Category: Austrian News

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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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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“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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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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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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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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Austrian banks warn that phishing attacks increase during the Christmas season. The number of phishing attacks increases during the Christmas season: Austrian banks are currently seeing an increase in such attacks and are warning customers not to disclose confidential information or authorize unwanted transactions. In phishing incidents, perpetrators often pose as bank employees and attempt to obtain customers’ passwords, account information, or credit card details via telephone, text message, or email. Victims are often lured to fake websites. According to the Austrian Banking Association, fake messages referring to alleged account…

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The chances of a white Christmas this year are quite high. Light snowfall is possible on Christmas Eve, especially in southern and eastern Austria. In Vienna, it would be the first white Christmas since 2012. Snow could also fall on Boxing Day and Christmas Day, according to forecasts by meteorologists at Geosphere Austria. New week starts with fog and black ice On Monday, however, the sky will still be gray. At the beginning of the week, the lowlands in the eastern half of the country will continue to be covered…

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On December 24, 2025, numerous stores in Vienna will be open, as Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year. We have compiled an overview of the opening hours of supermarkets, drugstores, and shopping centers for last-minute Christmas shopping. On December 24, Vienna’s shops are traditionally still bustling with activity as many people rush to buy last-minute gifts, food, or decorations. Christmas Eve falls on a Wednesday this year, and although it is not a public holiday, special rules apply to opening hours. Shortened opening hours in shops on Christmas Eve…

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