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Austria dates back to the Celts and the Roman Empire who both occupied the area, along with other peoples, for centuries one after the other. It wasn’t until the early 9th century, however, that Charlemagne established the Ostmark territory and the Danube Valley became largely Germanic.

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The Habsburgs successfully saw off Turkish sieges in the 1500s and 1600s, as well as religious strife and disease, and in the 17th and 18th centuries they totally transformed Vienna, building many magnificent structures that included palaces, churches, cathedrals, and a slew of stately homes.

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Other parts of the empire were also lost to neighbouring countries, such as Italy, Poland, and Yugoslavia. An ally of Nazi Germany during WWII, Vienna was made provincial capital in the German Reich and Austria’s Jewish community was annihilated.

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This culture also extends to rural regions and into the mountains where world class ski resorts have grown as a result of hard work, a love for the outdoors and, of course, the obvious allure of the tourist dollar.

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