A photograph of Austria

Country guide

Museums, Theme: History, 1 to 2 hours in Austria

Austria is 83,879 km², and its nine states fall into two kinds of trip. Vienna, Lower Austria and Upper Austria lie along the Danube on level, easily crossed gr...

Photograph · C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0

7,381 Places
2Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Austria is 83,879 km², and its nine states fall into two kinds of trip. Vienna, Lower Austria and Upper Austria lie along the Danube on level, easily crossed ground, with Vienna alone holding 1,931,593 of the country's roughly nine million people. Tyrol, Salzburg, Vorarlberg and Styria are the Alpine states, entered by valley rather than by plain, and their capitals — Innsbruck, Salzburg, Bregenz, Graz — are each small enough to cross on foot in an afternoon. The distinction decides an itinerary: the Danube cities sit an hour apart by train and the mountain ones do not.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
German
German is Austria's official language; Croatian, Slovenian and Hungarian also have official status in some regions
Dialling code
+43
Austria's international country code
Currency
Euro (€, EUR)
Austria introduced euro banknotes and coins in 2002
Emergency number
112
One number across the country; 144 reaches an ambulance directly
Plug type
Not recorded
No verified national official source was found
Tap water
Safe to drink
Austria's national tourism authority states that tap water is drinkable in every region

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Leopold Museum Leopold Museum
    02 2 hours

    Leopold Museum

    The Leopold Museum houses the collection assembled over five decades by the ophthalmologist and collector Rudolf Leopold, sold to the Austrian state in 1994 and opened to the public in this purpose-built home inside the MuseumsQuartier in 2001.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Vienna
  2. Imperial Treasury Imperial Treasury
    03 2 hours

    Imperial Treasury

    Kaiserliche Schatzkammer

    The Imperial Treasury, the Kaiserliche Schatzkammer, holds the Habsburg dynasty's crown jewels and imperial regalia inside the Hofburg's Schweizerhof, the Swiss Courtyard at the historic core of the palace complex.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Vienna
  3. MAK – Museum of Applied Arts MAK – Museum of Applied Arts
    04 2 hours

    MAK – Museum of Applied Arts

    Museum für Angewandte Kunst

    The MAK was the first museum of its kind on the continent, and it was founded to improve manufacturing.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Vienna
  4. Mumok Mumok
    05 1 hr 30 min

    Mumok

    Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien

    mumok — the Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig — is Austria's largest museum of modern and contemporary art, and the darkest building on the MuseumsQuartier plaza by design.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Vienna
  5. Mozarthaus Vienna Mozarthaus Vienna
    06 1 hr 30 min

    Mozarthaus Vienna

    Mozarthaus Vienna, at Domgasse 5 in the Innere Stadt, is the only one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Viennese residences still standing.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Vienna

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Austria be?

Seven to ten days gives Vienna four days and leaves time for Salzburg, Innsbruck, or Graz by rail. Alpine excursions need flexible weather time and should not be treated as guaranteed additions to a tightly timed city route.

What entry documents are needed for Austria?

Austria follows Schengen entry rules, with document and visa requirements determined by nationality and route. Verify the current position through official Austrian or EU channels before departure.

What is the best way to travel around Austria?

ÖBB trains and coordinated buses link Vienna with Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz, and other regions. Drivers need the correct motorway toll product, and some Alpine roads charge separately.

When is a practical time to visit Austria?

May to June and September suit many city-and-mountain routes, while December is a distinct winter-city period. Lift, pass, and high-road operating dates matter more than a national forecast for Alpine days.

What money and payment basics apply in Austria?

Austria uses the euro (EUR). Cards are useful, but a euro cash reserve can help at smaller establishments; review the amount and currency before approving any terminal conversion.

What practical safety details should I save for Austria?

Austria uses 112 as its general emergency line and 144 for ambulance dispatch. Its 230 V system takes Type C and F plugs. This guide holds no verified tap-water value, so leave that point unresolved until local guidance is checked.