Austria Public Holidays 2026

Austria has 15 public holidays in 2026, among the highest counts in the EU. Most of the extra dates trace back to the Catholic church calendar — Corpus Christi, Assumption Day and the Immaculate Conception are all official holidays in Austria but not in Germany.

This page sets out the full 2026 calendar, an easily confused pair of holidays that trips up newcomers, and the way school breaks are staggered across Austria's nine states.

Austria's 2026 Public Holidays

The 15 dates below apply nationwide. Government offices and schools close; retail rules are covered further down.

Two 'National' Holidays — Not the Same Thing

Newcomers often assume Austria has one national day. It actually has two, six months apart, with unrelated origins.

• 1 May — Staatsfeiertag (State Holiday). Falls on the same date as Labour Day elsewhere in Europe; trade union marches gather around Vienna's Rathausplatz each year.
• 26 October — Nationalfeiertag (National Day). Marks the anniversary of parliament's 1955 declaration of permanent neutrality. The Austrian Armed Forces open military equipment displays to the public on Vienna's Heldenplatz, a tradition running since 1965.

School Breaks Staggered Across Three Weeks

Austria's nine federal states don't take their February mid-term break (Semesterferien) at the same time. Instead the country splits it across three consecutive weeks, so ski resorts don't get hit by every school in the country at once.

• 2–7 February 2026 — Vienna (WI) and Lower Austria (NÖ)
• 9–14 February 2026 — Carinthia (KÄ), Tyrol (TI), Vorarlberg (VA), Salzburg (SB)
• 16–21 February 2026 — Upper Austria (OÖ) and Styria (SM)

A few states also close schools for regional patron saint days most visitors have never heard of: Saint Florian's Day in Upper Austria (4 May), Saint Rupert's Day in Salzburg (24 September), and Saint Leopold's Day in Vienna and Lower Austria (15 November). Elsewhere in the country these are ordinary working days.

Austria's Time Zone

Austria observes Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) in winter and Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2) from the last Sunday of March through the last Sunday of October — the same system and switch dates as Germany and Hungary.

London sits an hour behind Vienna year-round, since both the UK and Austria shift their clocks on the same dates. No adjustment is needed between Vienna, Berlin, Paris or Budapest.

What's Open on Public Holidays?

Closing rules vary slightly by state, but the pattern holds nationally: large supermarkets and chain retailers close on public holidays, while small station kiosks generally stay open. On 25 December and 26 October, city centres empty out almost entirely.

Brief Notes and Traditions

On 26 October, the Austrian military opens tanks and helicopters to public viewing on Vienna's Heldenplatz — families with children turn out in large numbers. New Year's Eve brings the Vienna Philharmonic's traditional concert, broadcast worldwide; demand for tickets is high enough that seats are allocated by international lottery each year. February's staggered mid-term break is peak season for Alpine ski resorts, so anyone planning family travel should check the relevant state's dates well ahead.