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UPDATE: Vienna and Lower Austria’s hard lockdown extended until May 2nd

The strict lockdown in the Austrian capital of Vienna and the state of Lower Austria will be extended until at least May 2nd.

Published: 12 April 2021 17:37 CEST
Updated: 13 April 2021 09:18 CEST
UPDATE: Vienna and Lower Austria's hard lockdown extended until May 2nd
A visitors walks past removed chairs at the 'Orient Accident' restaurant at Naschmarkt market in Vienna, Austria.(Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

The decision was announced at a press conference on Monday, April 12th, due largely to the dire situation in the country’s intensive care wards. 

Unlike the other eastern states, Burgenland will not extend its lockdown beyond April 18th. 

Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig announced on Monday that the existing strict measures would remain in place for a further two weeks past the current April 18th expiration date. 

Austria’s coronavirus lockdown: Under what circumstances can I leave my apartment?

This includes the 24-hour stay-at-home order, a ban on close contact services (i.e. hairdressers and cosmetic services), strict border controls, working from home requirements and the closure of non-essential shops. 

FFP2 masks will now be required in all rooms where more than one person is present, other than in private homes. 

Schools will continue ‘distance learning’ – i.e. home schooling – until at least April 25th. 

The next meeting of state authorities is scheduled for Friday, April 16th, although this may be brought forward, Austria’s Kronen Zeitung newspaper reports. 

This is the third time the lockdown – which was originally put in place only to cover the Easter period – has been extended. It was initially imposed until April 7th, before being extended until April 11th, then April 18th. 

Member comments

  1. Of course…let’s lock down again AND have our health minister resign. No lockdown will solve this. Unless there is a mass vaccination effort, which there is not (that little website thing is a hot mess…) we will continue to be in lockdown until Christmas! Figure it out! This place has a socialized medical system and you’re telling me you can’t get this done? And they can in Mississippi? Vienna is doomed…

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EXPLAINED: How will Austria’s new ‘federal museum card’ work?

Vienna has some beautiful but expensive museums, and the federal government now wants to make culture more accessible with a new yearly ticket covering its main capital museums.

Published: 28 May 2024 15:13 CEST
EXPLAINED: How will Austria's new 'federal museum card' work?

While visiting a museum can be extremely cheap or even free in some countries, Austria has some expensive exhibitions. Some of the country’s best museums, such as the National History or the Albertina, for example, cost almost €20.

It becomes more affordable if you buy yearly tickets, which are often worth it from the third visit on, but it does limit the number of times Austrians go to museums — or at least the variety of the visits — if you buy one or two yearly tickets.

With that in mind, Austria’s federal government introduced a new “Federal Museum Card” this week, which will allow the holder unlimited visits without restriction to all federal museums making cultural exploration more affordable and accessible.

READ ALSO: One day in Vienna – How to spend 24 hours in the Austrian capital

How much will it cost and how can I buy it?

According to the Austrian Secretary for Culture, the federal museum card (Bundesmuseencard) will be sold for €99 a year. It will be valid from July 1st when anyone can buy them online or in the participating museums.

For comparison, a yearly ticket for Mumok Museum costs €22, while for Albertina, it costs €78. 

Isn’t there something similar already in Austria?

Sort of. There was a previous federal museum card sold since 2018, but this only offered one admission to each museum for €66 a year. In 2023, 7,700 of these cards were sold, Der Standard reported.

The new card is a significant upgrade from its predecessor. State Secretary for Culture Andrea Mayer (Greens) described it as a “genuine yearly ticket”, offering unlimited access to all federal museums, a stark contrast to the previous card which only allowed one admission to each museum. 

The older version will be phased out as cards expire.

READ ALSO: Eight unique Austrian museums you need to visit

Which museums are included?

You can visit all the federal museums in Vienna with the card: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Naturhistorisches Museum, Albertina, Belvedere, Museum moderner Kunst (Mumok), Technisches Museum, Museum für angewandte Kunst (Mak) plus the Austrian National Library. The card is valid for regular and special exhibitions and whenever the museums are open. 

Additionally, the idea is to incentivise spontaneous short visits. Cardholders can breeze through a “fast lane” without queuing at the counter; no prior bookings are necessary, enhancing the overall museum experience.

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