded.

Vienna is known as the City of Music due to its music culture and the world-famous classical composers — including Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, and Brahms — who have all lived here.

We Viennese have access to the world’s oldest zoo (!) from 1752 in Schönbrunn Palace, with over 500 types of animals including giant pandas, Siberian tigers, orangutans, and elephants.

Vienna is the only world capital with its own vineyards within city limits!! The traditional Austrian wine is served in designated taverns throughout the city (usually as a Spritzer).

Vienna is known for its city planning, and was even awarded the prestigious 2010 Scroll of Honour from the United Nations for reducing its sub-standard housing to less than 9 percent.

We Viennese can view the Emerald Unguentarium, the largest emerald in the world at 2,860 carets, in Vienna’s Imperial Treasury.

Or they can eat and drink inside one of the 15 surviving gondolas on the world’s oldest Ferris wheels, the Riesenrad, built in 1897!!

Will we Viennese be able to keep the ranking of 1st Place in 2014 as well :)? 
We certainly hope so and will let you know, 
so FOLLOW this website by signing up with your email for receiving THE latest updates ;)!

Edelweiss Bike Travel

Did you know that among motorcycle lovers worldwide, especially the ones that love to go on motorcycle tours, the BEST guided motorcycle tour provider in the world comes from Austria!

Austria is the best base point for tours throughout Europe as we are right in the middle of all the buzz and excitement and, of course, we got the beautiful fascinating Alps in front of our door steps.

The bike touring company is called EDELWEISS (after Austria’s National Flower) BIKE TRAVEL. In 1980, Werner Wachter and his wife Coral (who is originally from England) founded Europe’s first (!) motorcycle tour operator, gave it a catchy name, arranged a small fleet of BMWs and a year later they welcomed the first five paying customers in the Alps.

On every Edelweiss tour, picnics unite the troops at lunch time and quality is the keyword on all Edelweiss tours.

In 2005, Edelweiss celebrates its 25th birthday. More than 20,000 motorcyclists from all over the world have been touring with this Austrian Company throughout the previous 25 years! In 2005 they are started to offer packages to 40 different tour destinations on five continents!

So, Edelweiss Bike Tours pretty much offer every kind of motorcycle tour you can imagine, from expeditions, to comfortable tours, ducati/bmw/triumph tours and even scouter tours. Tours for the whole family :).

For more information go to: http://www.edelweissbike.com/en/cont/def/home.html

http://ultimatemotorcycling.com/edelweiss-motorcycle-tours-catalog-2012-2013/ 

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/554/11200/Motorcycle-Article/Edelweiss-Motorcycle-Tours-Catalog-2012-2013.aspx

Top 10 Attractions in VIENNA

Studying in Austria

This is the follow up post to a recent one we did about doing a study abroad in Austria.

Throughout this post we are going to talk about why you might want to decide to study in Austria?

First of all, Austria is right in the middle of Europe, from here you can easily access and travel to other countries in Europe without being too far away. Also, Vienna is the center of Europe because it is – well, in the center of Europe ;). Sandwiched between Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary (with which we were once unified), Switzerland, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Lichtenstein, Austria is located pretty much in the dead center of Europe, forming a bridge between east and west.

Geographically, Austria is furthermore dominated by the Alps in its southeast and center, and the River Danube – 10% of which lies within the nation’s borders – on which the capital city Vienna was built.

Quality of life in Austria is generally high In fact, in Mercer’s 2012 Quality of Living Survey, Vienna was named the city with the world’s best quality of life (http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/quality-of-living-report-2012)!! Vienna is home to over a quarter of Austria’s population, and is known as one of Europe’s great cultural capitals. For fans of architecture, music and art, this is not to be missed.

Universities in Austria

Universities in Austria are highly international! More than 15% of the total tertiary enrolment in the country is made up of international students, rising up to more than 20% if only advanced research programs are considered.

Austria’s leading university, Universität Wien, sits at 160 in the 2012/13 QS World Rankings, and is joined by Technische Universität Wien (274), Universität Innsbruck (276), Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz (373), Johannes Kepler Universität Linz (451-500), Paris Lodron University Salzburg (551-600) and Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt (601+).

But especially when you are thinking of getting a degree in any kind of Business Area or Economics, and at the same time are thinking about Europe, you will almost automatically come across the so-called WU, or Wirtschaftsuniversitaet of Vienna. The ‘WU’ is THE Vienna University of Business and Economics and it is not only the largest one in Austria but THE LARGEST UNIVERSITY FOCUSING ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS IN EUROPE and it is also one of the BEST (http://www.wu.ac.at/)!!!

With that being said, there are also many other very attractive universities in Vienna and you will find that studying in Austria (including the day-to-day living costs) is actually much cheaper than when you would, for instance, think about studying in London or Paris.

If you do now to decide to do your whole Bachelor’s or Master’s in Vienna, the following links provide you with great information about the most important things like, a list of all the Austrian Universities (by rank), required travel documents and how to obtain your student visa, housing in Austria (specifically Vienna), local transportation, what to expect when getting to Austria as a student, student life in Vienna, and much more.

http://www.4icu.org/at/

http://www.central.edu/abroad/parents/supportDocs/ViennaStudentSurvivalGuide.pdf

http://www.austria.info/us/plan-your-trip/driving-regulations-in-austria-1084578.html

http://www.wu.ac.at/structure/about/publications/publ_pdfs/factsfigures.pdf

http://www.uniko.ac.at/index.php?lang=EN