Where to go on mountain vacation in Austria, Alpine country

Austria is the alpine country par excellence and you will have an excellent time there mountain vacation ! Everything here is close to the Alps. The mountain range crosses Austria from one side to the other, starting from the west, on the shores of Lake Constance, to Vienna, and even the Hungarian border. It is not for nothing that most of the skiing and other winter sports champions are Austrians! Spend some holidays in austria, it is the assurance of discovering an authentic Alpine culture.

However, we can identify different regions, both by their relief and by their culture.

Le Vorarlberg, to the West, at the Swiss border, then the Tyrol, along the Inn Valley and its tributaries. Then continuing eastwards we will approach the high massifs of the Hohe Tauern, which drop slightly in altitude towards the Niedere Tauern.

A little further north of this region, near Salzburg, we will find the Salzkammergut and its magnificent lakes, while to the south we find the Carnic Alps on the border with Italy and Slovenia.

Further east, towards Vienna, the Pre-Alps and the last peaks reaching 2000m in altitude, while to the south, Carinthia accompanies the Drau river in its course towards the Danube.

Go to Holidays in the Alps in Austria, it is not only discovering Tyrol: there is a variety of valleys, villages, ways of experiencing the mountain, or, for tourists, of combining it with other activities. And a little extra, which is not the least, the prices are affordable.

Click on the region you wish to discover

A holiday in Austria in the Vorarlberg, the far west of Austria

Staying in the Vorarlberg Alps It is discovering the Austrian Alps through the front door when you arrive from France or Switzerland. Two massifs share the resorts of the region. The Arlberg and the Montafon.

If you Montafon, quite steep, is especially popular with holidaymakers looking for wild nature and magnificent landscapes, theArlberg is one of the largest ski areas in the Alps, and certainly the largest in Austria.

Its flagship ski resort, Lech am Arlberg, sometimes cut off from the world in winter when the snowfall is too intense, enjoys exceptional snow cover despite its relatively modest altitude of 1400 metres.

This Austrian ski resort is connected to several valleys up to Warth in the north and to St Anton am Arlberg (already in Tyrol) in the south. The entire region can be crossed by train on the line from Bregenz to Innsbruck.

To the south, towards the Silvretta, the Montafon valley and its green pastures gradually take you from Bludenz to Bielerhöhe, a pass that descends towards Ischgl and Galtür. Many small ski resorts offer good snow cover in a very picturesque setting. Among the emblematic mountains of the Silvretta is the Piz Buin, which gave its name to a range of cosmetics…

Vorarlberg has a strategic position for the Alpine traveller, since he can easily reach Liechtenstein from Feldkirch, and especially the shores of Lake Constance and its German jewel, Lindau, from Bregenz, the capital of Vorarlberg.

Holidays in Tyrol, in the heart of the Austrian Alps

Le Tyrol is undoubtedly the perfect example of the Alpine imagination that we have in our cities far from the Alps. So spending Holidays in Tyrol responds to a need for authenticity, nature and tradition that we seek in a stay in the mountains.

The traditional houses, often painted and decorated with frescoes around the doors and windows, but also including wood here and there, with roofs well pitched so as not to collapse under the thickness of the snow, recall the wooden chalets that can be found in Switzerland or in South Tyrol. Many rentals allow you to stay in a chalet and experience a more private habitat.

You will discover traditional costumes with leather trousers, high white socks, waistcoat over a puffy white shirt and a pointed hat decorated with feathers for men, and elegant long dresses with floral patterns for women, and of course this tradition is perpetuated during festivals: cheerful Tyrolean music, or yodeling, this vocal art so difficult to imitate...

Yes, at Tyrol There is all that, and that is its charm, but there is even more than that! There are magnificent mountains, very beautiful valleys, and very welcoming little villages that live at the same time from their ancestral agricultural activity and the relative novelty of alpine sports activities. mountain holidays in Tyrol never happen in big, soulless ski resorts, and they will touch yours.

The access point to all these treasures is undoubtedly Innsbruck. True capitals of the Alps, by its position and by having organized the Games Olympic Winter, just like Grenoble which also bears the same title – but recognized above all by the French!

The site ofInnsbruck ? In the hollow of a very wide valley, at the crossroads between the roads that cross Austria from West to East, from Switzerland to Vienna, and from North to South, from Munich to Italy, its position is strategic. Add to that mountains over 2000 meters high that frame the city to the north and south, and a host of valleys that provide access to ski resorts more beautiful than each other, or to glaciers along which you can hike safely in summer. What could be better for those who want to discover the Austrian Alps during their stay in the mountains?

If we make Innsbruck the starting point for discovering Tyrol, where can we go next?

To the north, the roads to Germany lead to the basin of reutte and all of ski resorts Austrian and Bavarian villages which are located a few kilometers from the most beautiful Bavarian castles of Ludwig II. From Reutte, you can continue through the very authentic Lechtal towards Vorarlberg and its magnificent landscapes, particularly snowy in winter. The Zugspitze, the highest mountain in the German Alps, is also accessible from its Austrian side near Ehrwald.

Closer to Innsbruck and on the road to Germany via Garmisch Partenkirchen, Seefeld is the ski station history of the inhabitants of Innsbruck. The flat valley bottoms inspire lovers of long walks between meadows and forests and cross-country skiers, who in winter can cover several dozen kilometers in absolute tranquility among the high peaks of the Tyrolean Alps. South of Innsbruck towards the valleys blocked by the border ridge with Italy, the landscapes are wilder and glaciers follow the mountain pastures.

The valley of Paznaun Valley climbs up towards the Tyrolean side of the Silvretta. Its main tourist centre, Ischgl and its festive atmosphere make it a popular destination for young people for mountain holidays in Austria.

From Landeck, going up the Inn valley, you can head towards Engadine or Samnaun in Switzerland or Val Venosta in Italy, through the spectacular Resia Pass. It is a very agricultural and traditional valley but with excellent facilities for winter sports on the Nauders and Serfaus side.

Of the three valleys that descend from the Ötztaleralpen glaciers, this is the Ötztal which is the most touristy and where you will probably stay for your mountain vacation.

Stations Sölden et Obergurgl spread out their sporty ski slopes at the foot of the Ötztal massif, the very place where the mummy of a prehistoric hunter was found in the ice. At the very bottom of the valley, the tiny and charming village of Wind seems lost in the middle of immense mountains.

At the entrance to the valley, we find the Thermal Aquadome center, a true institution of well-being, and Kuhtai, at an altitude of over 2000 meters, the highest ski resort in Austria.

Just south of Innsbruck, towards the Brenner and Italy, we will take a detour to the very romantic Stubaital..

The small villages follow one another along the only road to the bottom of the valley where comfortable ski lifts take you to the Top of Tyrol, well above 3000 meters above sea level. In winter, the Stubai glaciers become very long ski slopes. The Stubaital is a pleasant valley to spend your holidays in the austrian mountains.

Further east, in addition to the fascinating Achensee There are still two great Tyrolean regions that will make you fall in love with this part of Austria.

First the Zillertal. A very large and very deep glacial valley, quite flat up to its main town. Mayrhofen, a lovely little Tyrolean village and famous ski resort despite its low altitude, which then divides into several narrower and steeper valleys.

Among these, the Tux Valley, and his ski resort open 365 days a year on the Tux Glacier, and the Gerlostal are the most famous and popular winter sports centres in Austria. The location of the Zillertal Alps means that they are very snow-covered as they are well oriented to the north.

The other valleys are best visited in summer to enjoy the lakes, such as in the Stilluppgrund or the magical Zemmtal.

Finally the extreme north of Tyrol between the mountains of Kaiser Mountains and Kitzbühel presents picture-postcard landscapes. Wealthy villages nestled around churches with bulbous or needle-shaped bell towers, forests. Between countryside and mountains… The ski resorts of Kitzbühel and Brixental are the nerve centers of tourism.

There are many other villages and places to visit in Tyrol, such as the cWooden cabins in the Alpbachtal, the abbeys and of course the city of Innsbruck, capital and cultural masterpiece of Tyrol.

During your Holidays in Tyrol, you should not forget to taste the local gastronomy, which is certainly far from being dietetic but which is not as filling as is often thought of mountain gastronomy. For example, here, cheese is rarely used in traditional dishes, which gives this cuisine with Italian and Hungarian tinges every chance of exciting your taste buds, especially if it is accompanied by one of the very many quality Austrian wines; to be drunk in moderation, of course.

Discover the Salzkammergut, land of lakes and mountains

For your mountain holidays in Austria you can also decide to set up your base camp in Salzburg. It is a magnificent city. From its castle you can see the Alps above the tightly packed roofs of this baroque city so important for music. Indeed, this is the city of Mozart.

If you feel like you want to take the Alps south of Salzburg attract skiers and mountain enthusiasts who find the Hohe Tauern range as their base camp for their recreation, the region east of Salzburg called the Salzkammergut offers a string of lakes surrounded by mountains of unique beauty. It is certainly an ideal region for a mountain stay in Austria.

The starting point for this region is Bad Ischl, and of course you can get here by train.

Then you will have the choice of going to photograph the most photogenic village in the world, Hallstatt on the banks of a lake at the foot of the Dachstein which peaks at almost 3000m altitude, or stroll along the banks of the Wolfgangsee, or admire it from above, at the same time as the Attersee or the Mondsee after your hike to the Schafberg at 1700 meters altitude.

Or maybe you'll just walk along the wooded banks of the Traunsee.

In addition to these five lakes, there are still others… Real jewels in a green setting. Well-hidden secrets, the discovery of which will delight you.

The Salzkammergut has many other attractions to offer you: caves, salt mines (hence the name Salz…), the emperor's residence, etc.

A miniature country, different from Tyrol and its alpine culture, but surrounded by mountains, sometimes high, which are reflected in the many lakes in which you can swim in summer.

On holiday in central Austria in the Hohe Tauern and the Niedere Tauern

Less known than Tyrol, this region hides its secrets well. It is often here that Austrians take their mountain vacation far from foreign tourists who concentrate on the region around Innsbruck or the city centre of Salzburg.

We cannot speak of geographical unity, and even less of historical unity in this central part of Austria. We group them mainly because their main access point is the same: Salzburg region.

It is indeed from Salzburg that one can best visit the north of the Hohe Tauern, including the thermal and wellness resorts of Badgastein, Zell am See, Bischofshofen. This is also where the Austrian Great Alpine Road starts, which will take you to the foot of the Grossklockner Glacier, via a panoramic road that is universally known and very popular with motorcycle enthusiasts.

The Schladming resort is the gateway to the Niedere Tauern, lower mountains as the name suggests (Nieder) and with a more hilly landscape ideal for mountain holidays with children.

In Osttirol and Carinthia, your mountain holidays in Austria le along the Drau

South of these two mountain ranges is a lovely region to spend your mountain vacation. Carinthiaincluding Klagenfurt is the capital.

In its northern border, Carinthia, like neighboring Osttirol, extends the southern slope of the Höhe Tauern.

The roads that crossed the mountains in the direction between Salzburg and the south, as well as the rivers that flow along the valleys, eventually converge in the Drau Valley.

This river, which has its source in the Danube slope of the Val Pusteria in Italy, after the Dobbiaco pass, bathes the quays of Lienz, a picturesque little town surrounded by mountains and dominated by a castle, Spittal, an important communication hub, Villach, the gateway to Austria for travellers from Venice and Ljubljana and finally Klagenfurt, the capital of the Carinthia.

The border ridge that separates Carinthia from Italy and Slovenia follows the profile of the Carnic Alps and the Karwanken massif. The ski resort of wet field, Austrian, but very popular with Slovenes and Croats, is also located in the Carnic Alps, about fifty kilometers from Villach.

The Spittal region serves as a beautiful base for visiting the Alps in Carinthia. Near the town, Lake Millstätter provides freshness during summer stays. While in winter, the resorts of Bad Kleinkirchheim and Kolbnitz offer some ski slopes.

In the plains, the region of Carinthian lakes awaits visitors on the banks of the Ossiachersee near Villach, and the magnificent Wörthersee at the exit of Klagenfurt.

A final word on the capital of Carinthia, whose clean, orderly old town with its colourful facades is worth a nice stroll.

To the south-east of these mountain regions we enter Styria. This region of which Graz is the capital is already more southern. Sunny, they welcome excellent vineyards of the Austrian terroir and the mountains around these cities are certainly sunnier but also less snowy. There are however some well-known resorts like Tauplitz and Ramstein am Dachstein which will remind you that skiing is practiced everywhere in Austria. Moreover, the resort of Schladming, mentioned in the Salzburg Alps is actually administratively in Styria.

A stroll through the old town of Graz, with its small winding streets and the climb up the castle hill which dominates the roofs of the city, the bell towers of the superb churches, the river and offers an enchanting panorama of the Alps and the hills which surround the city.

A mountain holiday in the Austrian Alps hasAround Vienna?

When we go to Vienna, we go there for its monuments, its castles, its alleys, its squares and its parks which remind you at all times of the grandeur of this Imperial capital. And frankly it is a city which deserves the visit and a stay of a certain duration.

However, it is often the start of a trip to Austria and there are several alternatives available from Vienna, such as following the Danube, to Linz and Passau on the German border, or follow in the footsteps of Mozart in Salzburg, or discover the soul of the other countries of the former empire by visiting Bratislava or Budapest, or even leave this region to spend a few days in the mountains of Tyrol.

But if you just want to get away from it all and take a break from your cultural visits to Vienna, the region is full of beautiful places to visit.

The very calm Neusiedler See, a lake that is no longer really alpine as it is already in the plains that overflow into Hungary.

From Vienna you can also schedule a stay in the mountains. The Mürz Valley, accessible by train, which goes up to the Niedere Tauern, north of Graz. You can stop to get your fill of nature at Semmering at almost 1000m altitude, easily accessible by train from Vienna.

Or you can discover what is considered the real mountain of Vienna. snow mountain, accessible by train and the Raxalpe, a little further west are just over fifty kilometers from the Austrian capital, or Mariazell which is located in a remote green valley and far from the tourist flows.

In Austria it is easy to find yourself surrounded by nature even when visiting historic cities and it is the ideal country for spend a holiday in the Alps.

Explore the Austrian Alps by discovering the articles specific to each region:

• Tyrol
• The lakes of the Salzkammergut
• The Salzburg Alps

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