Innsbruck, Austria

Located in the heart of Tyrol Mountains, Innsbruck is an important crossroads between Germany and Italy. A compact city of that offers the best of both worlds, that is the gateway to some of the best ski centers in the Alps which is very popular during the winter, and many activities like white water rafting to enjoy during the summer months.

The Winter Olympics were held Innsbruck twice, first in 1964 and then in 1976 when the Denver, Colorado, voters rejected referendum bonds to finance matches.Innsbruck is the center of picturesque medieval city in Austria with many monuments and buildings, and a surprising selection of restaurants and bars as a mountain backdrop. Awesome city!

Some interesting facts about Austria:

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria.

Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of 'Porsche' company, was an Austrian.

Many world famous composers, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Liszt, J. Strauss, Mahler and Bruckner, were Austrian.

The sewing machine was invented by Josef Madersperger, an Austrian.

Vienna became the capital in the twelfth century

The Sound of Music is based on the true story of the Von Trapp family and their escape from Nazi Austria.

Gregor Johann Mendel (1822-1884), the biologist and botanist, established the basis of modern genetics. Mendel was born in Hyncice in the present-day Czech Republic; at the time of Mendel's birth Hyncice was within the Austrian Empire.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the famous psychologist and the forefather of modern-day psychology and psychoanalysis, became professor at the University of Vienna in 1902.

Marie-Antoinette, the wife of France's King Louis XVI, was the daughter of Marie Theresa the Habsburg ruler of Austria.

Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was an Austrian philosopher who taught at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous Hollywood actor, was born in Thal in Austria, close to Graz. In 2003 Schwarzenegger became the thirty-eighth Governor of California in the USA.

The German name for Austria is Osterreich which means Eastern Empire. This refers to the time when Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire.

When driving in Austria, pay attention to the speed limits. 130 km/hour on highways, 100 km/hour on A-roads and 50 km/hour in the cities and villages.

Almost 90% of the population speak German, which is also the official language.

Austria has a strong economy with machinery, metallurgical products and textiles being of particular importance. The country's most important industry, however is tourism.

Austria is located in a temperate climatic zone with a Central European climate influenced by the Atlantic climate. The four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter) each have typical temperature and climatic characters.

73.6 percent of all Austrians are Catholic, 12 percent follow no religion, 4.7 percent are Protestants, 4.2 percent Muslims, and 4.2 percent follow other religions.

My buwis-buhay white water rafting experience.

and Coldie the Lesbo!


The Italian Job and The Tourist on my next post. :)