Roavina

Country guide

Austria

A photograph of Austria
Photograph · C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0

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.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

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

Planning a visit

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: seasonal closure recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

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

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Category

Historic monuments 0 Museums 0 Places of worship 3 Nature sites 0 Viewpoints 0 Food and drink 0 Markets and shopping 0 Entertainment 0 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 0 Art and culture 2 Activities 0

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 3 Half a day or more 2

Interests

History 111 Art 5 Museums 32 Nature 11 Sea and beach 4 Viewpoints 7
  1. Theater an der Wien Theater an der Wien
    01 3 hours

    Theater an der Wien

    The Theater an der Wien is where Fidelio, the Fifth Symphony and The Merry Widow were first heard, and it is still working.

    • High
    • Art and culture venue
    • Vienna
  2. Vienna Volksoper Vienna Volksoper
    02 3 hours

    Vienna Volksoper

    Volksoper

    The Volksoper is Vienna's second opera house, in the 9th district, Alsergrund, built for a public that the court-affiliated Hofoper across town did not serve.

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Vienna
  3. Stadttempel Stadttempel
    03 45 min

    Stadttempel

    The Stadttempel is Vienna's main synagogue, and it survived 1938 because it is hidden.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Vienna
  4. St. Anne's Church St. Anne's Church
    04 30 min

    St. Anne's Church

    Klosterkirche hl. Anna

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • 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.