If studying in the Alps appeals to you, a Summer Study Abroad in Austria program will land you there in a warm time of year. Located near Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein, there are a variety of cultural and historical influences, several languages and different ecoregions in this beautiful country. Studying in Austria definitely warrants some thoughtful reflection.

Why Consider a Summer Study Abroad in Austria?

If you have thought about visiting the Alps you may not have contemplated going there in summer, although this time of year lends itself really well to exploring all that this country has to offer. If you are looking for a country with art, architecture, music, culture, history, foreign language and a variety of stunning landscapes, a Summer Study Abroad in Austria will likely be unforgettable.

FUN FACT: Greetings in Austria : 'hello' is 'Guten Tag' 'Bye’ is ‘Tschuss!’

Languages

Studies show that learning multiple languages is important when it comes to getting a job in the global marketplace[i]. The official language in Austria is Austrian German, but you hear other local languages as well (Hungarian, Burgenland, Croatian, Slovene)[ii]

Hiking and Nature

Do you like the outdoors? Take a breathtaking hike along some legendary trails. Vorarlberg in Tirol has a 125kn hiking trail along the River Lech. Pace yourself. Austria has 6 National Parks, around 60 nature preserves and nature parks[iii]. Basically, you can see gorges, tranquil rivers, waterfalls and of course, larger than life mountain ranges.

Just for the Ecology of it

Austria is a country with ecological diversity – there are four ecoregions: the Central European mixed forests, Pannonian mixed forests, Alps conifer and mixed forests and Western European broadleaf forests.[iv]

The Sound of Music

The movie may be before your time, but Austria is in fact the birthplace of famous composers such as Johann Strauss, Franz Liszt, Michael Haydn…and of course, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg. Imagine studying music here! Vienna is actually considered the “City of Music”[v]

Festivals

Summer is a great time to take in free concerts and events. Example – in June the Vienna Philharmonic performs in the open air

Some Great Minds Were Here

Austria has always had a reputation for producing economists (Carl Menger) scientists (Christian Doppler), philosophers (Lutwig Wittgenstein), innovators in medicine and psychology. Lest we forget, Austria was home to Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler and Viktor Frankl. While a Summer Study Abroad in Austria doesn’t guarantee this level of brilliance will rub off on you, one could surely be inspired by the legacy of brilliance. In fact, you can dream that it does– Vienna is called “The City of Dreams” [vi]

Castles and Culture

The Viennese Waltz emerged from Austria in the later 18th century. This is the country of palaces and castles like the Schoss Esterhazy that you can tour to get a sense of the culture and history that is often depicted in movies and books. Museums are fantastic too. Native artists include Gustav Klimt, and Ferdinand Georg Walmuller.

Foodie

From savory to sweet, food is also something to be experienced. Explore  Vienna’s coffee houses, try a plate of wiener schnitzel, gorge on apfelstrudel. Austria is home of the Sacher Torte, a yummy type of chocolate cake invented by Franz Sacher so there’s that. Or you may end up meeting friends for a beer in a local tavern. Hopefully your grades are good and you can go out and celebrate with a glass of Austrian Sekt (sparkling wine)

Finding a Study Abroad in Austria Program

There are different things you can search for with the help of the StudyAbroad.com navigation menu. For instance, you can use the ‘select a city’ tab to view program possibilities in cities like Salzburg, Vienna or Innsbruck among others. You can also search by choosing a specific subject, such as business and management or music.

Studying abroad in Austria during the summer term may be a superlative experience. The breadth of nature in Austria lends itself to outdoor exploration. Beyond valuable classroom learning, most programs also an itinerary of sightseeing, field trips for onsite research and time off for you to nurture your other interests. Continued success as you Summer Study Abroad in Austria, the land of music and dreams…

[i] usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2014/01/29/the-business-benefits-of-learning-a-foreign-language |[ii] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria |[iii] austria.info/us/activities/walking-hiking |[iv] /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria |[v] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna |[vi] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viennese_Waltz | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sachertorte |