No Holidays in Austria?

'Let's hang out in the mall on Sunday!' is the usual conversation I often hear from my colleagues after a long week at work.

Getreidegasse, Salzburg. Picture from: GPSMyCity

Weekends are often the most eagerly anticipated days of the week. Saturdays and Sundays are when people hang out with loved ones by shopping at the mall, eating out in restaurants, or even doing groceries with family. Overall, it's the time of the week for people to release their stresses from daily work pressures.

Imagine not having Sundays in your life. It sounds weird, but that actually kind of happens in Austria. There, shops are prompt to be closed on Sundays by law. Other than that, shops are closed earlier on Saturdays than on weekdays. Shops should already be closed by 1 pm on Saturdays. This situation is 180 degrees different from what I have back home in Jakarta, Indonesia, where stores and restaurants are often open for a longer time at weekends compared to weekdays; some are available for 24 hours at weekends.

Kaprun. Picture From: TouristSecrets

If I happened to visit Austria someday, I would feel confused about not knowing what to do at weekends there. I might experience culture shock--an indicator of experiencing difficulties in a new country--during my adapting time in Austria. However, a smart traveller must know that every rule must have its own good reasons and respect the traditions there. Austrians feel Sundays are made for family and rest, slowing down after the week. To spend my weekends in Austria, I will cherish my time by taking leisure walks around the city (here's an inspiration from my previous post) or exploring Austria's nature destinations with my beloved.