Before we tell you all about the popular things in Austria, we want to know what would you answer to What is Austria famous for?
Many people think about their classical music, others about their nature and impressive landscapes and there are people who think about the delicious Austrian food.
The truth is that there are many reasons why Austria is famous and a lot of popular things you should know. Next, we will tell you our “What is Austria known for” list…let´s see if you knew about all these Austrian facts.
What are the famous places to visit in Austria?
When talking about the famous things about Austria, we can´t forget their incredible places. You will find all kinds of places, from big cities like Vienna, Salzburg or Innsbruck where you will see beautiful streets, cathedrals and a great atmosphere, to peaceful places in the nature with astonishing landscapes.
Austria is a destination where many people go to ski during winter season as it has many mountain areas. One of the most famous places to ski in Austria is the town of Kitzbühe. Other than that, in Austria is located one of the most “viral” spots on Instagram, known as Hallstatt.
Which is your favourite place in Austria?? Let us know in the comments!
What is Austria famous for food??
The Austrian cuisine is a mix of their native food with influences from Austro-Hungarian Empire and Central Europe. That´s why you will find a great variety of dishes all over the country. Austrian share similarities with other countries, some examples are the German sausages, the goulash of Hungary and the Turkish coffee tradition.
Other than the popular Wiener Schnitzel, there are many famous dishes in Austria. Some of our best recommendations are: The Potato goulash, which is less spicy than the Hungarian version (it´s delicious) and the Käsespätzle, which is a good version of the typical Mac & Cheese.
And if you are visiting Austria, you can´t miss their desserts. The Sacher Torte is the most popular Austrian dessert…TRY IT!!
Austrian locals
On the countries of these area of Europe, the locals are known for being more serious, for spending most of their time working and not being big fans of parties.
Although sometimes this could be true (mostly in big cities), the locals of Austria are very interesting people and they have many peculiarities you will enjoy learning.
You should know that Austrian people take their food very serious, so they would really appreciate if you tell them “Guten Appetit” and “Prost” before eating and drinking.
Austrians are also very direct, so don´t be surprised if they are not as polite as you may be used to in your country. Last of all, you should keep in mind that Austrians are way more friendly once you get to know them, so give it a second chance before judging them for the first impression.
Austria Classical Music
Not mentioning the Classical Music when talking about the things Austria is known for may be a crime. If you can recognise the names Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or Johann Strauss, you may want to know that they were all born in Austria.
Austria is the birthplace of Classical Music. Specially in Vienna, you will see signs of their music talent all over. Nowadays, their passion for the classical music is still alive and in Austria you will find some of the best concerts in the world. Vienna New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic is one of the most important events of the year and people from all over the world goes crazy about it.
During our time in Vienna we got to spend our days at Das Tigra Hotel, that other than being an incredible place to stay, it was also where Mozart lived for a while.
Famous Austrian people
We have already mentioned you names like Mozart and Strauss, two of the greatest musicians in the history and in the case of Mozart, he is also a symbol for the country. But other than musicians, there are many famous Austrian people in the history…
From politicians or artists to sport players, the list is huge. Let´s see how many of these famous Austrians can you recognise.
- Adolf Hitler: The famous dictator and leader of the Nazi Party in Germany during the years of war, was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria.
- Sigmund Freud: Considered one of the most important “thinkers” in the history, he is known for changing the world of psychology and for being the father of the “Psychoanalysis”.
- Other important names you may have heard are Dominic Thiem (tennis player), Arnold Schwarzenegger or Gregor Mendel (scientist).
Famous traditions in Austria
We are finishing our “What is Austria famous for” list with the most famous traditions of Austria. It is known that Austria is one of the nations where their locals value the most their traditions.
Some of the most popular Austrian traditions are:
- Easter Egg battle: Is celebrated during the breakfast of Easer with the family. Everyone has a coloured egg and the game consists on crushing the other´s egg on a “battle”. The one wo ends up with the egg being intact is the winner.
- Stealing the Bride: It´s one of the oldest traditions in Austria. During the wedding, the bride is “kidnapped” by her friends and they take her to a bar tour. Later, the groom must find her and pay them to get her back.
- Other famous traditions in Austria are: Scary mask processions, First day of school cone and Lead pouring.
Important things to know about Austria
These were some of the things Austria is known for, but if you are visiting the country there are many other things that will be very helpful for your trip. Next you will see some of the most important things you should know before visiting Austria:
Where is Austria located?
For the ones who don´t know where Austria is located, you will find it in East Central Europe. It´s surrounded by 8 different countries, crazy right?? These are: Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Liechtenstein. You can literally go almost everywhere from Austria!
Austria map location
You will find Austria exact location on the map here:
Economy situation and currency in Austria
Although these could also be found on the list of things Austria is known for, the economy is also very useful for planning your trip.
The currency used in Austria is the Euro since 2002, before that they used to have the Schilling (ATS).
Now, what you should know about Austria, is that it´s a very expensive country. It´s not as expensive as Switzerland, but it still has one of the richest countries in Europe. It is said that you will spend about 100/120€ per day. Be ready to spend some money!
What is the official language in Austria??
The official language in Austria is German. Don´t worry if you don´t know any German word, because almost everyone can speak in English in Austria.
Of course, it will be easier for you to interact with the locals if you know a few German words, specially in the small towns of Austria. Alfonso studied German for a year and although he doesn´t know much, some of the most helpful words would be Danke (thank you) and Bitte (please).
Some Austrians also know French or Italian.
Public transport in Austria
One of the most important things you should know about Austria, is that the public transport is really good. It´s very easy to move around the big cities like Vienna or Salzburg but it´s also expensive. Although everyone seems to get in for free, they do pay for a ticket so you must do the same or the cost could be higher.
If your plan is to do more nature activities, then we recommend you renting a car.
Austria tourism and population
The population of Austria is almost 9 million, but unless you are in big cities and in high season you won´t ever see huge crowds, which is great. About the tourism, we recommend you going in low season to places like Vienna, Hallstatt or Salzburg. If your idea is to explore hidden areas, you can go whenever you want as there are many empty places.
One of the best waters in the world
We are sure it happens to you to, but when we are travelling one of the first things, we think about is the water. Can we drink it, or we need to buy bottles of water at a supermarket? Well we can already guarantee you that in Austria you won’t have that problem because they have one of the best waters in the world.
Everything closes on Sunday
Other important information about Austria that you should have in mind on your trip, is that Austrians rest on Sundays. This means that most of the shops and business are closed. We advise you to do the shopping on a different day, it will save you a lot of time.
Other fun and interesting facts about Austria
Probably now you are more than ready for your trip, but there are some other interesting facts about Austria that no one will tell you about and we are sure you will enjoy learning!
Austrians are not Germans (or opposite)
As it happens with Chinese and Japanese people, Austrians are not Germans. It´s important that you don´t treat them like if they were because they don´t like it at all. Although there are some similarities between Germans and Austrians (mainly the language), they are very different!
Alcohol consumption in Austria
Did you know that beer and whine is legal in Austria at the end of 16 years old? And hard liquors are legal at 18. Plus, it´s also legal to drink in public places. So, if you are a buzz lover you know where to go.
The best roads in Europe
Austria is known for having the best roads in Europe. Not just because if you do a road trip the views are crazy all over, but because of the structures, that are very safe and very well done.
The Austrian flag is one of the oldest national flags
Another curious and fun facts about Austria is about their flag. The Austrian flag is the second oldest flag in the world (after the Scotland flag). The flag of Austria dates back to 1191 when the Duke Leopold V of Austria fought during the Battle of Acre.
The Austrian Alps
The Alps are very famous in Austria, that´s why we needed to finish this list of 5 facts about Austria with them. We are sure you have heard about Austrian Alps, but did you know that they cover more than a 60% of Austria’s territory??
Enjoy visiting Austria!!
That´s all about famous things in Austria, hope you enjoyed reading about it and if you have any question or suggestion, let us know in the comments!!