Das neue Bild Österreichs

“A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing.” This was Oscar Wilde’s judgement concerning atlases. If one looks through this book too quickly, one will not find utopia, but when taking enough time, the often exciting journey through Austrian ecology, biodiversity, land use, population, settlement areas and tourism indeed becomes a glance at near-utopia. The contrast between the alpine and non-alpine areas is always easy to see. Great variation within relatively small areas, diversity through altitude ranges and in cultural heritage are all characteristic of mountainous areas. Who doesn’t get lost in dreams of Arcadia or even of utopia? Nevertheless, the atlas presents details that are above all related to concrete places. Both the maps and the accompanying texts, which are supplemented with helpful illustrations including diagrams, tables and photos, are informative. Thus, while offering clear facts this volume remains appealing and entertaining.