Austria School Holidays 2026/27

When is the Semesterferien (February semester break) in 2027?

Austria's 2026/27 semester break again splits into three one-week groups set by the Bundesministerium für Bildung (BMB). Niederösterreich and Wien break first, from Monday 1 February to Saturday 6 February 2027. Burgenland and Kärnten follow from 8 to 13 February 2027. Oberösterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol and Vorarlberg close the rotation from 15 to 20 February 2027.

The staggered schedule exists so ski resorts and winter tourism regions do not face all nine states' families in the same week. Group membership rotates over years, for example Salzburg sits with the third group in 2026/27.

When are Easter and Pentecost holidays (Osterferien and Pfingstferien) in 2027?

Osterferien 2027 runs nationwide from Saturday 20 March to Monday 29 March 2027, covering Holy Week and Easter Monday. Dates are fixed by the BMB for all nine federal states.

Pfingstferien is the short Pentecost break: Saturday 15 May to Monday 17 May 2027, also uniform across the country.

How long are the 2027 summer holidays (Sommerferien) and when do they start?

Sommerferien 2027 again uses two groups. Burgenland, Niederösterreich and Wien holiday from Saturday 3 July to Sunday 5 September 2027. Kärnten, Oberösterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol and Vorarlberg run from Saturday 10 July to Sunday 12 September 2027. Sommerferien remains the longest break in the Austrian school calendar.

What are the Herbstferien and Weihnachtsferien dates for the 2026/27 school year?

Herbstferien runs from Tuesday 27 October to Saturday 31 October 2026 in all nine Länder, sitting right after National Day on Monday 26 October 2026.

Weihnachtsferien runs from Thursday 24 December 2026 to Wednesday 6 January 2027 (Epiphany), again nationwide. Both blocks are already under way or imminent for readers planning winter travel in October 2026.

Why do semester break dates rotate between Austrian states?

Rotation is set under the Schulzeitgesetz and implemented each year by the BMB with the nine Bildungsdirektionen. Three groups of states take turns opening the February break first, middle or last so no region is permanently first or last.

For 2026/27 the order is Niederösterreich/Wien (1–6 Feb), Burgenland/Kärnten (8–13 Feb), then Oberösterreich/Salzburg/Steiermark/Tirol/Vorarlberg (15–20 Feb). Summer holidays use a similar two-group stagger.

How do these school holiday dates affect ski resort crowds and prices?

Semesterferien is Austria's peak ski week because it is the only mid-winter week-long break for most school-age families. In 2027 the busiest Alpine demand typically sits with the third group (15–20 February), which includes Tirol, Salzburg and Vorarlberg, with smaller spikes in the first two February weeks.

Families who can travel outside all three February windows, or who use Osterferien (20–29 March 2027) instead, usually find more lift-ticket and rental availability. Christmas demand concentrates in the 24 December 2026–6 January 2027 Weihnachtsferien window.