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.

Filter the list

111 places match
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Category

Historic monuments 78 Museums 30 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 0 Activities 0

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 80 1 to 2 hours 25 Half a day or more 6

Interests

History 111 Art 5 Museums 32 Nature 11 Sea and beach 4 Viewpoints 7
  1. Palais Schönburg Palais Schönburg
    101 45 min

    Palais Schönburg

    Palais Starhemberg-Schönburg

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  3. Schloss Essling Schloss Essling
    103 45 min

    Schloss Essling

    Schloss Eßling

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  4. St. Anne's Church St. Anne's Church
    104 30 min

    St. Anne's Church

    Klosterkirche hl. Anna

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Vienna
  7. Lower Belvedere Lower Belvedere
    107 1 hr 30 min

    Lower Belvedere

    Unteres Belvedere

    • High
    • Museum
    • Vienna
  10. MUSA Museum Startgalerie Artothek MUSA Museum Startgalerie Artothek
    110 1 hr 30 min

    MUSA Museum Startgalerie Artothek

    MUSA

    MUSA is Wien Museum’s exhibition venue for contemporary art from Vienna, located beside City Hall in the Innere Stadt. Its changing presentations trace artistic developments in the city over recent decades and introduce less familiar positions alongside established work.

    • High
    • 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.