Austria trivia: 46 questions and answers

Vienna. Vienna is the capital and by far the largest city, home to about 2 million people. Salzburg, Graz and Innsbruck are state capitals.

8. Austria has 8 neighbours: Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

True. True. Austria is landlocked. Its biggest waters are rivers such as the Danube and lakes such as Lake Constance and the Neusiedler See.

Grossglockner. The Grossglockner, 3,798 m, is the highest. The Zugspitze is Germany's highest peak, Mont Blanc is on the border of France and Italy, and Triglav is in Slovenia.

Eastern realm. Ostarrîchi means 'eastern realm'. It is the oldest known written form of Österreich.

The Habsburgs. The Habsburgs took over Austria after Rudolf of Habsburg's victory on the Marchfeld in 1278, and ruled until the monarchy ended in 1918.

King Jan III Sobieski of Poland. King Jan III Sobieski of Poland led the relief army that won the Battle of Vienna on 12 September 1683.

Maria Theresa. Maria Theresa reigned for 40 years, the only woman to rule the Habsburg lands in her own right. Elisabeth ('Sisi') was the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph and never ruled.

Sarajevo. He and his wife Sophie were shot in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. A month later Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

True. True. The republic was proclaimed in Vienna on 12 November 1918, the day after Emperor Karl I gave up his part in government.

False. False. It was signed on 15 May 1955 at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.

False. False. On 26 October 1955 Austria declared permanent neutrality, which rules out joining military alliances. That day is now the National Day.

1995. Austria joined on 1 January 1995, after a referendum in 1994 in which about two thirds voted yes.

Veal. It must be veal. A pork version has to be called 'Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein' or 'Schnitzel Wiener Art'.

Apricot. Apricot jam is part of every Sachertorte, together with the chocolate sponge and the chocolate glaze.

Salzburg. Paul Fürst created it in Salzburg, Mozart's birthplace. It has pistachio marzipan and nougat inside dark chocolate.

True. True. Its name means 'the emperor's mess', and it is usually served with plum compote or apple sauce.

Linz. It is the Linzer Torte, named after Linz. Its oldest known recipe dates from 1653.

Beef simmered in broth. Tafelspitz is beef simmered in broth with root vegetables, served with apple and horseradish sauce and chive sauce.

False. False. Salzburger Nockerl is a sweet, light soufflé baked in three peaks, said to stand for three hills of Salzburg.

Innsbruck. Innsbruck hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, and the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012.

Eisenstadt. Haydn lived and worked in Eisenstadt, the capital of Burgenland, and is buried in its Bergkirche.

True. True. The stage on the lake, the Seebühne, has seats for about 7,000 people.

Schönbrunn Palace. Schönbrunn Palace was the summer residence. The Hofburg in the city centre was the winter residence, Mirabell is in Salzburg and Schloss Esterházy in Eisenstadt.

Innsbruck. The Golden Roof is in Innsbruck's old town. It was finished in 1500 for Maximilian I.

The Belvedere. The Kiss hangs in the Belvedere, the palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy, where the State Treaty was also signed in 1955.

True. True. It is the opposite of most clocks: the larger hand shows the hours and the smaller one the minutes.

The Danube. Melk Abbey stands on a rock above the Danube at the western end of the Wachau valley.

Silent Night. Silent Night, with words by Joseph Mohr and music by Franz Xaver Gruber, was first sung in Oberndorf in 1818.

False. False. 'Edelweiss' was written in 1959 by Rodgers and Hammerstein for the musical The Sound of Music. The anthem is 'Land der Berge, Land am Strome'.

Lipizzaner. The school's Lipizzaner stallions are born dark and slowly turn white.

Johann Strauss II. Johann Strauss II wrote it. Mozart, Haydn and Schubert all died long before 1867.

1752. It was founded in 1752 as a menagerie in the palace gardens.

False. False. Vienna topped the ranking in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024, but in 2026 it came second, behind Copenhagen.

Emperor Maximilian I. Emperor Maximilian I ordered a singing master and six boys for his court music in 1498.

A tomato. Paradeiser is the eastern Austrian word for a tomato. An apricot is a Marille, a potato an Erdapfel and a bread roll a Semmel.

January. Jänner is the usual Austrian word for January, where Germany says Januar.

True. True. Servus is an informal greeting used among friends, both when meeting and when parting.

Grüß Gott. 'Grüß Gott' is the polite hello. 'Prost' is cheers, 'Zahlen, bitte' asks for the bill, and 'Auf Wiedersehen' is what you say when you leave.

Zahlen, bitte. 'Zahlen, bitte' means 'to pay, please'. The server then comes to your table.

True. True. Eye contact while the glasses touch is expected, and you wait to drink until everyone has toasted.

A milky coffee with foam. A Melange is a milky coffee with foam, similar to a cappuccino but milder. It comes with a glass of water.

A vignette. Cars need a vignette, a toll sticker or a digital vignette. From 2027 only the digital vignette will be sold.

144. 144 is the ambulance. 133 is the police, 122 the fire brigade and 140 mountain rescue.

True. True. Most shops close on Sundays, though some shops at larger railway stations, airports and petrol stations stay open.

Round up and tell the server the total you want to pay. Round up and tell the server the total you want to pay, usually about 5 to 10 percent more than the bill.