Austria offers urban sophistication and rustic simplicity, excellent restaurants and music festivals, towering mountains and green valleys, and spectacular winter snow.

The Alps curve across the country, sparing only sections in the southern and eastern regions. Lush valleys flank the river courses, the most famous of which is the Danube, Europe's longest river. Austria's other rivers—the Inn, the Ill, and the Drau—and its many lakes are beautiful.

A paradise for students who enjoy the outdoors, Austria is synonymous with skiing, both downhill and cross-country. Winter delights also include ice-skating, curling, tobogganing, and rides in horse-drawn sleighs. In summer, residents and  Two Worlds United students alike stroll, hike, or ride on horseback or on mountain bikes. Challenging mountaineering treks are offered near all major peaks, and almost every town or hamlet provides guided hikes and alpine tours. Golf and tennis are also popular, as are trout fishing and water sports—such as swimming, sailing, and wind surfing—in the lake districts.

Away from the capital of Vienna and other major towns, daily life has preserved old-world rhythms and customs. Natural geologic barriers have divided the country into distinct regions where local people have evolved in relative isolation and fostered their own cultural traditions. These unique flavors are still in evidence today.