Tips for Managing Homesickness in Austria

Published on April 26, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

Leaving your city, your country, your bearings to move to Austria can be an exciting adventure, but also a destabilizing one. Even in the heart of a postcard backdrop, with the Alps as a backdrop, historic coffeehouses, and a quality of life among the best in the world, homesickness often creeps in. Studies show that between 20% and 90% of expats experience a form of “Heimweh” during their first year abroad. This pain of distance is normal, common, and has nothing to do with a weakness of character.

This article provides practical tips to better understand, tame, and reduce homesickness in Austria, based on research, statistics, and the local cultural reality.

Understanding Homesickness: What’s Really Going On

Homesickness, or “homesickness”, isn’t just about wanting to go home. Psychologists describe it as an emotional reaction to the breaking of important attachments: family, friends, language, habits, places, even familiar smells and sounds. In German, the term “Heimweh” literally speaks of “home pain.”

Research shows that:

In Austria, this experience often fits into the classic phases of cultural adjustment: honeymoon, frustration/culture shock, adjustment, then integration. The first few weeks can be euphoric, filled with palace visits, mountain hikes, and culinary discoveries. Then, once the routine sets in, cultural differences, the language, and feelings of isolation take center stage.

Why Homesickness Can Be More Intense in Austria

Feeling disoriented is normal in any country, but certain characteristics specific to Austria can make the adjustment rougher than expected.

A Very Pleasant Country… But Not Always Socially Accessible

Major international expat surveys paint a nuanced picture. On one hand, Austria ranks very high for quality of life (transportation, nature, safety, environment, health). On the other, it scores significantly lower on the ease of finding a social place.

A summary of some recent data provides a good overview:

The numbers show a paradox: many expats are generally satisfied with their life in Austria, while experiencing relational difficulties and a mixed sense of welcome. When nearly a third say they don’t have a support network and a significant portion find locals unwelcoming towards foreigners, homesickness has fertile ground.

An Omnipresent and More Complicated Language Than Expected

Even though many Austrians speak English well, especially in Vienna, daily reality remains largely German-speaking. And not just any German: Austrian German has its own vocabulary, pronunciations, and even very distinct dialects depending on the region.

Surveys of expats reveal:

Not understanding neighbors in the stairwell, announcements at the pharmacy, administrative letters, or posters for local events fosters the feeling of being “on the sidelines of real life” in the country. This language barrier limits access to many activities—many concerts, neighborhood parties, courses, and clubs are advertised mainly in German—and therefore the opportunities to connect.

A More Reserved and Formal Culture

Austria values politeness, discretion, and a certain reserve in initial contacts. Formal greetings, strict punctuality, respect for personal space, using formal address (Sie) and titles (Herr/Frau + surname) are important codes. In a professional environment, hierarchy and formality remain strongly marked, even if they coexist with a strong culture of work-life balance.

Leveraging Austrian Culture to Recreate a “Home”

Rather than seeing these specific traits as obstacles, it’s possible to turn them into levers to ease homesickness and create a new form of “home” in Austria.

Embracing “Gemütlichkeit”: The Austrian Way of Coziness

One of the keywords of local culture is “Gemütlichkeit”: an untranslatable concept that blends warmth, comfort, slowness, a sense of security and belonging. You find it everywhere: in Viennese coffeehouses where you can stay for hours with a single coffee, in the wine taverns (Heuriger) on the outskirts of Vienna, in “Kaffee & Kuchen” (coffee and cake) afternoons, or during long mountain hikes followed by a hearty meal.

For someone feeling homesick, embracing this “Gemütlichkeit” becomes a powerful strategy. This involves:

Decorating your apartment with familiar items, while incorporating Austrian touches (e.g., a mug from a local café, a poster from a Viennese concert, a map of the Alps) helps anchor the feeling of having a “second home,” not just a temporary place to pass through.

Exploring Seasons and Traditions to Structure the Year

A source of homesickness often comes from holidays: Christmas, Easter, birthdays, national holidays. In Austria, these moments are particularly marked by strong traditions, often rooted in Catholicism, with many public holidays.

Instead of experiencing these periods as painful reminders of what’s missing, you can turn them into opportunities for integration and discovery.

Similarly, spring festivals (Easter markets, Osterjause brunch), the summer solstice bonfires on the mountains, the Almabtrieb (decorated cattle descent in autumn), or the winter ball season in Vienna provide calendar markers that help structure the year. The brain then gradually begins to register: “at this time of year, here, we do this,” creating new emotional anchors.

Making the Most of Austrian Nature to Breathe

Studies on mental health show that physical activity and contact with nature significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress, and sadness, all linked to homesickness. Austria has a massive advantage: nature is everywhere and easily accessible.

In practice, you can set very concrete rituals:

– A walk or bike ride along the Danube or another waterway after work

– A Sunday hike, even a modest one, in the hills or Alps depending on where you live

– Joining a hiking club or local sports association, which combines physical activity, scenery, and meeting people

Moving regularly alone doesn’t fix homesickness, but it helps make days more balanced, improves sleep, and opens up opportunities for contact outside the professional circle.

Building a Social Network to Stop Feeling Alone

One of the biggest factors in homesickness in Austria, according to surveys, is the lack of a support network. Nearly one in three expats says they don’t have one. Yet we know that a solid network makes job hunting easier, helps through tough times, and provides a form of “chosen family”.

Understanding the Logic of Networks in Austria

Contacts and networks are very important in Austria, both professionally and privately. In many regions, clubs, associations, and “Stammtisch” (regulars’ tables in cafés or taverns) are the heart of social life.

Using this club tradition as a springboard allows you to bypass the impression of “closed-off” locals. By joining a group around a shared interest, conversation focuses on a common activity, reducing linguistic or cultural discomfort.

Using Existing Resources for Expats

Austria, and especially Vienna, has a dense network of structures and communities catering to foreigners. Some focus on administrative and professional aspects, others emphasize social life.

Notable examples include:

Signing up for a few events, even without much initial motivation, breaks the isolation and lets you try different atmospheres to find where you feel most comfortable. It’s not uncommon for lasting friendships to form from simple encounters at a “coffee morning” or a cultural outing organized by these communities.

Being Proactive… But Patient

In a country where locals can seem cautious at first, the key is often consistency rather than intensity. Coming once to a Stammtisch or sports club is a start; coming back each week allows you to transition from “passing stranger” to familiar face. That’s when more personal invitations (a coffee, a meal, an outing) begin to emerge.

– Staying a few extra minutes after a sports class to chat

– Offering a coffee to a colleague after work, especially in Vienna where the coffee culture is deeply rooted

– Sending a thank-you message after an event, then suggesting another meetup

Homesickness feeds on perceived loneliness; every connection, even weak at first, acts as a counterbalance.

Taming the Language Without Unnecessary Pressure

Many expats underestimate how much language conditions the feeling of belonging. The numbers are clear: nearly half find it difficult to live in Austria without speaking German. At the same time, the difficulty of the language is a major source of frustration, even shame, which heightens homesickness.

Setting Realistic Goals

There’s no point aiming for perfection immediately. In the short term, the most useful goal is to handle basic situations: supermarket, doctor, transportation, simple daily interactions. Knowing a few words specific to Austrian German (like “Erdäpfel” for potato or “Marillen” for apricot) also gives a sense of complicity with local culture.

– A language course (adult education center, private school, company course)

– A language tandem with an Austrian who wants to practice your language

– Apps and online resources supplemented with real practice

Simply making the effort to try—even with a strong accent—is generally appreciated by Austrians. This can be enough to break some distance, especially in neighborhood shops, clubs, or with neighbors.

Using Language as an Antidote to Homesickness

Paradoxically, the more you stay locked in your native language, the more you risk reinforcing nostalgia and constant comparison with “home.” Without giving up your mother tongue, investing some energy in German or the local dialect allows:

This ability to “get by” reduces stress in every step, and with it, a whole chunk of homesickness.

Building Bridges to Your Home Country Without Taking Full Refuge

Between cutting ties with your former life and staying almost exclusively connected via your phone, there is a healthier balance. The challenge is to use ties to the home country as a resource, without making it a permanent refuge that prevents putting down roots in the new context.

Organizing Regular and Chosen Communication

Digitalization has made communication incredibly easy: video calls via WhatsApp, FaceTime, Zoom, voice messages, real-time photo sharing… This is a valuable asset for easing homesickness, provided you don’t overuse it to the point of living more in a foreign time zone than in Austrian reality.

For example, you can:

This regularity reassures everyone and limits guilt (“I don’t give enough news”), while leaving room for local activities.

Keeping Rituals from Home… and Mixing Them with Austrian Culture

Cooking dishes from home, listening to music in your language, celebrating your own national or religious holidays, sending and receiving care packages with products not available in Austria: all these ease the feeling of missing out.

The most effective trick is often to combine them with Austrian elements. A typical Christmas meal from your home country can be complemented with Austrian Advent cookies; a birthday party can be held in a Viennese café; a religious holiday can be celebrated while also enjoying a local public holiday.

This gradual blending creates a hybrid identity that, instead of pitting “here” against “there,” lets them coexist.

Cultural Identity

Planning Visits Wisely

Planning visits back home or hosting loved ones in Austria can be an immense source of comfort. It also provides temporal landmarks: “I’ll hold out until…”. But visits that are too frequent or poorly timed can strongly reignite homesickness upon each return.

It’s often useful to: reflect on your goals, set priorities, and establish an action plan.

– Let some time pass before the first return trip, to have time to establish a life locally

– Carefully choose visit periods: for example, avoid a short round trip that leaves a taste of too little and heightens the longing

– Use stays from loved ones in Austria to show them your daily life, favorite spots, friends, so they understand why you’re there

The goal is for these trips to be times of recharging, not painful reminders that “everything is better elsewhere.”

Relying on the Objective Strengths of Life in Austria

In moments of homesickness, it’s tempting to idealize your home environment and see only the frustrating aspects of Austria (language, friend group to rebuild, bureaucracy, etc.). Returning to the facts helps balance this view.

The numbers show for example that:

Consciously integrating these elements—spontaneously taking a weekend trip to a neighboring country, enjoying a dense public transport network, feeling safe in the city even at night, walking in large parks or forests accessible within minutes by transit—helps counterbalance the temptation to see only the drawbacks.

It doesn’t erase nostalgia, but it gives new meaning to the decision to live in Austria.

Expat in Austria

Recognizing When Homesickness Goes Beyond a Simple “Slump”

In most cases, homesickness decreases over weeks or months, as bearings are rebuilt. However, for some, symptoms persist or even worsen. Research shows that severe forms of homesickness can be accompanied by or lead to genuine anxiety or depressive disorders, with effects on physical health (digestive issues, chronic fatigue, pain, etc.).

– Nearly constant sadness or anxiety

– Pronounced social withdrawal, systematically refusing invitations

– Persistent sleep or appetite disturbances

– Inability to concentrate at work or studies

– Very negative thoughts about yourself, the host country, or the future

In this case, consulting mental health professionals in Austria is an important step, not an admission of failure.

Using the Austrian Healthcare System for Help

Austria has a high-performing healthcare system, including in the field of mental health. Expats working in the country are generally covered by public health insurance, which provides access to a wide range of services.

How the System Is Structured

Health, including mental health, is overseen at the federal level. Concretely, the pathway often starts with a general practitioner (Hausarzt), who can refer you to a psychiatrist (medical specialist) or a psychotherapist.

There are three main categories of professionals:

Several organizations maintain online directories, often filterable by language of practice (valuable for expats):

– The official register of psychotherapists

– The professional association of psychologists (BÖP)

– The Medical Chamber to find a psychiatrist

Costs and Reimbursements

A private practice session often starts around 75 euros. Public insurance may reimburse part of this amount if the professional has a contract with the fund, or if certain steps have been taken.

Generally speaking:

– Part of the session (e.g., around 28 euros) may be reimbursed, with the remainder being out-of-pocket

– With a specific authorization from the insurance, a certain number of sessions per year can be covered

– For specialist doctors without a direct contract, a portion of the fee (about 80% of the reference rate) may be reimbursed upon submission of the invoice and appropriate forms

Emergency Services and Helplines

In case of acute crisis—intense anxiety, suicidal thoughts, loss of control—Austria provides several emergency numbers and specialized services. General numbers (112, 144) provide access to hospital emergency rooms; crisis helplines also offer 24/7 listening, sometimes in multiple languages.

Knowing these resources exist and jotting them down somewhere—even if you hope never to need them—can be reassuring, especially during the first disorienting weeks.

Establishing a Routine That Stabilizes

A big part of homesickness comes from everything being new: places, sounds, smells, store opening hours, time management, administrative systems. The feeling of “no longer being in control of your life” intensifies. Recreating routines is then a powerful antidote.

Building a stable daily life can involve:

This structuring shouldn’t be rigid, but stable enough to provide anchor points. Every time a new landmark appears—a doctor found, a favorite barber, a mastered regular route, a café where the waiter recognizes your face—homesickness loses a little ground.

Accepting That Homesickness Is Part of the Journey

Research data highlight an important point: for the majority of expats, homesickness decreases over time. In the first few weeks, it can be intense, sometimes accompanied by physical symptoms (headaches, digestive issues, fatigue). Then, over the months, new connections, cultural landmarks, language, and habit transform this pain into a more stable undercurrent of nostalgia.

By choosing to invest gradually in the local culture, build a network, seek help when needed, and maintain healthy ties with your home country, it becomes possible not only to alleviate homesickness, but to make Austria a place that truly matters in your personal story.

Cyril Jarnias

Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.

On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.

Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.

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