From the tip of Grossglockner to the cafés of Vienna, plot your perfect route through Austria’s cultured cities, vine-filled countryside and Alpine grandeur
Words Rudolf Abraham
Cities of wonder
Soak up gilded glories, Baroque palaces and cultural festivals in urban Austria
Best for: Art, architecture, history, music, museums, restaurants, cafés and bars
Why go: Visit some of the most vibrant, culture-rich cities in Europe, full of history and atmosphere
Route: Bregenz; Innsbruck; Salzburg; Linz; Vienna; Graz
Bregenz, the capital of the state of Vorarlberg, hugs the shore of Lake Constance. It’s a small city with an international feel, top-notch cuisine and stacks of charm. Pay visits to the Vorarlberg cultural museum, the equally striking Kusthaus Bregenz art museum, and the impressive St Martin’s Tower (Martinsturm) in the Old Town, then finish by the lakeside watching the setting sun. And don’t miss the Bregenz festival in July/August – it has world-class opera performed on a floating stage.
From there you can take a direct train to the Tirolean capital, Innsbruck, a city graced by a beautiful historic centre. Innsbruck’s number-one landmark is the Goldenes Dachl, a Late-Gothic loggia built for the Emperor Maximilian I and adorned with more than 2,600 gilded copper tiles.
Alternatively, escape all this history and take a funicular/cable car up to the mountain playground of the Nordkette.
Next, hop on a direct train to Salzburg. The city’s UNESCO-listed historic core is incredibly well preserved and sports a panoply of Baroque architecture – including a fine cathedral – clustered below a sprawling hilltop castle. Drop by Mozart’s birthplace in the Old Town, then cross the river to visit the elegant Mirabell Palace and Gardens. The Salzburg Festival in July/August is another must-not-miss.
While many race between Salzburg and Vienna, it’s worth stopping in Linz – home to the Lentos Kunstmuseum (modern art), Ars Electronica Centre (science and tech) and Schlossmuseum (history), as well as one of Europe’s most modern opera houses. There’s some hugely impressive street art down in the harbour area, while the elongated Hauptplatz and the narrow streets of the surrounding Innere Stadt have some excellent restaurants. The city’s Brucknerfest – in honour of the classical composer Anton Bruckner – is one of the major highlights in Austria’s festival calendar. And with 2024 marking the bicentenary of Bruckner’s birth, this promises to be a special edition.
Vienna needs little introduction. This imperial capital was the centre of power for the ruling House of Habsburg for half a millennium, and remains one of the most culturally rich cities on Earth. And yet, the Austrian capital is a city with more to offer than the reductive stereotype of ‘classical Vienna’. Yes, it has some of the finest Baroque palaces and art collections in the world, but it’s also a youthful city with plenty of LGBTQ+-friendly spaces and a real joie de vivre. Along with the Baroque splendour of Schönbrunn Palace and the imperial grandeur of the Ringstrasse boulevard, make sure to take in the marvels of the Vienna Secession art movement, the old Jewish Quarter around Judenplatz and buzzy neighbourhoods like the 9th District, with its excellent Sigmund Freud Museum and underrated dining scene.
Finally, hop on the train and travel south to Graz, a route that takes you along the historic Semmering railway. A vibrant University city, Graz was Austria’s first European Capital of Culture (back in 2003). It’s also a UNESCO City of Design and a place where tradition collides headlong into contemporary art and architecture – in the best possible way. And if that hasn’t convinced you to take a gamble, it’s also the foodie capital of Austria
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Push boundaries at the Vorarlberg Museum
The Vorarlberg in Bregenz is the state’s leading museum. Its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions reflect, on the one hand, its responsibility to conserve and present the region’s history and cultural landscape; on the other, it showcases an examination of trends and movements in the world of contemporary art. Reopened around a decade ago, after a rather spectacular and expensive overhaul, its collection contains nearly 160,000 objects covering the region’s archaeology, history, art and folklore. The permanent exhibition Buchstäblich Vorarlberg presents the region’s history and culture through a series of carefully selected objects arranged alphabetically from A to Z. The architecture, like the collections themselves, is a juxtaposition of the old and the new: part listed building, part emphatically modern. As if to ram home the latter point, the ‘dotted’ texture of its exterior is modelled on the bases of plastic drinks bottles.
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Explore the Styrian capital on foot
Graz sees far fewer visitors than Vienna and Salzburg, and yet it’s a city that positively shines when given a chance. Start your tour at the Kunsthaus, its contemporary art gallery – an amazing piece of modern architecture by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, which opened to coincide with the city’s stint as a European Capital of Culture. Also known as the ‘Friendly Alien’, it looks rather like a giant organic blob, or sea slug, which has been unleashed among the neat, terracotta-tiled roofs of the old buildings alongside the River Mur. Cross the Mur via the spectacular artificial island of Murinsel (pictured) and wander the streets of the Old Town. Try to catch the Glockenspiel when it strikes, then visit the Styrian Armoury (the largest historical armoury in the world) before heading up the steps to Castle Hill, where there’s no longer any castle (Napoleon saw to that). The iconic clocktower still stands, though, and the neatly laid-out gardens offer fabulous views over the city.
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Visit Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg
Visit Mozart’s birthplace (Mozarts Geburtshaus) in Salzburg
Mozart was born in Salzburg, but moved to the Austrian capital at the age of 25. While Vienna has the lion’s share of celebrated musical venues, and its own Mozart House (one of several where the composer lived in the capital, but the only one to have survived until this day), Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg remains rather special among Austria’s many musical highlights. The house (pictured) on Getreidegasse has been transformed into a beautiful museum, spread across three floors. It has uncluttered, state-of-the-art display cases, yet manages to not lose the feeling of being an 18th-century house. Mozart lived here until 1773, when the family moved to the Mozart Residence on Salzburg’s Makartplatz. The displays include several of the composer’s own musical instruments, including his fortepiano, Costa violin, viola and his childhood violin. Letters and information about his relationship with family and friends do a good job of bringing the man and his character to life.
ASK A LOCAL
“Vienna is an unfinished symphony. From the medieval St Stephen’s cathedral to the Baroque Schönbrunn palace, it glides on through the Ringstrasse to the Opera House and Parliament. The last movement guides you from the golden age of Klimt and Schiele through the fall of the Habsburgs and the dark age of Nazi barbarism, up to its resurrection after the Second World War.”
(Klaus Pokorny)
(Klaus Pokorny)
Mountains to conquer
Run your fingers along the roof of Europe on Austria’s mountain trails
Best for: Alpine landscapes, hiking and the outdoors, hut-to-hut walks, long-distance trails, wildlife, gentle adventures
Why go: Sublime hiking among some of the most spectacularly beautiful mountain scenery on Earth, plus excellent mountain biking and winter skiing
Route: Tirol; Hohe Tauern National Park; Salzkammergut and Dachstein
Almost 28% of the Alps lies within Austria. It is a greater proportion than any other country in Europe, and nothing defines this nation so immediately – and dramatically – as its magnificent mountains. The Austrian Alps are synonymous with beautiful mountain trails, boasting enough vivid scenery and epic views to last a lifetime. From lakeside strolls to legendary long-distance treks like the Eagle Walk (413km) across the mountains of Tirol, hiking in Austria is a hugely rewarding experience. And it’s not just hiking – Austria’s ranges are home to plenty of thrilling mountain bike trails.
And then there are the hütten. Austrian mountain huts are institutions in themselves – cosy and welcoming, and as much a defining characteristic of the country as its sophisticated hotels and coffee houses, or its breathtaking art collections. They are a place to stop for the night and enjoy a hearty meal, seek advice, enjoy good company and conversation, or just indulge in some kaffee und kuchen (because even in the hills, you should never be without Austrian cakes).
Start in the mountains of Tirol, where you can take your pick from among 24,000km of marked hiking trails. Look to the Stubai Alps or Zillertal, south and east of Innsbruck respectively, for an astonishing range of hiking routes, including some fabulous hut-to-hut trails like the Stubaier Höhenweg. Both areas are easily reached from Innsbruck by bus (Stubai) or train (Zillertal). Or head for the Wilder Kaiser (direct train from Innsbruck to St Johann in Tirol) or the slightly more gentle Kitzbühel Alps (direct train from Innsbruck to Kitzbühel). Ötztal is particularly good for mountain biking (again, take a direct train from Innsbruck).
From Tirol, head for Hohe Tauern National Park, a vast sprawl of jagged peaks slashed by beautiful valleys and gorges. It is one of the greatest hiking regions in the Alps, and a fantastic area for seeing wildlife and masses of wildflowers. At the heart of the Hohe Tauern range lies the Grossglockner (3,798m), the country’s highest peak. One of the best ways to get close to this Alpine giant is by tackling the Glockner Trail, which makes a roughly 100km circuit of the mountain via a succession of huts.
For something less demanding, pick off a section of the Hohe Tauern Panorama Trail, a multi-day hiking route through the mountains just north of the Hohe Tauern, with incredible views across the Salzach. Indeed, if shorter hikes are what you’re looking for, consider basing yourself in the village of Heiligenblut, in Carinthia. And if you’re driving (or cycling), you’ll almost certainly want to explore the Grossglockner High Alpine Road (Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse), which crosses the Hochtor Pass.
Finally, you’ll find plenty of scenic challenges in the Salzkammergut region, east of Salzburg. With its 76 lakes, easily accessible trails and the gob-smacking Dachstein massif running across its southern edge, it’s a great area for day hikes. Salzkammergut is easily reached from Salzburg by taking the bus to Bad Ischl, then getting a train; or go via Bischofshofen to access the south side of the Dachstein.
(Teresa Kritzinger)
(Teresa Kritzinger)
Trek the accessible Alpe Adria Trail
The Alpe Adria Trail is one of Austria’s greatest long-distance challenges – and also one of its most accessible. Starting from the foot of Grossglockner, the route heads south for 750km, through Carinthia, Slovenia and northern Italy, to finish on the shores of the Adriatic. Of course, you don’t have to do the whole, epic trail – plenty of the sections in Austria can be combined for a more manageable escape lasting five days or a week, or can also work as day walks. Start from Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, which has views across the mighty sprawl of the Pasterze Glacier (the largest glacier in the Eastern Alps), and follow the route along and above the Mölltal Glacier for a week, finishing in Mallnitz, where you can pick up the train. Or start in Seeboden and do a five-day hike across the rugged Nockberge, a mountain range with a completely different character to the jagged peaks of the Hohe Tauern.
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Hut-to-hut hiking in Salzburgerland
Hut-to-hut hiking in Salzburgerland
The Salzburger Almenweg is a long-distance trail through Salzburgerland. Despite being much less well-known (at least in the UK) than many of the trails in neighbouring Tirol, it is a superb journey, offering plenty of stupendous scenery, wildflowers and wildlife. It has a particularly good succession of cosy mountain huts. Throw in a massive castle with some of the best falconry displays in Austria (Burg Hohenwerfen), one of the largest ice caves in the world (Eisriesenwelt), breathtaking views of the Hohe Tauern, the Hochkönig and the Tennengebirge, and you have all the makings of a very memorable three- or four-week trek. For a short taster, pick off a few stages in the north near Werfen and Arthurhaus, or further south around Grössarl. This is simply one of the very best introductions to hut-to-hut hiking anywhere in the Alps.
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Explore the Dachstein and Salzkammergut
The UNESCO-listed Dachstein massif is a vast limestone plateau that towers above the Hallstätter See. Along with the surrounding Salzkammergut region, it’s a great place to combine day hikes with visits to historic salt mines and gorgeous lakes, which are perfect for a refreshing swim after a day on the trail. Cable cars make access to the Dachstein plateau easy, and there are some superlative trails. But don’t underestimate the hikes up here – there’s little in the way of shade and the summer months can be unforgiving. Try the Dachstein Nature Trail, a beautiful one-day walk that runs between three mountain huts (Gjaidalm, Wiesberghaus and Simonyhütte)and serves up fantastic views of the Hallstätter Glacier. Or opt for the easier Heilbronner Trail, a circular 8km hike that offers some dazzling panoramas above 2,000m. Some of the best lakeside trails in Salzkammergut are in the Ausseerland region, where you can make a detour to Altausseer See for chocolate-box views and great swimming spots.
ASK A LOCAL
“The karst plateau of the Dachstein is very diverse. There’s something for every mountain enthusiast here – be it skiing, ski touring and snowshoeing in winter, or mountaineering, hut hikes and climbing in summer. The Wiesberghaus is a refuge on the edge of the forest: a meeting place for hikers, experienced mountaineers, climbers and families. Dogs are also very welcome. We provide guests with homemade hut delicacies – and on cosy hut evenings, we play Styrian harmonica, harp and guitar.”
(Teresa Kritzinger)
(Teresa Kritzinger)
Culture to savour
Devour classical music, art, crafts and history in museums and venues across Austria
Best for: Art and architecture, museums, music, crafts and heritage
Why go: Experience Austria’s cultural riches, from superb art collections and museums to era-defining architecture, as well as some of the finest music venues in Europe
Route: Imst; Salzburg; Salzkammergut; Vienna; Burgenland
Austria has culture in spades. From the imperial court of the Habsburgs, where generations of patronage funded Europe’s finest artists, architects and composers, to the traditional crafts and heritage practised in rural areas, there is plenty to mull over.
Shrovetide carnival traditions, in particular, come with a distinctively Alpine flavour – and nowhere more so than in Imst, near Innsbruck. With its hand-carved wooden masks, colourful costumes and intricate dances, the Imst carnival takes place every four years, and is inscribed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. At the Fasnacht Museum you can see masks and costumes from this and other (annual) carnival traditions on display.
Next, take the train from Innsbruck to Salzburg, then continue by bus into the Salzkammergut region to experience why it was made a European Capital of Culture for 2024 (see p114). You can continue by train from Bad Ischl to Vienna via Attnang-Puchheim.
The Austrian capital is tied inextricably to music, with many of the greatest composers in history having lived there. Schubert was a native of Vienna, as were Johann Strauss I and II, Schoenberg, Weber and others, while Mozart, Beethoven, Bruckner and Mahler all spent some of the most productive years of their careers in the city.
Music is in the capital’s DNA, and there are lots of opportunities to catch a concert or festival performed by world-class orchestras and ensembles. Check the programmes of the Musikverein, Wiener Konzerthaus (seat of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra), Vienna State Opera and MuTh (home to the Vienna Boys’ Choir), as well as St Anne’s Church and St Stephen’s Cathedral. Or for something more intimate, catch a concert in a Viennese coffee house such as Konzertcafé Schmid Hansl. Head to Club Porgy and Bess for live jazz, or dive into Vienna’s underground music scene along the Gürtel, a busy road with clubs and venues occupying the arches beneath the former Stadtbahn (the arches themselves were designed by Otto Wagner, a leading architect of the Vienna Secession).
Austria produced some of the greatest artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries – Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Koloman Moser, the list goes on. There’s nowhere better to appreciate their legacy than Vienna. For Jugendstil architecture, head to the Secession Building (built to showcase the work of this art movement) where you can see Klimt’s striking Beethoven Frieze (and listen to Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ on the headphones provided as accompaniment). Or head to the Leopold Museum where the permanent Vienna 1900 exhibition places the work of Austria’s artists within the context of the changes that swept society at the turn of the 20th century. Also check out Otto Wagner’s Church of St Leopold at Steinhof, and the Majolica House and Muse House on Wienzeile.
From Vienna, take a bus to Oberpullendorf in central Burgenland to visit the Blaudruckerei Koó, a traditional indigo dyeing workshop in nearby Steinberg – one of only a handful left in Central Europe.
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Explore Vienna’s amazing museums
There’s far more to Vienna than its museums; however, they also happen to be some of the finest on the planet, and you really shouldn’t leave without visiting a few of them. Highlights include the Leopold Museum in the MuseumsQuartier – home to the world’s largest collection of works by Egon Schiele, as well as plenty of Kokoshka and Klimt. You’ll also find the era-defining permanent exhibition Vienna 1900 here. The Baroque palace of Belvedere is another venue with a superb collection – and is where you’ll discover Klimt’s painting The Kiss (pictured). Elsewhere, MUMOK is the city’s leading museum of modern art, and is due to reopen in June following a renovation. Other must-sees include the excellent Sigmund Freud Museum (in Freud’s former apartment), the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Albertina Modern, and the newly reopened Wien Museum – one of the best places to learn more about the city’s fascinating history.
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Take in the European Capital of Culture 2024
The small, historic spa town of Bad Ischl, together with 22 other locations across the Salzkammergut region, is the European Capital of Culture 2024. Salzkammergut follows in the footsteps of Graz and Linz, which held the title in 2003 and 2009 respectively – and it’s the first time ever that a rural Alpine area has been a European Capital of Culture. Around 200 events are planned across the year – exhibitions, concerts, installations – showcasing the region’s long history and questioning how it will respond to challenges in the present and future. Salzkammergut is also home to the UNESCO-listed salt mines at Hallstatt (pictured), where salt has been mined for around 7,000 years. There’s plenty to see: catch the Transcending Borders exhibition by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, take an acrobatic journey through the world of Mahler’s music, or discover the Salzkammergut of yesterday in the photos of folklorist Konrad Mautner.
(Rudolf Abraham)
(Rudolf Abraham)
See traditional indigo dyeing in Burgenland
Blaudruckerei Koó is one of the last two remaining indigo-dyeing workshops in Austria. This third-generation family business is keeping alive a traditional craft that thrived in Central Europe between the 17th and 19th centuries. Located in the village of Steinberg, just outside Oberpullendorf in central Burgenland, Miriam and Joseph Koó (pictured) create beautiful, indigo-dyed textiles, with intricate patterns and designs made using wooden printing blocks – some of them well over 100 years old. The technique of indigo dyeing and resist block printing is long and time-consuming, but the process also uses no chemicals (making it superior to modern dyeing techniques, which often contain toxic substances and are a major source of river pollution). The results are unique. These fabrics are made into items that you’ll find for sale in the small shop. The other workshop is Blaudruckerei Wagner, in Upper Austria.
A culinary adventure
From rural wine taverns to Viennese cafés, Austria holds plenty of gastronomic surprises
Best for: Wine, wine routes, taverns, local produce, cakes
Why go: Spend time in a Viennese café, winery or country heuriger to sample all the flavours of Austria
Route: Wachau Valley; Vienna; Purbach and Rust; South Styria; Graz
Austria’s culinary highlights are myriad, and will take you from traditional taverns to Michelin-starred eateries, with a few excellent wine regions scattered in between.
Start in the Wachau Valley, a stretch of the Danube that lies west of Vienna, between Krems an der Donau and Melk. This UNESCO-listed landscape is a ripe blend of vineyards, historic abbeys and castles, and is one of the country’s finest wine regions, producing show-stopping bottles of grüner veltliner. The best way to explore the area is by bike, following the charming Danube Cycle Path. Try to combine a day of pedalling with a Danube cruise, taking the boat in one direction (bikes can be taken onboard – reserve a place for them when you book your ticket), then returning to Krems on two wheels.
The star of the Wachau is the heuriger. These taverns have been a popular feature of the valley since the 1780s, when Emperor Joseph II granted winemakers a licence to serve their own wine (and later, food) on their properties, in order to supplement their income throughout the year. Both Krems and Melk are easily reached by train from Vienna.
Vienna has some of Austria’s best restaurants, its most historic coffee houses and a kaleidoscopic range of bars. Neighbourhood markets are a good bet for getting off the beaten track, while the city’s coffee houses are legendary. It’s also worth pointing out that – along with familiar favourites like wiener schnitzel and taffelspitz – the range of cuisines on offer in Vienna is vast. If you’re after a beer, Ottakringer is Vienna’s best-known brewery, and does a range of craft beers under the Brauwerk label (brewery tours on Thursdays and Saturdays). If you’re still thirsty, AmmutsØn is a hard-to-beat craft-beer bar in the vibrant 6th District.
Next up, take a train over to Neusiedlersee, the huge lake in northern Burgenland. This excellent birdwatching and biodiversity hotspot encompasses a national park, Natura 2000 site and RAMSAR site. The area is also one of Austria’s top wine regions; in many cases, you’ll even find small plots of vines within the boundaries of the national park.
This part of Austria is noted for its zweigelt and welschriesling grapes (the latter used for fabulous dessert wines), as well as its blaufränkisch. This is also a great place to sample the delights of a heuriger (or buschenschank, as they’re known here and in Styria). Stop in the villages of Purbach or Rust to enjoy a glass or two of local wine along with a cold platter. Boats run across the lake, plus this is another of those Austrian lowland areas tailor-made for cycling.
Now, head to Graz (direct train from Vienna, or from Burgenland via Wiener Neustadt). Graz sits at the centre of some of the best local produce in Styria, meaning the quality of food on offer in the city’s restaurants and taverns is extremely good. For the quintessential Grazer snack, stop in at deli Frankowitsch for its trademark brötchen (an open sandwich with a plethora of toppings) and a glass of wine. Graz makes a great springboard for visiting South Styria, home to the South Styrian Wine Road and more buschenschanks than anywhere else in the country. It’s also a place where gemütlichkeit (cordiality) reigns supreme.
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South Styrian Wine Road
Austria has several exceptional wine regions, and many excellent wine routes; however, nowhere encapsulates Austrian wine, wine making and its wine taverns quite so well as South Styria. The South Styrian Wine Road stretches west from Ehrenhausen, close to the border with Slovenia. This is a landscape of steeply pitched vineyards dotted with what look like giant wooden windmills (known as klapotec), which are actually an ingenious means of scaring away birds. Ehrenhausen is just a short train ride from Graz, and the wine road itself is best explored by bike or e-bike. You can also get about using the handy ‘wine taxi’, provided as a free service with a large number of local guesthouses. Along with top-notch wines (gelber muskateller and sauvignon blanc feature prominently), South Styria, or Südsteiermark, is famed for its family-run buschenschanks, which serve wine and food made from the abundant local produce – best appreciated alongside a delicious cold platter (brettljause).
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Vienna’s coffee houses
First off, it’s not just about the coffee. What sets Viennese coffee houses apart is their history, the setting, their atmosphere – not to mention the cakes. Sitting in a coffee house like Café Central (on Herrengasse), with its mid-19th-century architecture and newspaper racks, you’ll be following on the heels of the likes of Sigmund Freud, Leon Trotsky and a slew of Austrian writers and poets (including Peter Altenberg, who was such a fixture that he had his mail delivered there). And as for the desserts – well, a slice of chocolate-smothered, apricot jam-infused Sachertorte is a moment to remember. Some other landmark Vienna coffee houses include Café Hawelka (on Dorotheergasse; once a hangout of Andy Warhol), Café Sacher (on Philharmoniker Strasse; opened in 1876 by the son of the pastry chef credited with inventing Sachertorte), Café Goldegg (on Argentinierstrasse; with a superb Jugendstil interior), and the still local-feeling Café Jelinek (on Otto-Bauer-Gasse).
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The culinary capital of Graz
Vienna’s food scene is legendary, and most of the country’s Michelin-starred restaurants are concentrated in the capital, or in Salzburg. Nevertheless, Austria’s true culinary capital is arguably Graz. With around 300 urban farmers, this city is surrounded by some of the country’s finest produce, from the legendary pumpkin seed oil of South Styria to fantastic hops and apples (more than three-quarters of the country’s apples are grown in Styria). And that’s before you even mention the superb wine. The city has more than a dozen farmers’ markets supplying an incredibly vibrant food scene, from fine-dining restaurants to street food and rustic taverns, with several outstanding vegetarian and vegan options. Take a stroll around the city’s largest farmers’ market on Kaiser-Josef-Platz, then stop off at the market on Lendplatz with its wonderful food stalls. Stock up on fresh bread, local cheeses and charcuterie, then drag your haul to the banks of the River Mur or one of the city’s parks to enjoy the perfect picnic.
ASK A LOCAL
“What makes the South Styrian wine region so special? To me Südsteiermark has plenty of hidden treasures. The food in a buschenschank is real, regional and homemade – what a joy. And making wine in such humid conditions is very difficult, but we know – and taste – that it’s worth it.”
(Rudolf Abraham)
(Rudolf Abraham)
Small-town Austria
Take in the mountain air and a slower pace of life in Austria’s lake, Alpine and spa towns
Best for: Food, architecture, hiking, outdoors, shopping
Why go: Scattered across mountain areas and beyond, Austria’s small towns have a charm all of their own, with a boutique feel and no shortage of that cosy feeling of welcome known as gemütlichkeit
Route: Kitzbühel; St Johann
in Tirol; Zell am See; St Johann im Pongau; St Gilgen; Bad Isch
Start in Kitzbühel, one of the most beautiful of Austria’s small Alpine towns. Its centre is a mix of cobbled streets and colourful facades, small galleries and cafés. The Kitzbühel Museum is a good place to learn more about the town, the surrounding region and its history. Then head up to the pretty Baroque town of St Johann in Tirol, the gateway to the great outdoor playground of the Wilder Kaiser.
Continue by train to Zell am See, which sits on the shore of Lake Zell and below the arc of mountains formed by the Schmittenhöhe. From the pretty town centre, walk down to the lakeside, where you can take a boat tour, rent an SUP or have a swim at one of the lidos. From here, take the train to St Johann im Pongau, where you can visit the prominent Neo-Gothic cathedral and the small-but-hardy Anna Chapel, which dates back to the 14th century. The local farm shop has a fantastic array of cheese, honey and schnapps from over 25 local producers. The number-one hike in the area is the sensational Liechtensteinklamm Gorge.
Take the train to Salzburg, then hop on a bus to St Gilgen. Of all the towns in the Salzkammergut region, this is one of the loveliest, and sits on the western shore of Wolfgangsee. Its main square is surrounded by traditional inns and hotels with geraniums spilling over wooden balconies. You can take a boat to the town of St Wolfgang, then switch to the Schafberg Railway to ride up to just below the summit of Schafberg.
Finally, continue by bus to Bad Ischl. This bijou spa town was once the summer residence of Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Sisi, and still carries an imperial air. Visit the Kaiservilla, enjoy a spa, or simply stop at a riverside café for coffee and irresistible Austrian cakes.
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Descend the ‘Helix’ into the
Liechtensteinklamm Gorge
The Liechtensteinklamm Gorge is a place of sheer rock walls and roaring waterfalls, and it makes for one of the most spectacularly impressive short walks anywhere in Austria. The trails into the gorge were completely renovated and rebuilt a few years ago, and the payoff is well worth the relatively effortless stroll. As well as all the galleries and tunnels, there’s a breathtaking spiral staircase (made of steel) that takes you some 30m down into the depths of the gorge.
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Take in the view from the Kitzsteinhorn
While you’re in Zell am See, take the K-onnection cable car from nearby Kaprun up Kitzsteinhorn. At 12km, it’s the longest continuous cable car axis in the Eastern Alps, and you can also join a tour with a national park guide, who will explain the different climatic zones on the way up. The landscape you’ll take in from the viewing platform, just below the 3,203m summit, is worth it, as you breathe in the grand sweep of high peaks, including Grossglockner (3,798m), It’s simply unforgettable.
ASK A LOCAL
“The uniqueness of cheese and cheese production in the Bregenzerwald region lies primarily in the traditional manufacturing process and the use of high-quality, natural ingredients. The cows grazing in the Alps feed on fresh grass, herbs and flowers, which positively impacts the quality of the milk.”
(Bernhard Bär)
(Bernhard Bär)
The wild side
Explore national parks filled with birds and endemic mountain wildlife
Best for: Wildlife, the outdoors, wildflowers, lakes
Why go: To see some of Europe’s most iconic species, including rarities such as the great bustard
Route: Hohe Tauern National Park; Gesäuse National Park; Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park
Austria’s diverse landscapes range from soaring Alpine peaks and lush montane pastures to forested river valleys and limestone plateaus, to wetlands and endless steppe. These incredible habitats provide refuge to an amazing array of wildlife, from colourful butterflies to Alpine ibex, and some fantastic birdwatching hotspots.
Start your wildlife tour in Hohe Tauern National Park, the largest protected area in the Alps. It covers an area of 1,856 sq km and is home to around 15,000 animal species. The area around
Grossglockner is particularly good for spotting raptors, including bearded and griffon vultures, and golden eagles – the Krumltal is nicknamed the ‘Valley of the Vultures’.
Next, head east to the steep-sided river valleys of Gesäuse National Park, which is home to a huge diversity of species, including plenty of birdlife, and is a famed refuge for the elusive Eurasian lynx. It’s also easy enough to travel to by rail from Hohe Tauern (via Bischofshofen).
Finish in Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park, which you can reach via Vienna (direct trains at the weekend). Neusiedler See is the country’s most spectacular area for birding. You can spot everything from little crake (it has one of the largest breeding populations in Europe) to the great bustard and eastern imperial eagle. The lake covers a huge area, stretching across the border and into Hungary. It’s perfect for exploring by bike, and there’s plenty of wine taverns to dip into along the way.
(Alamy)
(Alamy)
Gaze at golden eagles and Alpine ibex in Hohe Tauern National Park
The response when seeing a bearded vulture sweeping overhead is generally one of sheer awe. These huge birds have a wingspan that can reach nearly three metres, and they were reintroduced into the Hohe Tauern National Park in the 1980s. As far as conservation goes, the population that now lives here is one of the great success stories of wildlife reintroduction in Central Europe. This area is also among the best places in Austria to see golden eagles (there are over 40 breeding pairs in the national park), griffon vultures and the majestic Alpine ibex.
(Alamy)
(Alamy)
Birdwatching in Neusiedler
See-Seewinkel National Park
Neusiedler See is one of the greatest birdwatching sites in Austria. Here you can spot everything from spoonbills to white-tailed eagles, as well as thousands of migrating cranes (best seen between mid-October and mid-November). Of all its many highlights, nothing tops the spectacular springtime courtship displays of the world’s heaviest flying bird, the great bustard. Viewing platforms are provided so that visitors don’t scare the wildlife; even better, join a national park excursion and learn more about the park’s 370 recorded species of bird.
Need to know
When to go
There’s no wrong time of the year to visit Austria. There is sublime hiking between June and October, though you can expect snow on the high passes any earlier, and huts to be closed any later. Ski season runs from December to April, with some of the most reliable conditions from mid-January. March and early April can be a great time to ski in Austria minus the crowds. Advent in Vienna, Salzburg, Graz or Innsbruck is a magical period, thanks to its snow-dusted streets and Christmas markets. Equally, the long, balmy summer evenings in Vienna, when the cafés and bars spill out onto the cobbled streets and squares, are just as beautiful. Wildlife tends to be species-specific, with May/June good for butterflies in the Hohe Tauern and April to mid-May best for seeing great bustards at Neusiedler See.
Getting there & around
There are various regional direct flights from the UK to Austria, landing in Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt. Flights take upwards of two hours. Alternatively, you can get from London to Salzburg (via Brussels) by rail in as little as 11 hours, with the option of doing the journey by day, overnight on a comfy sleeper, or with an overnight stop.
Austria has an outstandingly good rail network, which is as reliable as it is comprehensive. Locations unreachable by train are generally covered by a bus route. Austria also has some superb cycle routes, including the Danube Cycle Path and the Alpe Adria Radweg.
Carbon offset
A return flight from London to Vienna produces 230kg of carbon per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. For advice on how to find one, visit wanderlust.co.uk/sustainable-travel. .
Further information
The Austrian National Tourist Office website has plenty of tips and information for visiting the country’s regions, towns and cities.
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