Austria:
Known for it's mountainous scenery and idealyic escapes, much of it's splendor is also attributable to an unlost connectioin with the country's intricate past. Immaculate homes once belonging to the Habsburg dynasty are explorable at leisure by traversing the streets in Vienna. The Habsburg origin traces back to the 12th century from a self proclaimed name by Otto II of Klettgau, Germany who derived the legendary moniker from his affinity for the name of a Swiss castle that was built around 1020 AD.
The Klettgau rule, under it's acquired proper name of Habsburg, led a powerful position in the region through the 11th, 12, and 13th centuries and the then current ancestory chose to move the house's location to Archduchy of Austria. Rudolph of Habsburg had become King of the Holy Roman Empire in 1452 and the ruling power over present day Austria remotely continued until 1918. Seperation of ancesteral lines weakened the territorial dominance of the vast Holy Roman Empire under the Habsburg for many centuries to follow as a result of power grabs and intervention by foreign armies. The House of Habsburg however, continued to be a reckognized diplomatic sight where subsequent emperorors were coronated. Today, numerous historical treasures remain to be seen throughout the noveau ambiance of the country's capital. A culture of diverse types exist including a recent emergence of Orthodox Jewish imigrants along with the artists, artisans and professionals all exhaulted by the pleasure of their surrondings.