We came across this fantastic BBC article “How Vienna built a gender equal city“, published May 24th, 2021 and written by Noele Illien.
“The Austrian capital has grand aims of being an inclusive and gender-neutral destination”. We highly encourage you to read this article! We are proud of the City of Vienna to take steps in this direction.
We are excited to start sharing podcasts about Austria on this page. Are you a tourist visiting this beautiful country? Or maybe even an Austrian who is looking for something special? We encourage you to listen in to our podcasts for some special tips! If you are looking for more general information, we highly recommend browsing the Austrian Tourism website.
On this page we will be sharing the latest Austrian COVID-19 news.
Update June 23rd, 2021:
Article on orf.at about travel restrictions for people coming to Austria from the US.
Website updates regarding traveling to Austria.
Update June 21st, 2021:
Interesting article on orf.at: So funktioniert der „Grüne Pass“
ORF.AT is in general a very good option to find out details about openings and travel requirements.
Update February 10th, 2021:
Change of the travel regulations – for more information go to the website of the “Bundesministerium für Europäische und Internationale Angelegenheiten” (currently only available in German)
Update January 15th, 2021:
MANDATORY PRE-TRAVEL CLEARANCE
As of January, 15, 2021, 12:00 am (CET), travelers must register online before entering Austria (Pre-Travel Clearance – PTC) at www.oesterreich.gv.at. Form available in English and German.
We put together a list of websites that will give you up to date information regarding the status of COVID in Austria:
Guest blog by Monika McCarter
With an enormous variety of landscapes, Colorado boasts some of the most impressive and gorgeous scenery in the country, but one does not have to travel to the high country to enjoy some the state’s finest views.
Being located relatively close to the greater Denver metro area, there are a number of parks and hiking destinations that are especially charming and attractive to all. These destinations are ideal for tourists, and even elderly visitors need not embark on any strenuous hikes or long car rides to get a taste of Colorado’s beautiful scenery.
Our first destination brings us to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Florissant.
The easiest way to get there is by taking I-25 South to Colorado Springs, then proceeding to Highway 24 West towards Woodland Park, and from there, continuing to the town of Florissant.
Photo credit: https://www.nps.gov/
The monument is the site of rich and extremely diverse fossil deposits along with a variety of petrified redwood tree stumps. The visitor center is a great starting point to get an overview of the site before heading out to explore.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument offers beautiful, sweeping views of the surrounding countryside and mountains, with a number of trails to choose from. The petrified forest loop is a short, easy-to-walk hike, where one will have the opportunity to stand in the presence of ancient tree stumps from Earth’s past. This hike leads through a meadow, which millions of years ago was a large lake, and offers a beautiful and quaint stroll for visitors. Should any visitor be curious about the site’s history and geology, trails are equipped with signs that provide additional information about each site.
Being particularly beautiful in early summer when local wildflowers are in full bloom, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is assuredly a gorgeous destination to enjoy easy hikes. It is suggested that visitors bring and enjoy lunch on the available picknick tables along the trails.
Next as a must-see destination is Roxborough State Park, which is located roughly 20 miles south of Denver.
The best way to get there is by taking C-470 to the Wadsworth Boulevard exit and heading west for about 7 miles.
Picture credit: Wikipedia
Roxborough State Park is a magnificent location where Colorado’s golden plains meet the awe-inspiring majesty of the Rocky Mountains. The dramatic, red sandstone formations offer breathtaking views, especially against the backdrop of a true blue, cloudless, Colorado day. It’s visitor center also screens a film on the history of the park for visitors and offers all sorts of hands-on information.
For the hikers among us, Roxborough State Park has a number of trails ranging from easy to moderate with some elevation gain, with the highest point in the park reaching an altitude of roughly 7,300ft. The park is of course home to all sorts of wildlife such as coyotes, elk, deer, bear, and mountain lions. On a hot summer day, one might even catch a glimpse of a rattle snake, which also calls the park home.
Another interesting feature of the park is the historic Waterhouse Homestead, which gives one an idea about life in this part of Colorado many years ago.
As an additional benefit, Roxborough State Park does not favor a particular season, as Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer each offer a unique beauty any visitor is sure to enjoy, no matter what time of year.
The last park on our list brings us to Staunton State Park, located close to the town of Conifer.
To get there from Denver, simply take Highway 285 south about 6 miles past the town of Conifer.
Staunton State park opened its gates in 2013, and was donated to the state by Frances Staunton, to whom the original homestead and now park belonged.
The granite rock and boulder formations at Staunton are truly stunning and are nestled among meadows and forested trails. The elevation in the park ranges from about 8,000ft to approximately 10,000ft.
Staunton State Park is home to variety of trails which boast beautiful views of high meadows covered with wildflowers in early summer, and impressive mountain views year-round.
Elk Falls Trail, a favorite destination in the park, leads to a beautiful waterfall, but is only accessible via a 12-mile hiking trail. Of a more moderate caliber is the historic cabin trail, where one can get a glimpse of Frances Staunton’s original homestead cabins.
There are plenty if spots for a picnic lunch amidst the mountainous setting. Staunton State Park also includes plenty of spots to stop and enjoy a picnic lunch amongst awe-inspiring mountain views.
Although Staunton State Park is somewhat further away from the Denver metro area, it is well worth the drive to explore the numerous trails and rugged environment of this park.
Photo credit: Go Hike Colorado
The ability to adapt to uncertainty, meaning not being able to predict the future, not being in control, prompted new behaviors and demanded for adaptation and at times drastic change in Austria like anywhere else.
Regarding the political reaction to the pandemic, restrictions came early and were extremely rigorous. The public would not have co-operated and accepted the strict measures, had it not seen the worrying pictures and concerning data from neighboring Italy.
Additionally the “Ischgl-Gate” and other ski resorts in the Tyrolean Alps made it clear how rapid the exponential growth of the virus really was. In comparison, the capital of Vienna with, around 2 million inhabitants, accounted for roughly 2,300 (officially) infected cases. A proof of a strong West-East gradient.
It appears that “The Hammer and the Dance “ has been extremely well followed. The chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, very quickly and unmistakably stated: “Soon each one of us will know of someone who died from the virus“. Austrians accepted and understood this martial warning. Soon thereafter the people started to waltz again, a small relaxation of measures here, another exception there.
Kurz united the majority of Austrians under the idea of protecting everyone’s health and economical stability. Balancing Life and Livelihood. Concrete information, including negative information, has been communicated in a crystal clear and honest way. Informing the public via daily press-conferences about processes, expectations, and consequences including back-up plans outlining what will happen if plans should not develop as expected.
The general public was never under the impression that they had been insufficiently informed. This culture of honesty and trust enabled everyone to think, talk, share, and make informed decisions.
From a medical point of view, Austria has different prerequisites than neighboring Italy or Spain. Over the past 40 years considerable investment went towards the health care system. It could very well be the trust in this system that is the reason for the notorious Austrian “Gemütlichkeit“. Even if Austrians love to whine and complain, deep down they trust and know that all will be fine and that the system will back them.
The acceptance of authority (in this case of a young and charismatic Sebastian Kurz) enveloped varieties of interaction. No Anti-lockdown protests occurred like in various other countries and even those who did not vote for Kurz, accepted his leadership.
It might be worthwhile to mention that the patience and acceptance rate of the public may be explained by the spatial and geographical structure of the country. Austria is still a rural country. Even in Vienna, the only large city, numerous green spaces prevail, including parks, the so-called “Schrebergärten“ (similar to community gardens), the surrounding Vienna woods, fields and bike paths along the Danube.
If you have exciting news to share that might be fitting for this page, please send our marketing team an email for consideration.
