Why is everything closed on Sunday in Austria? (2023)

Is everything closed in Vienna on Sundays?

Spending a pleasant or eventful Sunday in Vienna is really only up to you. Although most of the shops in Vienna are closed on Sunday, Vienna offers an enormous number of leisure activities, from water sports to art and culture to top gastronomy.

In Vienna the stores are closed on Sundays and Holidays, but don't worry there are places open for those who have not managed to do grocery shopping during the week. Please note what you may purchase on these days is limited by law.

Stores in very busy shopping areas may stay open as late as 9pm during the week. As with the supermarkets, stores close by 6pm on Saturday and stay closed for Sunday. There is considerable store-by-store variation within the allowed opening hours, so check before shopping.

Most restaurants, bars and bakeries are open on Sundays and public holidays, as Austrians tend to eat out on weekends.

If you like jeans, like I do, you can wear them no problem in Vienna: just make sure you select a well fitting pair, clean and match if with a nice top so that you dress them up rather than down.

All sights and attractions are opened, as well as the vast majority of cafes and restaurants. What you cannot do on a Sunday is buying shoes, washing machines, open a bank account....

It's all because of the Ladenschlussgesetz or "Shop Closing Law." A federal German law in place since 1956, it bans retail stores of all kinds from opening their doors on Sundays and public holidays, along with some other restrictions.

This is due to the Ladenschlussgesetz or "Store-closing law," which forbid stores from operating on Sundays. The Ladenschlussgesetz was put into effect in 1956 in former West Germany. The law stayed this way with only minor revisions until 2006.

In the Federal Republic of Germany, the Ladenschlussgesetz or "Shop Closing Law" (abbreviated: LadSchlG) is the federal "blue law" compelling retail stores to close to the public on Sundays and Christian holidays.

Are pharmacies open on Sundays in Austria?

All pharmacies, other than those designated as an emergency service pharmacy, are closed on evenings and on Sundays. Pharmacies are also closed on public holidays.

PARKING AROUND CENTRAL AREA

Parking is free in the weekends and Public Holidays except in the Stadthall Area with paid parking in the weekend from 18:00-22:00 hour.

Drinking in public

It is broadly legal to drink in public places. Bear in mind, though, that there are exceptions. For example, it's forbidden in stations and on public transport. In my experience, despite the legality, drinking in public outside of bars, pubs, restaurants, picnic sites etc. is frowned upon in Vienna.

It is considered impolite if the caller or receiver does not say their name, even if accompanied with other polite greetings such as 'hello' or 'good morning'. Austrians tend to greet sales people when entering and leaving the store.

Men, try a light, button-down shirt with a pair of well-fitting pants. Ladies, sundresses and blouses with skirts are common during this time. Try to avoid showing too much cleavage as the city can be quite stuffy when it comes to showing skin. Everyone should avoid wearing shorter shorts and cutoffs.

The largest Vienna racial/ethnic groups are White (67.0%) followed by Asian (13.6%) and Hispanic (9.9%).

No, not really. It depends how do you approach them and who do you meet. In general the Viennese are a bit reserved but helpful, however, not overly friendly. If you approach them in a polite and friendly way you can expect to be treated well.

Top style tips for Austria

No t-shirts, no baseball caps, no athletic/exercise suits – unless of course you are exercising. If you are looking for a highly versatile travel jacket to bring along we highly recommend the SCOTTeVEST range.

Is Hallstatt open on Sunday?

The tourist information Hallstatt is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. On weekends and Bank Holidays the tourist information is closed. You can also reach us by email hallstatt@dachstein-salzkammergut.ator by phone +43 5 95095 30.

As far as mountain scenery and outdoor adventures go, Salzburg comes out on top. While Vienna boasts enormous, well-manicured Stadtpark and a location adjacent to beautiful Vienna Woods, it simply can't beat Salzburg's access to the Alps. You can take a stroll in Vienna, but you can take a hike in Salzburg.

By law, most shops and supermarkets need to stay closed on Sundays.

Yes, at least not on Sundays. Germany has laws regulating noise emissions set by the Länder (federal states), supplemented by common house rules set by landlords.

For Christians, Sunday is their sabbath: a day traditionally of rest. Historically this religious practice has even been forced upon their population by governments or rulers. To enable their followers to observe this day, many shops, works and offices have historically closed on Sundays.

The reason why shops shut on Sundays is mainly because of religion. In a Christian dominated country, Sunday is considered to be a day of rest where everyone should stop work, and, traditionally, go to church. This was the case from the advent of Christianity in Switzerland.

Every night after 10 p.m. and on Sundays, Germans are required by a medley of federal, state and local laws to keep schtum. That means no spin cycles, no vacuuming, no power tools and no mowing the lawn.

The commonly agreed upon quiet hours in Germany (Ruhezeit time period) are from 10pm and 6 or 7am on weekdays and the entire day on Sundays, although there can be some exceptions in different cities or if your landlord imposes other rules as well. Ruhezeit also applies to all public holidays for the entire day.

Sundays in Germany are rest days. And no, this isn't really a suggestion! It's been codified in law, that with a few exceptions, trade and other work activities come to a halt. Pretty much everyone in Germany is off from work and shops are closed!

Can you buy alcohol on Sunday in Germany?

There has never been any law that obliges pubs and restaurants to close on Sundays, at least not for the last 100 years. As mentioned before, nothing /= shops. This (and of course government offices and such) are shut on Sundays.

Retail stores are closed on Sundays in Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Norway and Austria. A few other European countries strictly limit their Sunday hours. It can be trying for someone used to the 24/7 retail opportunities in the United States.

The average pay for a Doctor Pharmacy is €81,269 a year and €39 an hour in Austria. The average salary range for a Doctor Pharmacy is between €55,019 and €101,992. On average, a Doctorate Degree is the highest level of education for a Doctor Pharmacy.

The average pay for a Pharmacist is €81,817 a year and €39 an hour in Austria. The average salary range for a Pharmacist is between €55,390 and €102,681. On average, a Doctorate Degree is the highest level of education for a Pharmacist.

Whether it be ibuprofen, paracetamol or aspirin, painkillers are only available in pharmacies in Austria.

It is illegal to wild camp in Austria. It is very much discouraged. You are however, allowed to “restore fitness to drive” for 8 hrs by sleeping in a public car park. So arriving late, leaving early and not returning may be the best way to go about this.

In Austria fines are often given for jaywalking, and the law is enforced by police even if the roads are quiet – you may even be reprimanded by other members of the public. So to avoid a fine, be sure to wait for the green man.

How much money will you need for your trip to Austria? You should plan to spend around €117 ($117) per day on your vacation in Austria, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, €30 ($30) on meals for one day and €20 ($20) on local transportation.

In general, Vienna is quite expensive, especially for dinner in the majority of restaurants, but there's always the option to eat in one of the many street food spots that offer a variety of different foods. Entry to most museums and places of interest is also often expensive.

If you have 4 days in Vienna, you're in for a treat: you have plenty of time to discover the beautiful capital city of Austria. And you may even have enough time for a day trip to Vienna's neighboring city just down the Danube River, Bratislava, or another magical town in Austria!

Is it hard to make friends in Vienna?

It is not easy to make friends in Vienna.

In general, Austrians have a reputation of not being that friendly and welcoming to ex-pats and they are rather cold, standoffish, and uninviting. You should not be discouraged if some of the locals seem unapproachable or even unfriendly.

Yes, you certainly can drink the water that comes out of the taps or use it to clean your teeth. In fact, you never realize how bad the tap water is back home until you experience the Viennese equivalent; Vienna's water supply comes almost exclusively through two direct pipelines from the Alps mountains.

Simply turn on the tap and enjoy mountain spring water? Tap water is drinkable in Vienna and even comes out of the faucet ice-cool. In many places across the city, drinking fountains stand at the ready to quench the thirst in summer.

The city largely benefits from regular police patrols and a high number of police officers in general. Furthermore, on metro stations, there are emergency buttons which people can use to call for help. From personal experience, Vienna is one of the safest cities in Europe.

Tipping in cafes, bars and restaurants

Waiting staff in restaurants in Austria will expect a minimum tip of 10 percent, but it's not unusual for people to leave up to 15 or 20 percent – especially if the food and service was good.

The youngest legal drinking age in the world is 15, with both Mali and the Central African Republic allowing folks to drink at that time. Seven countries do not have a government-mandated drinking age, while 11 countries ban the consumption of booze entirely.

In Austria, purchasing alcohol is regulated at the regional level. There are two different age requirements – either 16 or 18 years – depending on the region and the percentage of alcohol involved.

Even though the law insists most shops stay closed on Sundays, exceptions prove the rule; some groceries, souvenir shops, confectioners, and stores at the central train stations and the airport are allowed to open.

By law, most shops and supermarkets need to stay closed on Sundays.

Does Vienna have a curfew?

The following rules apply in Vienna: There are no curfew hours or restrictions on leaving your home. You may go out at any time without requiring any special reason. There are no restrictions for meeting people in a private setting.

This is due to the Ladenschlussgesetz or "Store-closing law," which forbid stores from operating on Sundays. The Ladenschlussgesetz was put into effect in 1956 in former West Germany. The law stayed this way with only minor revisions until 2006.

How much should you tip? When tipping serving staff, Austrians normally add 5% to 15% to the bill so it's rounded up to a convenient number. So if the bill is 9 Euro, round up to 10. If it's 25, round up to 27 or 28.

In Vienna, friends usually greet each other by saying “Servus”, “Ciao”, “Grüß dich” or the German “Hallo”. In order to say goodbye, you can say “Servus” and “Ciao” as well as “Tschüss, Baba” (pronounced like Papa) and the regularly-used dialectic expression “Pfiat di”.

Each federal state prohibits sale of alcohol beverages to anyone under 16 years of age. Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tirol, and Voralberg also prohibit sale of spirits and mixed drinks (whether pre-mixed drinks or cocktails) to anyone under 18 years of age.

In Austria, purchasing alcohol is regulated at the regional level. There are two different age requirements – either 16 or 18 years – depending on the region and the percentage of alcohol involved.

Austrian cities do not have red-light districts like the Bahnhofsviertel (Frankfurt am Main), the Reeperbahn in Hamburg, or the De Wallen in Amsterdam; the sex industry is widely distributed over the cities and its presence often goes unnoticed.