National day in Austria

Every year on October 26 Austrians celebrate their country's declaration of permanent neutrality after World War II and its regained status as an independent and sovereign nation on October 26, 1955.

The Austrian Parliament Building in Vienna.

©iStockphoto.com/Ivan Tykhyi

What do people do?

On October 26, the Austrian national flag is omnipresent throughout the country. Memorial ceremonies are held in many locations, federal museums offer free entry and some state institutions open for visitors.

A very different tradition on National Day are the “fitness marches” (Fit-Märsche). These are hikes that are organized throughout the country and attract around 100,000 people each year. The aim is to promote fitness and raise awareness of a healthy life-style.

Public life

The National Day on October 26 is a public holiday in Austria. Offices, banks, schools and businesses are closed. Public transport runs on a reduced schedule.

Background

October 26 has been the date of Austria's National Day since 1965. Ten years earlier, the country had declared its permanent neutrality, which has since become one of the fundamental values of Austrian foreign policy. One day before the declaration, on October 25, 1955, the last foreign troops left the country, which had been occupied by the four allied powers (Soviet Union, United States, Great Britain and France) since the end of World War II.

National day Observances

Other holidays in October 2013 in Austria

• Daylight Saving Time ends ―Sunday, October 27, 2013