20+ Interesting Facts About Austria

1. Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is located within the Alps and is highly mountainous. Only around 1/3^rd of its area is below 500 m (1,640 ft.).
2. The Austrian capital Vienna was declared the most livable city in the world in 2018 and 2019. Vienna achieved this position by scoring 99.1 points out of a total of 100. (Source)
3. Austria is the world’s first country to publish postcards. This European country introduced the first postcard in 1870.
4. A 19^th Century Austrian monk, Gregor Mendel, performed several experiments in his monastery garden between 1856 and 1863. His research included crossing pea plants of various colors, seed shapes, pod shapes, etc. These experiments and their results were first presented in 1865 and resulted in the advancement of modern genetics. Therefore, this Austrian monk is known as the father of modern genetics.
5. Austria is the birthplace of the world’s oldest existing daily newspaper, Weiner Zeitung. The initial year of publication of this Austrian government’s official gazette was 1703. (Source)
6. Austria is one of the few German-speaking countries in Europe. German is the national and official language of Austria.
7. Austria was the birthplace of German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. He moved from Austria to Germany in 1913 during his 20s. 

   

   Austria was the birthplace of Adolf Hitler

8. Sigmund Freud (founder of psychoanalysis) and Alfred Adler (founder of Individual Psychology) were Austrian nationals. Later, both immigrated to the USA in the 1930s due to their Jewish heritage.
9. The Tiergarten Schonbrunn in Vienna (Austria) is the oldest zoo in the world. It construction completed in 1752 when Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire. Apart from being the oldest, this Austrian zoo is also one of the best zoos in the world.
10. Eisriesenwelt in Austria is the largest ice cave in the world. This ice cave is 42 km long. Around 200,000 tourists visit Austria to see this spectacular ice cave every year. (Source)
11. Wurstelprater in Austria is the world’s 2^nd oldest amusement park. It was inaugurated in 1766 during the era of the Austrian Empire in Leopoldstadt, Austria. (Source)
12. The Allied powers divided Austria on 27^th April 1945 after Vienna Offensive during World War 2. Austria regained its independence on 27^th July 1955 after adopting the Austrian State Treaty.
13. Austria declared its “permanent neutrality” on 26^th October 1955, after the evacuation of all occupying countries. This day is marked as “National Day” in Austria.
14. Austria is one of the few European countries with conscription. This mandatory military service is for all fit male citizens aged up to 35 years.
15. Due to the mountainous terrain, Austria is an ideal location for winter sports. Innsbruck, a city in Austria, has hosted Winter Olympic Games twice, in 1964 and 1976. This city also hosted the 1^st Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012.
16. Around 57% of people in Austria are adherents of the Catholic Church. The total percentage of Christianity in Austria is roughly 70%. 
17. The famous energy drink “Red Bull” was developed in Austria in the 1980s. Today, this energy drink is available in 171 countries around the world. (Source) 
18. Baroness Bertha Sophie Felicita von Suttner, an Austrian, was the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She won that prize in 1905. (Source)
19. Austria has the second-best recycling rate in the world. The country has been separating recyclable and non-recyclable waste since the 1980s. (Source)
    
20. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a famous American actor and politician, is originally from Austria. He was born on 30^th July 1930 in Thal, Austria.
21. Donauinselfest, held in the Austrian capital Vienna, is the largest music festival in the world. More than 3 million people attended this festival in 2016. (Source)