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.

Time

Austria is in the Central European Time (CET) zone, one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT – also referred to as Coordinated Universal Time or UTC). This agrees with neighbouring Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary.

Times in public areas such as transport timetables are given according to the 24-hour clock, although opening times for cultural or tourist attractions, when expressed in English, are usually given as am or pm.

Opening hours in Raven Guides are abbreviated thus: M-F 9-17 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday), M-Sa 10 to 16.30 (10am to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday), Tu-Su 17-1 (5pm to 1am Tuesday to Sunday and closing 1am Monday).

Summer time

Daylight saving or summer time, which advances clocks one hour, operates half the year for the whole CET zone, beginning after midnight on the last Sunday in March and ending after midnight on the last Sunday in October.