Grüß Gott
GRUESS GOT (the 'ü' is said with rounded lips)
Hello (literally 'God greet you')
The polite greeting when you enter a shop, a restaurant or an office
Travel guide
Learn Austria before you go
Alpine peaks, imperial palaces, coffee houses and the music of Mozart, in the heart of Europe.
CapitalVienna
CurrencyEuro (€), since 1999 (notes and coins since 2002); before that, the Austrian schilling
Official languageGerman, in its Austrian form. Burgenland Croatian, Slovene and Hungarian are also official in some areas
Drives on theRight
Calling code+43
10 phrases to learn
In German (Deutsch), as spoken in Austria. Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.
Guten Morgen
GOO-ten MOR-gen
Good morning
Greeting someone in the morning
Guten Abend
GOO-ten AH-bent
Good evening
Greeting someone in the evening
Auf Wiedersehen
owf VEE-der-zay-en
Goodbye
Leaving a shop or saying goodbye politely
Wie geht es Ihnen?
vee GAYT es EE-nen
How are you? (polite)
Asking after someone's health politely
Danke schön
DAHN-keh SHERN
Thank you very much
Thanking someone warmly
Bitte schön
BIT-teh SHERN
You're welcome, or here you are
Answering a thank you, or handing something over
Entschuldigung
ent-SHOOL-dee-goong
Excuse me, sorry
Getting someone's attention or saying sorry
Sprechen Sie Englisch?
SHPREKH-en zee ENG-lish
Do you speak English?
Before asking for help
Ich verstehe nicht
ikh fer-SHTAY-eh nikht
I don't understand
When someone speaks too fast
At the table
- Before eating, people wish each other 'Guten Appetit', and around lunchtime colleagues often greet each other with 'Mahlzeit!'.
- When drinking together, wait until everyone has toasted with 'Prost' and look each person in the eye as your glasses touch.
- In a restaurant you ask for the bill: say 'Zahlen, bitte'. The server usually comes to the table to take payment.
- Tipping is usual but modest: round up or add about 5 to 10 percent, and tell the server the total you want to pay when you hand over the money.
- In a traditional coffee house it is fine to sit for a long time over one coffee and a newspaper. Your coffee comes with a glass of water.
Local tips
Buy a vignette before the motorway
Cars need a vignette (toll sticker or digital vignette) to use Austria's motorways and expressways, with options from 1 day to a year. As of 2026 the sticker is sold for the last time, and from 2027 there will only be the digital vignette. A 2-month or annual digital vignette bought online by a private buyer is valid only from the 18th day after purchase, so buy early, or choose a 1-day or 10-day one.
Shops close on Sundays
Most shops, including supermarkets, are closed on Sundays. Some shops at larger railway stations, at airports and at petrol stations stay open, and so do restaurants and cafés, so do your shopping on Saturday.
Say hello when you walk in
When you enter a small shop or a restaurant, say 'Grüß Gott' and 'Auf Wiedersehen' when you leave. It is noticed and appreciated.
Tipping
Tipping is usual but modest: round up, or add about 5 to 10 percent for a meal. Tell the server the total you want to pay when you hand over the money, rather than leaving coins on the table.
Carry some cash
Cards are accepted more and more, but Austria is still quite a cash-loving country, and some small shops, huts and taverns take cash only.
Plugs and water
Austria uses round two-pin plugs (type F, 'Schuko') and 230 volts, so visitors from Britain, Ireland and North America need an adapter. Tap water is of excellent quality and safe to drink.
Emergencies
The European number 112 works everywhere. Austria also has its own numbers: 144 for an ambulance, 122 for the fire brigade, 133 for the police and 140 for mountain rescue.
Dishes to try
- Wiener Schnitzel: A thin escalope of veal, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried in lard or clarified butter until the coating puffs up golden. It is served with a wedge of lemon and potato salad, parsley potatoes or a green salad.
- Tafelspitz: Beef simmered slowly with root vegetables and spices. The broth is often served first as a soup, then the sliced meat with roast potatoes, apple and horseradish sauce (Apfelkren) and a sour cream and chive sauce.
- Kaiserschmarrn: A thick, fluffy pancake made with whipped egg whites, torn into pieces in the pan, lightly caramelised and dusted with icing sugar. It is served with plum compote or apple sauce, as a dessert or a hearty lunch in mountain huts.
- Apfelstrudel: Thin layers of pastry rolled around sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, raisins and buttered breadcrumbs, baked and served in slices dusted with icing sugar, often with whipped cream or vanilla sauce.
- Sachertorte: A dense chocolate sponge cake with a layer of apricot jam under a firm, shiny chocolate glaze. In Austria it is served with a spoonful of unsweetened whipped cream.
- Linzer Torte: A shortcrust tart made with ground nuts, butter and cinnamon, filled with redcurrant or raspberry jam and topped with a pastry lattice.
- Salzburger Nockerl: A sweet, light soufflé of whipped egg whites, sugar and a little egg yolk, baked for a few minutes in three golden peaks and dusted with icing sugar.
- Mozartkugel: A round chocolate sweet with a centre of pistachio marzipan, wrapped in nougat and coated in dark chocolate, named after Mozart.
Cities to see
- Vienna (capital): St. Stephen's Cathedral, The Vienna State Opera and the Ringstrasse, Traditional coffee houses.
- Graz: The Clock Tower on the Schlossberg, A UNESCO World Heritage old town and Schloss Eggenberg, The Kunsthaus, a striking modern art museum.
- Linz: Ars Electronica, a centre and festival for digital art, The Linzer Torte, European Capital of Culture in 2009.
- Salzburg: Mozart's birthplace, The Salzburg Festival, Hohensalzburg Fortress.
- Innsbruck: The Golden Roof, Winter Olympic Games in 1964 and 1976, The Nordkette mountains, reached by cable car from the city.
- Klagenfurt: The Lindworm dragon fountain of 1593, The Wörthersee lake, Minimundus, a park of miniature world landmarks.