Austria, the land of the Alps, the Sound of Music, the Danube River, Johann Strauss, Mozart and grand architecture is a romantic and historic country, a wonderful place to tour and relax among the cozy inns and coffeehouses in Vienna and among the rolling green hills of Salzburg. Landlocked in the heart of Europe, Austria runs from the Alps in the west down to Vienna and the Danube in the east.

For six centuries it was the heart of the Hapsburg Empire, which at its peak included what is now Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic along with much of Romania, Bulgaria and the Balkans. The country’s imperial architecture is particularly striking in its capital of Vienna with Baroque style palaces and churches, and grand ballrooms where Strauss waltzes still are played and danced to.

One of the largest growing niches in the travel industry today is faith-based travel. It is estimated to be a $1 billion industry. From international travel, to travel cruises to religious based-theme parks, believers are wanting to enrich their faith and meet others who are also looking to cultivate their faith. Faith-based travel is exactly that, travel with an emphasis on religion. There are group tours, cruises, and destinations for anyone from any religion to not only learn about an area of interest but to meet others from similar backgrounds or similar beliefs and to enjoy that common-bond.