Central Europe · Europe

Austria

Discover Austria - a landlocked Alpine nation famous for classical music, imperial palaces, ski resorts, and coffee house culture in the heart of Europe.

Where Is Austria?

Austria is a country in Central Europe. Its capital is Vienna.

Where Austria isCentral Europe · Capital Vienna

Plan a trip · 11 guides

Capital Vienna
Population 9.21M
Area 83,871 km²

Austria is a country that punches absurdly above its weight. This small, landlocked nation in the heart of Europe produced Mozart, Freud, and Schwarzenegger, built one of history's largest empires, and somehow still manages to top global quality of life rankings year after year. Vienna alone was the center of European music, art, and intellectual life for centuries, and walking through its streets still feels like stepping into an opera set.

But Austria isn't just Vienna. Two-thirds of the country is covered by the Alps, making it one of Europe's premier skiing and hiking destinations. Salzburg looks like it was designed for a postcard, Innsbruck hosts Winter Olympics, and the Austrian Alps have more ski lifts than traffic lights. Then there's the coffee house culture - Austrians turned sitting in a cafe and reading newspapers into a UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage. The pastries are ridiculous, the schnitzel is enormous, and if you confuse Austria with Australia, expect a very polite but firm correction.

At a glance

Language

German

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Calling Code

+43

Drives On

Right

Internet

.at

Timezone

CET (UTC+1)

Script

Latin

Government

Federal Parliamentary Republic

Independence

1955

Travel guides

Plan a trip to Austria

All 11 Austria guides

Schladming in winter sun, with snowy roofs, the church towers and the ski slopes above the town, seen through a frosted pine branch

Austria · Schladming-Dachstein, Styria · 5 days

5 Days in Schladming

A mining town whose racing mountain ends at the edge of the old town. Four mountains on one pass, a night run and a glacier day.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

Red gondola cabins of the Kohlmaisbahn above Saalbach village, with the church and the snowy slopes in winter sun

Austria · Glemmtal, Salzburgerland · 5 days

5 Days in Saalbach Hinterglemm

270 km of mostly blue and red pistes in one valley, with an après-ski scene that starts before the lifts close. Four ski days and a day off.

Bases: Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Leogang

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

A snowy slope in the sun with the glaciated peaks of the Zillertal Alps rising behind under a blue sky and clouds

Austria · Zillertal, Tyrol · 5 days

5 Days in Mayrhofen

The Harakiri, a sunny Ahorn and a glacier up the valley. Four ski days, one off, and the pass question answered.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

The Hainbachkar chairlift station in Sölden, with orange chairs and skiers on the snowy pistes around it

Austria · Ötztal, Tyrol · 5 days

5 Days in Sölden and Obergurgl

Three summits over 3,000 m and two glaciers in Sölden, a quieter, higher area in Obergurgl. Four ski days and a spa day in the Ötztal.

Bases: Sölden, Obergurgl

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

The Idalp mountain station in the Silvretta Arena with skiers and a snowboarder under snowy peaks on a clear winter day

Austria · Paznaun, Tyrol · 5 days

5 Days in Ischgl

Tyrol's loudest après-ski town under a high ski area that crosses into Switzerland. Four ski days and one off, planned for confident skiers.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

A skier in fresh powder on a steep slope above St. Christoph am Arlberg, with the village in the valley below

Austria · Tyrol · 5 days

5 Days in St. Anton am Arlberg

Austria's biggest ski area, where alpine skiing was taught for the first time. Four ski days and one off, planned for good skiers.

Bases: St. Anton, Lech

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

By population

Largest cities in Austria

Vienna

Imperial capital and cultural powerhouse, consistently ranked as the world's most livable city

1,982,000

Graz

Austria's second city with a UNESCO-listed old town and a thriving modern design scene

295,000

Linz

Industrial city turned cultural hub on the Danube, home to the Ars Electronica Center

210,000

Salzburg

Mozart's birthplace and The Sound of Music filming location, a Baroque jewel framed by mountains

156,000

Innsbruck

Alpine capital of Tyrol, twice host of the Winter Olympics, surrounded by dramatic peaks

132,000

People

Famous people from Austria

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Music
One of the greatest composers in history, born in Salzburg, composed over 600 works before dying at 35
Sigmund Freud
Science
Father of psychoanalysis who revolutionized how we understand the human mind
Gustav Klimt
Art
Symbolist painter famous for The Kiss and his golden phase, co-founder of the Vienna Secession movement
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Film
Born in Thal, became the world's biggest action star and later Governor of California
Erwin Schrodinger
Science
Nobel Prize-winning physicist who developed wave mechanics and the famous cat thought experiment
Franz Schubert
Music
Prolific Romantic composer who wrote over 600 songs, 9 symphonies, and countless chamber works in his short life
Niki Lauda
Sport
Three-time Formula 1 World Champion who famously returned to racing just weeks after a near-fatal crash

Food

Traditional cuisine of Austria

Wiener Schnitzel: Thin veal cutlet breaded and fried golden, Austria's most iconic dish - must hang over the plate edges
Sachertorte: Dense chocolate cake with apricot jam, invented at Hotel Sacher in Vienna in 1832
Tafelspitz: Boiled beef served with apple horseradish and chive sauce, Emperor Franz Joseph's favorite meal
Kaiserschmarrn: Torn-up fluffy pancakes dusted with powdered sugar, served with plum compote
Apfelstrudel: Thin pastry filled with spiced apples, raisins, and breadcrumbs - the dough should be thin enough to read a newspaper through
Knodel: Bread or potato dumplings served as a side or dessert, a staple across Alpine Austria
Kasespatzle: Austrian mac and cheese - soft egg noodles layered with melted mountain cheese and crispy fried onions

Nature

Nature and landmarks in Austria

GrossglocknerMountain: Austria's highest peak at 3,798 meters, accessed by one of Europe's most spectacular alpine roads
HallstattLake: Fairy-tale lakeside village so photogenic that China built a replica - UNESCO World Heritage since 1997
Hohe Tauern National ParkNational Park: The largest national park in the Alps with glaciers, waterfalls, and the Krimml Falls, the highest in Austria
Danube Valley (Wachau)River: UNESCO-listed river valley between Melk and Krems with vineyards, medieval castles, and apricot orchards
EisriesenweltLandmark: The world's largest accessible ice cave, stretching 42 kilometers inside the Alps near Salzburg
Lake WolfgangseeLake: Crystal-clear Alpine lake in the Salzkammergut, immortalized in the operetta The White Horse Inn

Sport

Sports in Austria

Alpine Skiing: One of the world's dominant skiing nations with dozens of Olympic and World Cup titles, birthplace of legends like Hermann Maier
Formula 1: Home of the Red Bull Ring circuit and three F1 World Champions including Niki Lauda and Jochen Rindt
Football: Co-hosted Euro 2008, with Rapid Wien and Austria Wien among Central Europe's historic clubs
Ski Jumping: The Four Hills Tournament includes two Austrian venues (Innsbruck and Bischofshofen)

Facts

Did you know?

Austria has the oldest zoo in the world - the Tiergarten Schonbrunn in Vienna, founded in 1752
The world's oldest restaurant still in operation is St. Peter Stiftskeller in Salzburg, open since 803 AD
Red Bull, the world's best-selling energy drink, was co-created by Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz
Vienna's public transport system is so cheap that more Viennese have transit passes than cars
The croissant was invented in Vienna to celebrate defeating the Ottoman siege of 1683 - the shape mimics the Ottoman crescent
Austria has won more medals in Winter Olympics than in Summer Olympics by a huge margin
Yodeling was originally a form of long-distance communication between Alpine shepherds