What Drivers Need to Know About Austria’s 2026 Vignette

Austria’s motorway vignette is entering a historic transition. The year 2026 will mark the final appearance of the classic adhesive vignette—this time in a striking fiery red—before the system moves entirely to digital tolling. Alongside the symbolic farewell, motorists will also face price adjustments across all vignette categories. Last Adhesive Vignette Before Full Digital Switch For drivers, 2026 brings several notable changes. Most importantly, it is the final year in which a physical sticker vignette will be available. The 2026 edition, released at the end of November 2025, can be…

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What Happens to All the Holiday Waste Now?

Every year, Christmas leaves behind more than warm memories — it also produces mountains of waste. Once the gifts are unwrapped and the festive chaos settles, households across Austria face the same question: Where does all the holiday trash go? A Seasonal Surge in Waste In the weeks leading up to Christmas, parcels pile up at front doors, shopping carts overflow, and refrigerators are stocked to the brim. Unsurprisingly, this seasonal consumption boom translates into peak workload for waste management services. According to industry data, up to 20 percent more…

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From Waltz to Techno: What Vienna Offers on New Year’s Eve

“What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?” Few questions cause as much pressure as this one. A plan for the big night? Often nonexistent. But Vienna, as always, delivers. For the undecided and the spontaneous, the city offers a wealth of last‑minute options. Here’s an overview of how to ring in the new year in Austria’s capital. Vienna’s New Year’s Eve Trail If you enjoy being surrounded by people and moving through lively crowds, the famous Silvesterpfad is the place to be. From 2 p.m. until 2 a.m., visitors…

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Pope Leo XIV Delivers Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing for 2025

Vatican City, December 25, 2025 — Under a crisp winter sky and before tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Christmas Urbi et Orbi blessing, offering a message of hope, reconciliation, and global solidarity as the world enters 2026. Stepping onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at noon, the 88‑year‑old pontiff greeted the faithful in Rome and millions watching via broadcast and livestream around the world. The traditional proclamation, “To the city and to the world,” carried renewed significance as the…

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Austria: 2026 brings higher costs and new rules for motorists

Motorists can expect new taxes, rules, and obligations in the new year 2026—from the last adhesive vignette to higher fees and stricter driver’s license regulations. The vignette price will be adjusted for inflation: in 2026, the annual vignette will cost €106.80 for a car (three euros more than in 2025) and €42.70 for a motorcycle (plus €1.20). The shorter-term variants (2-month, 10-day, and daily vignettes) will also be adjusted accordingly. Adjustments to insurance tax and NoVA There will be an increase in the engine-related insurance tax for new registrations. For…

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Christmas weather: The sun returns

Austria can expect calm and sunny weather for the next few days. According to Thursday’s forecast by Geosphere Austria, high pressure will increasingly spread across the country starting on St. Stephen’s Day. The northeast should also see a few hours of sunshine. Temperatures could reach double digits, most likely in the west of the country. Today, St. Stephen’s Day, high pressure will increasingly prevail. In the morning, residual high fog-like clouds will linger, especially in the southeast and south. Early morning fog is expected in the Danube region and the…

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Pope Leo XIV at Christmas Mass: “Let Us Proclaim the Joy of Christmas”

Vatican City, December 24, 2025 – In his first Christmas Eve Mass as pope, Leo XIV called the faithful to rediscover the humility of God made human, urging them to “look not upward, but downward” to find the Savior. The newly elected pontiff delivered his homily before 6,000 worshippers inside St. Peter’s Basilica, while another 5,000 followed the liturgy from the rain‑soaked St. Peter’s Square. Before entering the basilica, Pope Leo greeted those gathered outside who had been unable to obtain admission tickets due to overwhelming demand. “Buonasera, benvenuti tutti,”…

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24th or 25th – So When Is Christmas Really Celebrated?

Across the Christian world, Christmas does not begin at the same moment. While many people celebrate on December 24th, others mark the holiday only on December 25th. The reasons lie in differing religious traditions, calendar systems, and cultural understandings of when a day begins. Why December 24th Dominates in Central and Western Europe In much of Western and Central Europe, Christmas Eve on December 24th is the emotional and liturgical heart of the holiday. This tradition has deep historical roots. Early Christianity was shaped by Jewish timekeeping, in which a…

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Vienna Wakes to First White Christmas Since 2012: Snowfall Transforms Austria on Christmas Eve 2025

Vienna, 24 December 2025 — For the first time in more than a decade, Vienna celebrated a true White Christmas as steady snowfall swept across Austria on Christmas Eve, blanketing the capital in a soft layer of winter white. Meteorologists had hinted at the possibility earlier this week, but few expected the rare event to materialize so perfectly — and so festively. Forecasts from Geosphere Austria and local weather services had already raised hopes, noting that cold air from the northeast and a Mediterranean low would collide over the country,…

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