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Vienna, with UNO-City in the foreground, as seen from the Danube.
Vienna, with UNO-City in the foreground, as seen from the Danube
by Satori Son used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5

Austria is a small, landlocked country in Western Europe. It shares a border with Germany in the northwest, the Czech Republic in the north, Slovakia in the northeast, Hungary in the east, Slovania and Italy in the south, and Switzerland and Leichtenstein in the west. Austria has something to occupy visitors all year round. In winter you can go skiing in its many resorts, while in other times of the year you can explore its beautiful cities and countryside. Vienna is the music capital while Salzburg is simply gorgeous, with its baroque churches. In Innsbruck, you can get panoramic views of the Austrian Alps.

Fast Facts about Austria

  • Official Name: Republic of Austria
  • Capital: Vienna (Wien)
  • Population of Austria: 8,037,000 (2003)
  • Currency: Euro
  • Languages spoken: German
  • Religions: Roman Catholic 78%, Protestant 5%, others 17%
  • Size: 83,858 sq km (32,377 sq miles)
  • Continent: Europe



    • View of Hohensalzburg Fortress and the old city of Salzburg from Monchsberg.
    View of Hohensalzburg Fortress and the old city of Salzburg from Mönchsberg
    by Thomas Pintaric used under GNU Free Documentation License

    When to visit Austria

    Austria experiences continental climate. The summers are warm with cool nights, the winters are sunny with snowfall. To sightsee Austria outside the winter months, go between April and October. The tourist infrastructure is stretched during the high season, from July to August, so avoid these months, opting instead for June and September, which are ideal for the city sights as well as hiking the Alps. Outside Christmas and Easter, the winter is less crowded and prices generally lower. However, it can get extremely cold. Skiing season depends largely on the altitude - at the glaciers, you can ski the whole year round.

    What to wear in Austria

    Medium weight clothing suitable for much of the year, with warmer clothing for winter and for visiting the mountain resorts.

    Where to stay in Austria

    Click on the name of the towns listed below to view hostels and budget accommodation available for booking there. Alternatively, you can also use the Budget Accommodation Guide to help you look for suitable budget accommodation anywhere in the world.

  • Arlberg
  • Axams
  • Bad Aussee
  • Bad Gastein
  • Bad Ischl
  • Bregenz
  • Feldkirch
  • Gerlos
  • Graz
  • Grunau im Almtal
  • Innsbruck
  • Kaprun
  • Kirchdorf
  • Kitzbuhel
  • Klagenfurt
  • Koetschach Mauthen
  • Kremsmuenster
  • Leogang
  • Linz
  • Mieming
  • Obertraun
  • Reutte
  • Salzburg
  • Schladming
  • St Gilgen
  • St Johann in Tirol
  • Steinach am Brenner
  • Vienna
  • Voitsberg
  • Zell am See


    Interior view of the Cathedral of St Johnann im Pongau, Austria.
    Interior view of the Cathedral of St Johnann im Pongau, Austria
    by by Joachim Köhler used under GNU Free Documentation License

    UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Austria

    Money matters in Austria

    Austria uses the Euro, (EUR, symbol €). Banknotes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 while coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

    At time of writing (Oct 2007), USD1.00 = EUR0.71 For the latest exchange go to the Oanda Currency Converter.


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