Exploring Austria's Southern Neighbor: Which Country Lies Directly South?

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe, surrounded by several countries, including one to its south. To the south of Austria lies Slovenia, which shares a 330km (210mi) border with its neighbour.

Austria shares a 251-mile border with Italy to its south

Austria is bordered by several countries, including Germany to the northwest, the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia to the northeast, Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. To its south, Austria shares a 251-mile border with Italy.

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, with its capital, Vienna, being the most populous city and state. The country occupies an area of 83,879 square kilometres (32,386 square miles) and has a population of around 9 million.

Austria's landscape is largely mountainous, with the Austrian Alps forming the physical backbone of the country. The country can be divided into three unequal geographical areas. The largest part (62%) is occupied by the relatively young mountains of the Alps, while the remaining landscape includes parts of the Pannonian plain in the east and the Bohemian Forest in the north.

The Alps, which cast a long shadow over the country, make many areas of Austria uninhabitable. The higher and broader the Alpine valleys are, the more populated they become. As a result, the country as a whole is one of the least densely populated states in Western and Central Europe.

The contrast between the two lakes that bookend the country—Lake Constance in the west and the Neusiedler See in the east—illustrates the diversity of Austria's landscape. Lake Constance, shared with Germany and Switzerland, is nestled in the Alps, while the Neusiedler See, shared with Hungary, is a typical steppe lake on the Hungarian Plain.

The countries share the Birnlucke border pass between the Zillertal Alp and Venediger Group

The Birnlücke Pass is a border pass between the Zillertal Alps and the Venediger Group, two mountain ranges in the Central Eastern Alps. The pass forms the border between the Austrian state of Salzburg and the Italian province of South Tyrol, as well as the valleys of the Krimmler Achental and Ahrntal, and the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park and Hohe Tauern National Park.

The Birnlücke Pass is located at an elevation of 2,665 metres above sea level and marks the western end of the Hohe Tauern mountains. The border between Austria and Italy has run through this pass since 1919. The name "Birnlücke" is derived from the old name for the stream in the Ahrn valley, which was called the Pirra or Birlbach. The Italian name for the pass is "Forcella del Picco".

The Zillertal Alps are located in the Austrian state of Tyrol and extend into Italy's South Tyrol province. This mountain range is characterised by majestic mountains and magnificent scenery, forming part of the high Alps. The Zillertal Alps also border the Kitzbühel Alps to the north and the Venediger Group to the west.

The Venediger Group, also known as the "Venedigergruppe" in German, is a mountain range within the Central Eastern Alps. It forms the main ridge of the High Tauern, together with the Granatspitze Group, the Glockner Group, the Goldberg Group, and the Ankogel Group. The Venediger Group includes well-known peaks such as the Großvenediger, which rises to 3,657 metres above sea level and gives its name to the group. This mountain range is located in both Austria and Italy, with considerable parts belonging to the core zone of the High Tauern National Park.

The Birnlücke Pass serves as a link between the Zillertal Alps and the Venediger Group, connecting these two mountain ranges that share a border. This pass is not only a geographical feature but also holds cultural and historical significance for the region, as it has been a part of the border between Austria and Italy for over a century.

Other border passes include Timmelsjoch, Staller Saddle, Reschen Pass, Plocken Pass, and Hochjoch

Italy lies directly south of Austria. Other border passes between the two countries include Timmelsjoch, Staller Saddle, Reschen Pass, Plocken Pass, and Hochjoch.

Timmelsjoch

Timmelsjoch is a high alpine road in Tyrol, which is usually open between May and October.

Staller Saddle

Staller Saddle is a high mountain pass in the High Tauern range of the Central Eastern Alps, at 2,052 m (6,732 ft). It connects the Defereggen Valley in East Tyrol with the Antholz Valley in South Tyrol and separates the Villgraten Mountains from the Rieserferner Group. The pass road is narrow on the Italian side and is open only from May to October, with specific timings for traffic towards and from Austria.

Reschen Pass

Reschen Pass is a mountain pass across the main chain of the Alps, connecting the Upper Inn Valley in the northwest with the Vinschgau region in the southeast. The pass summit is at a height of 1,504 m (4,934 ft) and is completely on Italian territory. The village of Reschen is located on the shore of the Reschensee reservoir, which is famous for its bell tower emerging from the water.

Plocken Pass

Plocken Pass is a high mountain pass in the Carnic Alps mountain range at the border between the Austrian state of Carinthia and the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. It links the market town of Kötschach-Mauthen in the Carinthian Gail Valley with the Paluzza municipality in the Carnia region of Friuli. The Italian name, Passo di Monte Croce Carnico, is derived from the Latin Monte Crucis, meaning "mountain of the cross".

Hochjoch

Hochjoch-Schruns is a ski resort in Austria, in the Vorarlberg region. It has 11 lifts and offers a vertical descent of 1,680 m (5,512 ft). The resort is suitable for beginners, with some terrain for intermediates.

Austria and Italy are separated by the Eastern Alpine mountain range

Another important pass is Birnlucke, which forms the boundary between the valleys of Ahrntal and Krimmler Achental in South Tyrol, Italy, and the Zillertal Alp and Venediger Group in Salzburg, Austria. Before the Schengen Treaty, people would cross the border at the Krimmler Tauern checkpoint. Other notable passes include Timmelsjoch, Staller Saddle, Reschen Pass, Plocken Pass, and Hochjoch.

The Alps are a prominent feature of both countries' landscapes. In Austria, the Central Alps are the largest and highest range, consisting of a granite base. The Central Alps include the Ötztal Alps on the Tyrolean-Italian border and the High Tauern in East Tyrol and Carinthia. The Northern and Central Alps generally become lower the further east they run. The Southern Alps, on the Carinthia-Slovenia border, are predominantly limestone and dolomite.

The highest mountain in Austria is the Großglockner, which rises to 3,797m. The Grossglockner is part of the Alpine landscape, which offers a complex geological and topographical pattern.

The Brenner Pass is a principal pass through the Alps, connecting Germany and Italy

The Brenner Pass has been used as a transport route for thousands of years. The Romans regularised the mountain pass, which had already been in frequent use during the prehistoric era since the most recent Ice Age. The first Roman road to cross the Brenner Pass was built in the 2nd century AD. During the High Middle Ages, the Brenner Pass was part of the important Via Imperii, an imperial road linking the Kingdom of Germany north of the Alps with the Italian March of Verona.

In the modern era, the Brenner Pass remains a crucial transport route. The central section of the pass covers a four-lane motorway and railway tracks connecting Bozen/Bolzano in the south and Innsbruck to the north. The motorway E45 (European designation; in Italy A22, in Austria the A13), Brenner Autobahn/Autostrada del Brennero, begins in Innsbruck, runs through the Brenner Pass, Bozen/Bolzano, Verona and finishes outside Modena. It is one of the most important routes for north-south connections in Europe.

The Brenner Pass is also the site of the Europabrücke (Europe Bridge), a large concrete bridge carrying the six-lane Brenner Autobahn over the valley of the Sill River. Completed in 1963, the bridge is 180 metres (590 feet) high and 820 metres (2,690 feet) long.

Due to the high volume of traffic using the Brenner Pass, there are plans to upgrade the railway from Verona to Innsbruck with a series of tunnels, including the Brenner Base Tunnel underneath Brenner.

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