Can I buy groceries on a Sunday in Austria?

No. Supermarkets and all retail shops are closed nationwide on Sunday. Your only options are petrol stations, shops inside major railway stations, and some bakery outlets. Stock up on Saturday before 6pm or plan to eat out.

Are pharmacies open on public holidays?

Regular pharmacies close, but each district has a rotating emergency pharmacy (Bereitschaftsdienstapotheke). Find the current one on the sign outside any closed pharmacy or check apotheker.or.at. Carry cash.

Do museums and attractions close on public holidays?

Most museums and attractions remain open on public holidays, though many operate reduced Sunday hours. Check individual websites. The exception is 25 December and 1 January, when many close entirely.

What happens if I arrive in Austria on a Sunday?

You can eat at restaurants, visit museums, and use public transport on a Sunday timetable. You cannot buy groceries, clothing, or pharmacy items except at railway station shops or petrol stations. Arrive with supplies or book a hotel with a restaurant.

Which Austrian states have the most public holidays?

Upper Austria has 14 national holidays plus St Florian (4 May) and St Leopold (15 November), giving it 16 total. Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg each add St Joseph (19 March) for 14 total. Salzburg adds St Rupert (24 September) for 14 total. Burgenland adds St Martin (11 November) for 14 total. Vienna and Lower Austria add St Leopold (15 November) for 14 total.

Is cash still required in Austria on Sundays and holidays?

Yes. Many mountain huts, Heurigen wine taverns, and small cafes do not accept cards on any day. On Sundays and holidays, some emergency pharmacies also operate cash only. Carry small notes at all times.

Do Austrian public transport schedules change on holidays?

Yes. Public transport operates a Sunday timetable on all national public holidays. Regional services may be reduced further. On 24 December, services end early, typically by 4pm. Check ÖBB and local transport apps for the specific date.

Austria Public Holidays and What They Do to Travel

The Day Austria Closes Its Doors

Austria shuts its supermarkets, pharmacies, and most shops every Sunday and on 13 national public holidays. If you arrive expecting a 24/7 convenience culture, you will be standing outside a locked Spar at 4pm on a Sunday with no bread, no bandages, and no backup plan. The only outlets that stay open are petrol stations, railway station shops, and a handful of bakery kiosks. Plan your shopping around the closures or pay the price.

How the Sunday Shutdown Works

Sunday closure is total. No supermarket chain. No pharmacy. No clothing store. No electronics retailer. The exception list is short: petrol stations, shops inside major railway stations, and a few bakery chains. These exceptions have limited hours. A station shop at Vienna's Hauptbahnhof is open Sunday. The one at a smaller regional station is not. If you are in a village on a Sunday afternoon, drive to the nearest motorway petrol station or go without.

Finding an Emergency Pharmacy

Pharmacies follow the same rule. Every district has an emergency pharmacy (Bereitschaftsdienstapotheke) that rotates Sunday duty. Find the current one at apotheker.or.at or check the sign on any closed pharmacy door. The sign lists the nearest open pharmacy and its hours. Carry cash. Many emergency pharmacies do not take cards on Sunday.

Public Holidays: Same Rules, Bigger Crowds

Public holidays are treated as Sundays. The same shops close, the same exceptions apply, and public transport runs a Sunday timetable. The difference is that more people are travelling, which creates its own problems.

Salzburg festival — Karl Gruber , CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Fixed and Moveable Public Holidays: the Full List

Nine national public holidays fall on fixed dates. Eight are on the same date every year. One, Easter Monday, moves annually. Four more moveable holidays follow Easter's date. Five regional holidays apply only in specific states. Memorise the ones that affect your trip.

Fixed National Holidays (Same Date Every Year)

1 January (New Year's Day), 6 January (Epiphany), 1 May (Labour Day), 15 August (Assumption), 26 October (National Day), 1 November (All Saints' Day), 8 December (Immaculate Conception), 25 December (Christmas), 26 December (St Stephen's Day). All nine close shops nationwide.

Moveable National Holidays (Date Changes Annually)

Easter Monday, Ascension Day (40 days after Easter), Whit Monday (50 days after Easter), Corpus Christi (60 days after Easter). These dates shift every year. For 2027, Easter Sunday falls on 28 March, so Easter Monday is 29 March, Ascension Day is 6 May, Whit Monday is 17 May, and Corpus Christi is 28 May. Verify the exact dates for your travel year at oesterreich.gv.at, the official government portal.

Regional Holidays (Apply In Specific States Only)

St Joseph (19 March) applies in Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg. St Florian (4 May) applies only in Upper Austria. St Rupert (24 September) applies only in Salzburg. St Martin (11 November) applies only in Burgenland. St Leopold (15 November) applies in Vienna, Lower Austria, and Upper Austria. On a regional holiday, shops close only in that state. Cross into the next state and the shops are open.

Austria Public Holidays Calendar: What Closes and What Stays Open

Holiday Type	Examples	Shops And Supermarkets	Museums And Attractions	Restaurants And Cafes	Public Transport
National Fixed	1 Jan, 25 Dec	Closed	Most open, holiday hours	Open	Sunday timetable
National Moveable	Easter Monday, Corpus Christi	Closed	Most open, holiday hours	Open	Sunday timetable
Regional	St Joseph (19 Mar) in 4 states	Closed only in that state	Open in other states	Open	Normal schedule outside state
Sunday (Weekly)	Every Sunday	Closed, petrol stations only	Open, reduced hours	Open	Sunday timetable
Christmas Eve (24 Dec)	24 Dec	Closed after midday	Reduced hours, close early	Open, early closing	Reduced service

Calendar Friction Points That Are Not Public Holidays

Two periods cause more disruption than the official holiday list.

Easter Weekend Travel Surge

Easter weekend triggers a domestic travel surge. Austrians flood the A10 and A1 motorways heading to lake and mountain regions. A drive from Vienna to the Salzkammergut that normally takes 3 hours stretches to 5 or more. Book accommodation far in advance. The Easter period also creates a secondary peak in city tourism, meaning Vienna hotels fill up. If you are driving, leave before 6am or after 9pm.

The First Week of January Dead Zone

The first week of January is a dead zone for travellers. Many family-run hotels close for annual staff holidays after the New Year rush. Ski resorts thin out. Restaurant options thin out too. The Christmas markets end on 24 December. By 2 January, Vienna feels emptied. Arrive on 3 January expecting full services and you will find closed restaurants and shuttered hotels. Check opening dates individually for each property before booking.

School Holidays Drive Prices and Crowds

Summer holidays run early July to early September, with eastern states starting and ending earlier than western states. That 9-week window pushes accommodation prices to their peak in lake and mountain regions. The semester break in February concentrates skiers across three staggered weeks by region. Christmas and New Year is the most expensive week of the year in Alpine resorts. Book six months ahead for any of these windows.

Vienna street celebration — Unknown photographer , Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

How to Navigate the Closure Calendar

Three practical rules keep you fed and mobile. First, do your main grocery shopping on Saturday before 5pm. Sunday and Monday are dry days. Second, carry cash in small denominations. Public toilets at train stations use coin-operated turnstiles. A mountain hut's Brettljause costs what the menu says and the hut has no card machine. Third, download the Bergfex app before you leave. Mountain weather shifts fast and cable cars close in high winds. A Sunday in a ski resort with closed lifts and no supermarket is a bad combination.

The single thing that most often goes wrong: travellers assume a public holiday in one state means a public holiday everywhere. It does not. If you are in Salzburg on 24 September (St Rupert), shops are closed. Drive 30 minutes into Upper Austria and the shops are open. Check the state you are actually in, not the one you started in.