16 (for beer and wine); 18 (for spirits).

Austria enjoys an enduring reputation for music, literature and the arts; visitors are just as likely to find Alpine New Wave punk-rock as they are yodelling. Nightlife is versatile, offering laid-back taverns, beer gardens and excellent après-ski, trendy clubs and dance venues. Viennese nightlife offers something for every taste: opera,theatre and cabaret as well as numerous bars and nightclubs. There are cinemas of all types, some of them of architectural interest, showing films in different languages. A good way to spend a summer evening is in one of the beer gardens found all over Austria, and the wine-growing area around Vienna features wine gardens (Heurigen) where visitors can sample local wines in an open-air setting.

High-quality goods such as handbags, glassware, chinaware and winter sports equipment are the cream of specialist items found in Austria.

Shops and stores are generally open from Mon-Fri 0800-1800 (with a one- or two-hour lunch break in smaller towns) and Sat 1200-1700. Big stores and shops in tourist resorts now open Mon-Fri 0800-2100 and Sat/Sun 0800-1800.