A compact Alpine republic of imperial grandeur — Vienna's opera houses and coffeehouse culture, Salzburg's Mozart heritage, Hallstatt's lake-mirrored fairy-tale village, and ski resorts rivaling Switzerland.
- Capital
- Vienna
- Population
- 9,200,931
- Area
- 83,858 km²
- Languages
- Austro-Bavarian German
- Currency
- Euro (€)
- GDP
- $534,301M
Good to know
Driving side
Right
National dish
Wiener schnitzel, Tafelspitz
Annual visitors
15,091,000 (2020)
Safety
Very low (0.88/100k)
Avg temp
7.4°C
Religion
Christianity
Coast
Landlocked
☎ Police 133 · Ambulance 144 · Fire 122
Travel guide
Austria (German: Österreich) is a landlocked German-speaking country in Central Europe. Austria, along with neighbouring Switzerland, is the winter sports centre of Europe. However, it is just as popular for summer tourists who visit its historic cities and villages and hike in the magnificent scenery of the Alps. With more than 30 million arrivals (2023) and only about nine million inhabitants, it is one of the most visited countries in the world.
© Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA)
Explore Austria
Best time to visit
Ski season December–March in the Alps. Vienna is magical for Christmas markets. Spring (April–May) for Alpine flowers. Summer (June–August) for hiking and lake swimming. Salzburg's music festival runs July–August.
Visa
EU/EEA citizens enter freely. US, UK, Canada, Australia and most Western nationalities get 90 days Schengen visa-free.
Highlights
Hofburg - Imperial Palace is one of the biggest palace complexes in the world: Formerly the residence of the imperial family, today a hotspot for museums, politics, and events.
Public holidays
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (13)
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