Things to do in Austria

People often think of Austria as a holiday destination only at Christmas, for shopping in its traditional markets, or for a skiing holiday in one of its magnificent Alpine resorts. These are certainly two wonderful experiences, full of charm, but don’t reduce one of Europe’s most beautiful nations to just that.

Due to its numerous cultural and scenic attractions, Austria is perfect to visit in all seasons of the year: the same winter resorts reinvent themselves in summer as havens for hikers and mountain bikers. If you prefer relaxation to active holidays, choose a romantic lake or spa, while Austria’s main cities are recommended for those who love history, art and culture.

Austria’s UNESCO heritage includes ten sites of outstanding universal value, from historic Vienna to the cultural landscape of Hallstatt-Dachstein. These recognitions testify to Austria’s importance in the European and world cultural landscape.

The list of what to see in Austria is a long one, but we have summarised the best in this short guide: here are the must-see attractions in Austria, grouped into four types so that you can immediately find what best suits your type of holiday.

Vienna and the cities of art

Austria’s glorious imperial past has bequeathed an immense artistic heritage of palaces, castles, abbeys, art galleries, museums, theatres and other prestigious cultural institutions.

In Vienna, you can relive the splendour of the Habsburg courts by visiting the Hofburg, the Imperial Palace and the romantic Schönbrunn Palace, as well as numerous other cultural attractions that are impossible to list in a few lines.

Fairytale atmospheres are also to be found in Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart’s musical genius: its houses are the most visited museums in the city, followed by the medieval fortress, the royal residence, the puppet theatre and much more.

For lovers of contemporary architecture, we recommend Graz and Linz, two dynamic cities with ultra-modern buildings and museums that will transport you into the future.

If you are looking for a good compromise between an alpine resort suitable for sports and relaxation holidays and a city of art full of museums and historical buildings, head for Innsbruck, the charming capital of Tyrol.

Ski and winter resorts

A large part of Austria’s surface area is mountainous, and in the collective imagination, Austria is a bit like the land of Heidi, with green mountains, little goats and snow-capped peaks; it is also the home of great sportsmen who have made skiing history.

Whether you feel more like Heidi or more like a ski prodigy, Austria’s ski resorts are ideal destinations for a dream winter holiday, with modern ski lifts and hundreds of kilometres of slopes suitable for all levels, from absolute beginner to world champion.

Test your skills or learn from scratch on the slopes of popular ski resorts such as Villach, Sölden, Kitzbühel and Saalbach Interglemm, many of which are easily accessible by car.

Spas and thermal baths

Austria is one of the top countries in Europe for the quantity and quality of spas and wellness centres. Just think of the Aqua Dome in Längenfeld, one of the most famous and renowned spa hotels in Europe. Austrian spas are almost always set in spectacular natural surroundings with mountain views: come and experience the thrill of a warm outdoor bath during a snowy winter.

Bad Gastein in the Gastein Valley combines natural radioactive thermal water with Belle Époque architecture in a breathtaking mountain landscape. The thermal waterfalls reach temperatures of 47 °C and have been used for therapeutic treatments since the 19th century. Bad Ischl was the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sissi, who regularly frequented its saline thermal baths. Today, the modern spa facilities blend harmoniously with the imperial architecture, offering wellness treatments in a unique historical setting in the Salzkammergut.

Loipersdorf in eastern Styria is Austria’s largest thermal spa complex, with 12 indoor and outdoor pools fed by springs reaching 62 °C. The waters rich in magnesium and calcium are particularly suitable for rheumatic and skin complaints.

Lakes

The Salzkammergut is home to more than 70 crystal-clear lakes nestled between forested mountains and fairytale villages. Hallstatt, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is reflected in the waters of the lake of the same name with its colourful houses and baroque church. The village preserves 4,000 years of salt mining history, documented in the prehistoric museum and in the underground mines that can be visited.

The Wolfgangsee has attracted visitors for more than a century, immortalised in the operetta ‘Im weißen Rössl’ and frequented by the Habsburg nobility. St. Wolfgang is home to the pilgrimage church with its Gothic altar by Michael Pacher, while the Schafberg cogwheel railway (1893) leads up to 1,783 metres and offers views of the region’s 14 lakes.

Lake Constance (Bodensee) bathes the province of Vorarlberg with its crystal-clear waters surrounded by the Rhaetian Alps. Bregenz hosts an opera festival every summer on a floating stage that attracts 200,000 spectators. The lake shores offer cycling paths, beaches and marinas for water sports.

Carinthian lakes such as Wörthersee and Faaker See enjoy a Mediterranean microclimate with summer temperatures reaching 25°C. Klagenfurt and Villach offer ideal bases for exploring these turquoise waters, perfect for swimming, sailing and water sports from May to September.