Land of the Blue Danube

Austria is a small beautiful country in central Europe. Most of Austria is covered with woods and meadows, so it looks quite lush and green. The lowland forests are filled with beech, birch, and oak. Fir trees cover most of the foothills,rift gold while high up on the mountains grow larch and stone pines.

Roaming in the forests are wild animals such as brown bears, deer, hares, foxes, and badgers. The birds of the meadows and woods include eagles, falcons, owls, and storks. The Danube River drains almost the entire country, and the main lakes are Lake Constance and Neusiedler Lake.The chain of mountains called the Alps stretches across the country for nearly 340 miles from east to west. The highest peak, called Grossglockner, is 12,457 feet above sea level.
Austria has so many mountains that only about half the land is good for farming. Austria attracts visitors with much more than scenery. Those who enjoy winter sports head for the many ski resorts in the Alps. Fans of theater and music rift gold flock to Salzburg every summer for a festival of plays and concerts. Music written by the great Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is often performed at the Salzburg Festival. Austria can satisfy not only the eyes and ears but also the appetite. Pastries such as the chocolate Sacher torte are among its most famous products.