Alpine Countries

Beauty resides in every nook and corner of the Alpine countries. They provide a unique cultural and artistic perspective. Austria is known for it's natural beauty and classical music. Germany is famous for its museums, historical sites, and snow sports. France is famous for its food, art, and the shopping experience it provides. Italy has some beautiful museums, galleries, churches, and cathedrals. Monaco has some beautiful beaches. Switzerland's unique cuisine and swiss chocolate is a must try. It is also famous for thrilling sports. From sports on land, to those in the water and even some up in the air, Switzerland has it all.

There are a variety of accomodation options in this region. There are many luxury chains and high - budget hotels in this region. If you're looking for a budget hotel you should book in advance. There are also some youth hostels. You could also rent a cabin if you want to spend some time with nature.

Some common ingredients are yogurt, cheese, sour cream, horseradish, onions, cabbage, eggs. Dishes are spiced with parsley, paprika and dill. Common meats include duck, goose, frogs, snails, lamb, mutton, quail, horse, beef, veal, pork, chicken, and turkey. Soups and stews are widely consumed in this region along with breads, sausages, and ground meat dishes. Coffee in this region is also quite exquisite.

Majority of the people are Roman Catholics. The langauge families of this region are Germanic, Slavic, and Romance languages. English is easily understood by the people of this region. So knowing English is sufficient if you're in the major cities. If you want to visit the small towns, learn a few basic phrases before you visit. Music is a large part of their culture and a lot of emphasis is placed on it.

Carry a copy of your travel documents at all times. Keep your passport in your hotel safe. Beware of pickpocketers in crowded places. Wear a money belt.

Visiotors ususally shop for jewellery, clothes, shoes, paintings, electronics, chocolates, wines, porcelain, coral products, pottery, leatherware, textiles etc. People usually do not bargain in shops where the prices are clearly marked. Things bought at malls and departmental stores can be quite expensive. There is also a tax that would be added so keep that in mind before your purchase. However, you can look for bargains at flea markets and food markets.

Vienna's Donauinselfest Festival is Europe's largest open air free music festival. Musicans perform music from a wide range of genres. This event attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. Germany has some of the best festivals for all the music lovers out there. The Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals are two rock festivals that take place simultaneously and last for three days to make sure that you have a rocking weekend. There is no better way to spending winter than attending Switzerland's Grindelwal'd Snow Festival where international artists make snow sculptures of animals, mythical creatures, and people. Paris's Fte de la Musique is an unforgetable experience which invites people to sing, dance, and dine. It's a great opportunity for people to showcase their talent. Venice's Carnevale is an important festival of Italy which features highly decorated man - made floats. People also have a food fight using oranges.

The Alpine countries are generally quite clean and the water is safe to drink. Make sure to be up to date on on routine vaccines including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot. Besides that, get vaccinated for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Rabies.

Dress according to weather. People of this region dress casually and are not too restrictive. Both men and women greet by shaking hands. Close friends kiss one another lightly on both cheeks, starting with the left cheek. It is not mandatory to tip your drivers and tour guides. Although, a 10% tip in restaurants is appreciated.