First Impressions 7linking this province with Tyrol, Vorarlberg was practically
cut off from the rest of Austria during the winter months.
Over the centuries, it had forged close ties with neighbouring
Switzerland. Thus, customs, homes and food in Vorarlberg
are similar to those found in that country. The traditional
dress, which is not commonly worn today, also differs from
the Trachten worn throughout the rest of Austria. This is
especially true of the hats, which include wide black straw
hats, fur hats and cone-shaped hats. Also, the German they
speak is much closer to Swiss German than to the German
spoken in the rest of Austria.
Tyrol is a unique province known for snow-covered
mountains, winter sports, folk customs and tourism. The
inhabitants speak a dialect that may be difficult for other
German-speakers to understand, and their customs and
clothing differ greatly from the rest of the country. Even so,
there are marked differences within Tyrol itself. Prior to World
War II, Tyrol was a much larger area encompassing Südtirol
(Southern Tyrol). Austria was forced to cede this area to Italy
in 1919, yet the region remains culturally closer to Austrian
Tyrol than to the rest of Italy. As a result of the change in
borders, East Tyrol became geographically separated from
the rest of Austrian Tyrol and it remained somewhat isolated
until the Felbertauern tunnel was built in 1967. Thus, it has
closer ties to the neighbouring province of Carinthia than to
the rest of Tyrol. Furthermore, the Ausserfern, a small part
of Tyrol, shares much more with Vorarlberg and Swabia,
Germany, due to its geography.
The Salzburg region did not become part of Austria
until 1816. Originally part of Bavaria, in the 14th century,
it became an independent entity within the Holy Roman
Empire and was ruled by prince-archbishops as absolute
sovereigns. Thus, people from this province consider
themselves citizens of Salzburg first and Austrians second.
The region gets its name from the salt that has been mined
here for centuries. The capital city of Salzburg, known the
world over as the birthplace of Mozart, is a very important
cultural centre, noted for its museums, musical performances,
theatres and festivals.