Austrian Folk 47Families tend to stay in one place all their lives, which makes
the passing on of a house or apartment more common than
in more mobile societies.
Vacations
All Austrians believe in their vacation time, which is usually
about five to six weeks a year. Depending on their interests,
many go skiing for a week in February, go away for a week
to ten days during Easter, take two to three weeks during the
summer, and perhaps a week or so at Christmas time. Those
with families tend not to leave Austria for their vacations.
They would rather go skiing locally and spend the rest of their
vacation time at their second home in the countryside or in
the mountains. Of those who do travel, many go to the seaside
in Italy, Croatia or even Spain (popular spots include Mallorca
and the Canary Islands), especially in the summer. Other
popular destinations include Greece, Tunisia and Turkey.
Singles and couples usually travel far and wide, from
the Americas to Australia, Asia and Africa. They enjoy the
exotic culture, new language and different food. One often
sees billboards advertising documentaries on faraway lands,
enticing people to travel more.
The much-loved Kleingärten (garden lot) is visited frequently in the summer
or lived on year-round.