Austria is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe. Most of the west, centre, and south of the country is made up of the eastern Alps, which extend uninterrupted from Switzerland and Italy.

In Austria the higher peaks rise to over 3,700 m/12,000 ft and are snow-covered throughout the year. The Alps are dissected by deep valleys, however, so that very different climatic and weather conditions occur over quite short distances.