[have_faith]

Why would that prevent them from having a small navy? Assuming some country is happy for them to pay to have a port somewhere. Although they don't it wouldn't surprise me much to learn that they did have one despite being land-locked.

[michaelt]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navies_of_landlocked_countries

Bolivia has been landlocked since 1904, but has a navy with 5,000 personnel (patrolling the country's many large rivers and lakes) and... a naval academy! Which Peru grants access to the sea.

Of course, you'll note Austria isn't on that list.

[squarefoot]

Many moons ago I reconnected with an old friend who moved to Switzerland years before; just imagine my face when he told me he was working for a Swiss shipowner:).

[aasasd]

Well, Switzerland may not have access to a sea, but it has a haven. A tax haven. A lot of ships are owned by corporations in those.

[wool_gather]

> Assuming some country is happy for them to pay to have a port somewhere.

Because a port that you're only borrowing can quickly become a port that either you're trapped in or not welcome to come back to if either you or your host get involved in a military conflict.

[thrower123]

They did, when they were the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and controlled Venezia and the Dalmatian coast.