Mountain holidays in Austria

Austria is one of Europe’s most fascinating mountain destinations, where the majestic 3,798-metre-high Grossglockner Alps rise and offer landscapes ranging from snow-capped peaks to gentle hillsides. The Alpine country par excellence boasts over 950 glaciers and 580 mountain lakes, creating a natural mosaic that attracts millions of visitors every year.

Austria’s morphology is 70% dominated by the Alps, divided into the Rhaetian, Noric and Northern Limestone Alps. The average altitude of the country is around 900 metres, with valleys descending to 115 metres at Neusiedler See and peaks exceeding 3,000 metres. The Alpine climate has snowy winters ideal for winter sports and cool summers perfect for hiking, with snowfall reaching 6-8 metres per year in the high-altitude areas.

Austrian Alpine traditions, from Tyrolean culture to village festivals, enrich the mountain experience with authentic folklore events and the famous Alpine hospitality reflected in cosy mountain huts.

Ski resorts in Austria

Austria is home to some of the world’s most renowned ski resorts, with more than 22,000 kilometres of pistes spread over more than 400 areas. Tyrol concentrates 60 per cent of the national skiing offer with legendary resorts.

Innsbruck, the Olympic capital for two editions, offers access to 9 ski areas with 300 kilometres of slopes reaching the 3,340 metres of the Stubai Glacier. The Tyrolean city connects the areas of Axamer Lizum, Igls and Patscherkofel in the Olympia SkiWorld area.

Kitzbühel remains the mecca of world alpine skiing, famous for the Hahnenkamm, the most feared downhill race in the white circus. The Tyrolean resort offers 179 kilometres of slopes stretching up to 2,000 metres in the KitzSki domain.

Sölden is the only resort in Austria with two skiable glaciers that guarantee snow from September to June. The slopes of Rettenbach and Tiefenbach reach up to 3,340 metres, and the resort gained fame as the set of James Bond in ‘Spectre’.

Saalbach-Hinterglemm forms the Skicircus with 270 kilometres of slopes, while Ischgl boasts the international Silvretta Arena area famous for its glacier concerts. Zell am See-Kaprun combines skiing on the Kitzsteinhorn with unique lakeside atmospheres.

Nature parks and protected areas

Austria protects its natural heritage through 6 national parks and more than 400 nature reserves covering 28 per cent of its territory, offering some of the best-preserved alpine ecosystems in Europe.

The Hohe Tauern National Park is the largest protected area in the Central Alps with 1,856 km² between Tyrol, Salzburg and Carinthia. It preserves the Grossglockner (3,798m), 342 glaciers and more than 15,000 species. The Grossglockner Hochalpenstraße runs through the park with 17 viewpoints.

The Gesaeuse National Park in Styria protects the Enns Alps with limestone formations reaching up to 2,369 metres and the spectacular Enns Gorge. The Neusiedler See National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, preserves Europe’s largest steppe lake with over 340 bird species.

Other significant parks include the Thayatal on the Czech border with rare wildcat populations, the Northern Limestone Alps in the Salzkammergut with ice caves, and the Donau-Auen protecting the last 40 km of alluvial forests on the Danube.

Alpine lakes

The Salzkammergut, a lake region par excellence, is home to 76 lakes spread across Upper Austria, Styria and Salzburg, offering crystal-clear waters in breathtaking mountain settings.

Lake Wolfgang covers an area of 13 km² with waters that reach up to 24 °C in summer. St. Wolfgang features the historic Schafberg cogwheel railway that climbs to 1,783 metres. Lake Hallstatt, surrounded by the Dachstein Alps, reflects the 16th century houses of the UNESCO town of Hallstatt.

The Attersee, Austria’s largest lake with 46 km², offers clear waters down to 25 metres and summer temperatures of 25°C. Lake Traunsee has an elongated shape of 12 km with Gmunden famous for its ceramics and the 17th century Ort Castle.

In Carinthia, the Wörthersee reaches 28°C due to its southern location, while the Tyrolean Achensee is called the ‘Tyrolean fjord’ due to its shape between mountains over 2,400 metres. The Achensee steam railway from 1889 runs through spectacular alpine landscapes.

Hilly areas and valleys

Austria’s hilly areas offer gentle landscapes that contrast with the Alpine peaks, ideal for relaxing and culturally rich tourism.

Southern Styria has wine-growing hills that produce excellent Sauvignon Blanc and Welschriesling. The Wine Route meanders 120 km through historic villages and traditional Buschenschänke. Eastern Burgenland slopes down to the Hungarian plain with salt lakes and vineyards producing world-famous sweet wines.

The Wachau, a UNESCO Danube valley, features vineyard terraces up to 400 metres high with the medieval castles of Dürnstein and Aggstein. The famous Riesling and Grüner Veltliner grow along the Danube cycle route.

The Tyrolean Inn Valley runs through hilly landscapes with 15th-century farmsteads and historic mills, while the Weinviertel in Lower Austria is the largest wine-growing region with characteristic kellergassen carved into the loess hills.

Wellness and Alpine spas

Austria combines thermal wellness with extraordinary mountain landscapes through more than 100 thermal spas using natural springs with 20-47°C water enriched with therapeutic minerals.

The Bad Gastein Thermal Spa in the Hohe Tauern National Park uses 47°C radioactive water from 17 springs at an altitude of 1,000 metres. The Felsentherme SPA features rock-cut pools with views of waterfalls, while the Heilstollen thermal galleries offer unique radon-thermal air therapies.

The Aqua Dome at Längenfeld in Ötztal shows futuristic architecture with thermal pools suspended in the Alpine landscape at 1,300 metres. The Bad Kleinkirchheim Spa in Carinthia combines skiing and wellness with outdoor thermal baths during snowfall.

The innovative Tauern Spa in Zell am See-Kaprun combines Alpine traditions and modern technology with panoramic infinity pools on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier and the Sky Spa at 2,000 metres accessible by cable car.