A photograph of Austria

Country guide

Theme: History in Austria — page 2

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. Donauturm Donauturm
    26 1 hour

    Donauturm

    The Donauturm is the tallest structure in Austria, at 252 m, and it was built as a garden show attraction.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  2. Burgtheater Burgtheater
    27 1 hour

    Burgtheater

    The Burgtheater is Austria's national theatre and one of the most important German-language stages in the world.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  3. Imperial Crypt Imperial Crypt
    28 45 min

    Imperial Crypt

    Kaisergruft

    The Imperial Crypt is where the Habsburgs are buried, and it is under an ordinary friary church on a shopping street.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  4. Graben Graben
    29 20 min

    Graben

    The Graben is a broad, elongated square in the Innere Stadt, and its name — 'ditch' — records what it once was: the moat of the Roman legionary camp of Vindobona, filled in during the Middle Ages and built over.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  5. Heldenplatz Heldenplatz
    30 20 min

    Heldenplatz

    Heldenplatz is an unfinished square in front of the Hofburg, and it is the most politically loaded piece of ground in Austria.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  6. Café Central Café Central
    31 1 hour

    Café Central

    Café Central is a historic Viennese coffeehouse inside the Palais Ferstel, a Neo-Renaissance building designed by Heinrich von Ferstel. The café opened in 1876 and became one of Vienna’s best-known literary meeting places before the First World War.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  7. Haus der Musik Haus der Musik
    32 2 hours

    Haus der Musik

    The Haus der Musik is a ticketed, interactive sound museum in the Palais Erzherzog Karl on Seilerstatte, a five-minute walk from the Vienna State Opera.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Vienna
  8. Weltmuseum Wien Weltmuseum Wien
    33 2 hr 30 min

    Weltmuseum Wien

    Weltmuseum

    Weltmuseum Wien occupies the Neue Burg wing of the Hofburg on Heldenplatz and holds Vienna's global ethnographic collections, assembled from Habsburg holdings and expedition material going back to the museum's founding as the Museum für Völkerkunde in 1876.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Vienna
  9. Belvedere 21 Belvedere 21
    34 1 hr 30 min

    Belvedere 21

    Belvedere 21 is Vienna's museum for contemporary art, housed in a steel-and-glass pavilion in the Schweizergarten, a few hundred metres south of the Baroque Belvedere palace complex it is administratively part of.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Vienna
  10. Augarten Augarten
    35 1 hour

    Augarten

    Augarten is a public Baroque park in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district, laid out in its present form in the early 18th century and opened to the public by Emperor Joseph II in 1775 — one of the earliest palace gardens…

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  11. Kohlmarkt Kohlmarkt
    36 10 min

    Kohlmarkt

    Kohlmarkt is a short pedestrian shopping street in Vienna's Innere Stadt, running from the Graben to Michaelerplatz, where it ends directly at the Michaelertor, the domed gate into the Hofburg.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  12. Court Chapel Court Chapel
    37 45 min

    Court Chapel

    Hofburgkapelle

    The Hofburgkapelle, or Court Chapel, stands within Vienna's Hofburg Palace complex. It served as the Habsburg imperial family's place of worship and preserves an important connection between court ceremony, religion, and Viennese history.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  13. Ankeruhr Ankeruhr
    38 20 min

    Ankeruhr

    The Ankeruhr is Vienna’s Art Nouveau clock on Hoher Markt, built across the gap between two buildings associated with the Anker Insurance company.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  14. Looshaus Looshaus
    39 20 min

    Looshaus

    Looshaus is Adolf Loos's 1909-1911 commercial and residential building at Michaelerplatz 3, directly opposite the Michaelertor gate of the Hofburg.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  15. Kursalon Vienna Kursalon Vienna
    40 2 hours

    Kursalon Vienna

    Kursalon Hübner

    Kursalon Vienna is an Italian Renaissance Revival building standing at the edge of the Stadtpark in Vienna's Innere Stadt district, built in 1865-67 by architect Johann Garben as a public 'cure hall', a cafe and gathering pavilion meant to draw…

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  16. Bermudadreieck Bermudadreieck
    41 45 min

    Bermudadreieck

    Bermudadreieck is a nightlife district in Vienna's Innere Stadt, centered on the area around Rabensteig, Seitenstettengasse, and Judengasse. The name translates to Bermuda Triangle, referencing how visitors may lose track of time amid its dense concentration of bars and venues.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  17. Äußeres Burgtor Äußeres Burgtor
    42 45 min

    Äußeres Burgtor

    Burgtor

    Äußeres Burgtor, also known locally as Burgtor, is a historic neoclassical gate in central Vienna. The gate belongs to the city’s imperial architectural landscape and marks an important threshold near the Hofburg complex.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  18. Haas House Haas House
    43 10 min

    Haas House

    Haas-Haus

    The Haas-Haus is a curved glass-and-stone office and retail building on Stock-im-Eisen-Platz, directly opposite the main entrance of St. Stephen's Cathedral, designed by Hans Hollein and completed in 1990.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  19. Altes Palmenhaus Altes Palmenhaus
    44 45 min

    Altes Palmenhaus

    Altes Palmenhaus is a historic palm house in Vienna, a building type created for cultivating tropical and subtropical plants in an urban setting. Its name means “Old Palm House,” linking the structure to Vienna’s tradition of displaying exotic flora.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  20. Kuffner observatory Kuffner observatory
    45 45 min

    Kuffner observatory

    Kuffner Sternwarte

    Kuffner Observatory, also called Kuffner Sternwarte, is a historic astronomical observatory in Vienna. Founded through private patronage in the late nineteenth century, it served as an active research institution for decades.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  21. Fillgraderstiege Fillgraderstiege
    46 45 min

    Fillgraderstiege

    Fillgraderstiege is a historic public staircase in Vienna connecting Fillgradergasse with Theobaldgasse between the Mariahilf and Neubau districts. Built in the early twentieth century, it combines a practical pedestrian link with the architectural character of Vienna's urban streets.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  22. Heiligenkreuzerhof Heiligenkreuzerhof
    47 45 min

    Heiligenkreuzerhof

    Heiligenkreuzerhof is a historic courtyard complex in Vienna's Inner City, situated near Stephansdom. The site derives its name from Heiligenkreuz Abbey, the Cistercian monastery in Lower Austria that has owned the property for centuries.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  23. Wittgenstein House Wittgenstein House
    48 30 min

    Wittgenstein House

    Haus Wittgenstein

    Haus Wittgenstein — also called the Stonborough House — is a modernist house at Kundmanngasse 19 in Vienna's 3rd district, built in 1926-1928 for Margaret Stonborough-Wittgenstein, sister of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  24. Episcopal Palace Episcopal Palace
    49 45 min

    Episcopal Palace

    Erzbischöfliches Palais

    Episcopal Palace, locally called Erzbischöfliches Palais, is the residence of the Archbishop of Vienna in the historic centre. It is a working ecclesiastical building rather than a conventional museum or sightseeing venue.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Vienna
  25. Flakturm Augarten (Gefechtsturm) Flakturm Augarten (Gefechtsturm)
    50 45 min

    Flakturm Augarten (Gefechtsturm)

    The Flakturm Augarten (Gefechtsturm) is one of six surviving flak towers built in Vienna during the Second World War. Constructed between 1942 and 1945, these massive reinforced concrete structures served as anti-aircraft gun platforms, command centers, and air-raid shelters.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • 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.