Sales professionals looking for new and exciting pastures will find that Austria offers a near-perfect blend: fascinating and diverse places of interest; a great standard of living; exciting activities available during the day; a buzzing night life; and a very sizeable expat community.

Austria is a fairly small country, with an area of only 83,850 square kilometres. But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in beauty and character.

The nation is a captivating blend of stunning landscapes, enthralling cultural traditions, 1000-year-old treasures, friendly people… and is ideally located in the heart of Europe, surrounded by eight countries.

The country’s northern regions are relatively flat, while much of the country is mountainous. Geographically in the core of Europe, Austria is renowned for its fantastic ski resorts, set on spectacular mountains; its lush green valleys; and its pristine lakes.

Nine Provinces

The country is comprised of nine provinces:

• Vorarlberg
• Tyrol
• Salzburg
• Carinthia
• Styria
• Upper Austria
• Lower Austria
• Burgenland
• Vienna

The provinces of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Vienna, and Burgenland are located in the Danube Valley. The other five provinces are part of the eastern foothills of the Alps. Austria's most heavily populated province is Vienna.

Seven of the nine provinces have long traditions that predate the establishment of the Republic of Austria in 1918: Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg. Burgenland and Vienna were established later.

A prosperous nation, Austria borders the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lichtenstein, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. The nation’s official language is German, and English is spoken widely.

Austria has a strong market economy and a superior standard of living. This is partly due to that fact that – since its membership in the EU in 1995 – the country has seen an influx of foreign investors.

The nation boasts very well developed transportation systems via rail, air, water, and highway. As a non-coastal, mountainous country, Austria depends on rail passage for a major share of its foreign trade.

Doing Business in Austria

With its steady economic, political and social settings and high development rate, Austria provides a very advantageous investment locale. In addition, investors are attracted to Austria due to fairly recent – and favourable – changes to legal and tax structures. The country maintains a high level of foreign trade. Many sources also cite other superior advantages of investing in Austria, including its strategic geographical location for business with Central and Eastern Europe. Austria's economy is considered healthy and very robust, and offers excellent opportunities for export businesses, joint ventures, and investment overall.

Architectural Wonders

The country is the definition of impressive architectural diversity – with monuments and buildings ranging in styles from elaborate baroque to current-day modern.

Austria’s capital – Vienna – provides a roadmap for its architectural and historical legacies, in such places as its ornate Opera House and the former residence of the Habsburgs, one of the major ruling houses of Europe from the 13th century through the early 1900s.

Vienna is a city rich in history and traditions. Highlights of the city include the well-known St. Stephen's Cathedral and ‘Figarohaus', where Mozart stayed and composed the opera ‘Marriage of Figaro’.

Austria’s other cities reflect similar historical magic - notably Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, and Innsbruck, in the centre of the Austrian Alps.

Having said that, the country is known for much, much, more than only its architecture and history. Austria has a well-merited reputation for music, literature, the arts, and gourmet traditions. And there are many symbols for which Austria is known the world over, including the glorious Lipizzaner stallions and the exquisite Vienna Boys Choir.

Many agree that Austria is internationally best recognized for its musical talents. The country is the birthplace of countless celebrated composers, including Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Strauss, Sr., Anton Bruckner, Joseph Haydn, Johann Strauss, Jr. and Gustav Mahler.

And, of course, you can yodel to your heart’s content there!

Gemütlichkeit

Gemütlichkeit – loosely defined as “the notion of belonging, social acceptance, cheerfulness, the absence of anything hectic” – is clearly practiced in the country’s many cafes, where the art of coffee-drinking has been raised to a fine art. Heuriger – wine bars – are also widespread, and offer an eclectic selection of vintages, accompanied by considerable quantities of good food.

Widely known as an ideal winter sport locale, Austria – called the ‘cradle of Alpine skiing’ - offers extraordinary slopes and resorts for the sport, as well as snowboarding, ice skating and sledding.

Many consider Skiing in Austria as second to none. The Austrian Tyrol, Arlberg and Land Salzburg are just a few of the many superior ski destinations. All offer captivating and awe-inspiring skiing, as well as a wealth of other leisurely pastimes.

For the warmer months, there are loads of open air concerts and other performances, as well as popular open air cinemas. Year-round, the country also provides a host of social activities, including opera, theatre, swimming, amusement parks, scenic walking trails and museums.

In terms of the seasons, while summer and winter attract the most visitors to the country, spring and fall offer extremely pleasant weather and breathtaking natural sights.

Austria has a population of about eight million people, which includes a very large expat community of approximately 740,000. Expats widely exalt their stints in Austria – with most stating they would happily return, given the opportunity.

Let the yodelling begin!

For further information about Austria we recommend that you visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria where you will find many useful links and informative articles to prepare you for your move.