The most beautiful cities in Austria

Welcome to one of Europe’s most beautiful countries. Austria’s landscapes, regions and townscapes provide almost the full range of European variety in the centre of the continent. Austria is often associated, rightly, with winter sports, but there is so much more on offer. Its alpine areas are rugged and picturesque, but that’s far from being the whole story.

Security

Basic crimes such as theft or assault should be reported to the Stadtpolizei, the local city police. In Vienna, this is run by the city's provincial police directorate. In emergencies, call police on 133.

The federal police are called Bundespolizei and take responsibility for national security, along with border control.

Visitors should always carry a passport. A driver’s licence is not sufficient if police ask for identification. In Austria fines for visitors failing to carry identification can rise to €5,000.

Safety & crime

Expatriate users of the statistical website numbeo.com put Austria 31st of 42 in levels of crime and rated it the 12th safest country in 2023.
More than 630 numbeo.com users found crime rates in Vienna to be low or very low. Safety walking alone by daylight was rated as very high (82.98) and walking alone at night high (65.05). Graz surveys produced figures of 87.61 and 64.17 and Salzburg surveys 88.21 and 70.95. Concerns about physical attack because of appearance or gender in both cities were low (21-23).

The perceived level of crime in Linz was about 26 and concerns about walking alone at night were moderate at 58.58. Of large Austrian cities, Klagenfurt was rated lowest for safety at 69.09 in daylight (high) and 48.67 at night (moderate).

In 2022, about 5,300 small thefts and pickpocketing incidents were reported in Vienna, less than one-quarter the 2013 figure. But foreign governments advise travellers to take care in tourist areas and near cash machines.

The incarceration rate in Austria is less than one-fifth that of the US.

Terror: All visitors to European cities are advised to be alert to possible terrorism threats. In November 2020, a jihadist terrorist gunman killed four people and wounded 23 in inner Vienna. National surveillance legislation was later strengthened.

Alarm tests: Austria values its neutrality and loud civil alarm tests take place in cities. On the first Saturday in October, alarms get a long test, which could be 30 minutes, preceded by a 15-second burst at noon. Alerts also go out on the Vienna city app. Short tests of 15 seconds could take place at other times of year. Austria has 8,000 alarms.