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.

Shopping

Retail shopping opening hours in Austria are regulated by law. Monday to Friday, opening times are typically 8am or 9am (bakeries are often earlier, for department stores opening is often at 10am) and closing must be by 9pm. Saturday closing time is 5pm or 6pm. Most stores close on public holidays.

Restrictions also apply to supermarkets and other food stores, although those based at large rail hubs, airports and petrol stations can be expected to open Sundays. Then, they become busy centres for local people as well as visitors. Apart from these, open convenience stores can be hard to find and supermarkets open after 8pm are rare. Pharmacies will generally be open until at least noon on Saturdays, but in small centres might close for lunch Monday to Friday.

For details of Austrian VAT and refunds for visitors, see the Costs section.

Prices are expressed with a comma where most English-speaking countries use the decimal point.

Popular luxury goods include Austria’s Swarovski crystal jewellery and watches, although shoppers report that they are not notably cheaper in Austria.

For traditional clothing (Tracht), which reflects the regional and social origins of various parts of Austria, Salzburg and parts of the Salzkammergut region are centres of manufacture. But regional heritage is also expressed in Tyrol, Carinthia and Styria. The items include variants on men’s woollen jackets, Lederhosen and the Dirndl. Garments from about €150 are available at some stores, but some outfits can cost several thousand euros.