Celebrating Austrian National Day: That’s why we love Austria!

There are many reason why we love Austria. Living overseas we see our beloved country from a different perspective. Sometimes more critical, sometimes more sentimental but end of the day we love Austria because our roots are there and will ever be!

We would love to show what makes Austria so special however we only can point out some of the highlights otherwise it would become an almost never ending series.

Today it’s : SALZBURG, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a genius musician and composer. But Mozart is only one of many besides Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert , Strauss and Mahler to name a few.

It was one Hollywood movie that finally put Salzburg on international travel itinerraries,

“THE SOUND OF MUSIC”. Needless to say that there are organized 'Sound of Music Tours’ to show visitors some of the sites used in the movie.

Frohnburg Castle, when Maria arrived at Villa von Trapp.

The glasshouse (which was actually shipped from Hollywood to Salzburg). You can find it in the park of Schloss Hellbrunn, just a few miles outside of Salzburg.

Below is Nonnberg Abbey, the actual abbey where the real Maria von Trapp was a novice  as well as where the abbey scenes in the movie were filmed.

Of course everyone remembers the dramatic scene where the Von Trapps had to flee from the Nazis during the singing competition. It was the Cemetery of St. Peter

Of course Mozart and The Sound of Music sites aren’t all they are to see in Salzburg. There are also a bunch of castles, fortresses and churches.
And then there is the city of Salzburg

Getreidegasse

and not to forget the “Christkindlmarkt” (christmas market) in Dezember

The picture of Salzburg wouldn’t be complete without the picturesque surrounding mountains, lakes and villages such as St. Wolfgang or Hallstatt which are worth spending your time exploring.

Ice skating on Lake St. Wolfgang

Hallstatt in province Upper Austria about an hours away from Salzburg

And this concludes our trip to Salzburg.
Come back to see more of Austria’s beauty.

  

Happy National Day Austria

Today Austria is celebrating its „everlasting neutrality“ which was decided by the Austrian government on 26. October 1955.
It has been the national holiday day since 26. Oktober 1965 and a public holiday since 1967.

Most national days worldwide are related to historical events from the 20 th century. On the one hand that idea of a nation is not very old (ca. End of 18. Century ) on the other hand 2 world wars, the end of colonial supremacy and the fall of the Eastern bloc made arise new states.

One of the oldest national days is celebrated in Switzerland which celebrates the founding of their “Eidgenossenschaft“ on August 1. of 1291!
Their newly founded independence (with just few anniversaries) is celebrated by some Austrian neighbors , the Eastern European countries withe „youngest“ being Kosovo, on February 17. 2008. Slowenia is celebrating since June 25, 1991, as well as Croatia. Bosnia- Herzegowina celebrates March 1 as their day of independence since 1992.
Slovakia honors on January 1, the 1993 performed separation from Czechia. The Czechs however kept their original day of founding Czechoslovacia (October 28. 1918) despite their brake up.
Germans raise their glasses on October 3 the "Tag der Deutschen Einheit" (day of German unity) which is only 19 years old.
The Brits are most flexible: They celebrate the Queens birthday always on the 2. Saturday in June –due to the weather- although Queen Elizabeth II. was born on April 21. The Irish "St. Patricks Day" March 17 honors the obit of the national saint, St. Patrick.
July 4. the "Declaration of Independence" in 1776 is the National Day in the USA.