There’s arguably no better place to experience the vastness of European nature than in the majestic Austrian Alps. From rocky, green peaks that practically sing in the summer to slopes that glisten with new-fallen snow in the winter to the quaint, charming villages nestled in the valleys, there’s nothing not to love about this place. I’ve traveled through Austria multiple times in the past three years and have gone skiing in the Alps every winter since I moved to Europe. It’s a no-brainer to call these mountains my favorite on earth.
Guest post by Casey Snook (more about the author in the end of the post)
Why you should visit the Austrian Alps
I absolutely love getting outdoors when I travel and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be in heaven exploring the Austrian Alps. The entire region revolves around adventure activities that lend themselves perfectly to the mountains.
Hiking is one of the most popular activities by far. There are thousands of hiking routes through the Alps, each offering a more awe-inspiring view than the next. You can find a wide variety of day hikes as well as long-distance routes with mountain huts to offer you overnight shelter. In more remote areas, you can camp under the stars. The most famous hiking route in Austria is called the Eagle Walk, a 413-kilometer trail that spans the entire length of the state of Tirol. This is a big one on my bucket list!
Rock climbing is also hugely popular in Austria. You’ll find everything from bouldering areas to high-altitude, multi-pitch routes that will take multiple days to conquer. If like me, you don’t have enough upper body strength to properly tackle rock climbing, you can try a via ferrata (Klettersteig in German) which is a fixed climbing route.
In the wintertime, skiing in Austria is the ultimate experience. I grew up skiing in New England and although I’ve been doing the sport my entire life, I was absolutely blown away when I finally made it to the snowy Alps. Many ski areas boast between 50 and 100 kilometers of trails and I’ve skied the same resort for a week straight without a trace of boredom. High above the treeline, massive pistes are so wide that it’s sometimes hard to tell what is a trail and what isn’t. A run from the top to the bottom will take you over half an hour, passing cozy winter huts, endless gondolas, and shiny blue glacier ice.
Beyond these three main outdoor draws of the Austrian Alps, you can find a number of other exciting activities to do like mountain biking, paragliding, cave exploring, and waterfall chasing. If you’re not up for so much activity, you could also check out some of the thermal baths and saunas the region is so well known for. Whatever your taste, you certainly won’t run out of things to do.
Where to Visit
The Alps spread across three main states in Austria: Tirol, Salzburg, and Vorarlberg. Each of them has their own distinct features, but they all have comparable charm and scenery.
Tirol
Tirol is the state most strongly associated with the Austrian Alps and the one I’ve spent the most time in. Sandwiched between Germany and Italy, it’s covered exclusively in tumbling mountains that stretch to the horizon.
Innsbruck, the capital, is an excellent place to start. It’s a small city, but it still packs a punch as far as castles, palaces, and historic sites go. Nature is not far away; hiking trails, ski resorts, and rugged terrain encircle the city. There’s also the famous Bergisel Ski Jump which hosts exciting competitions each winter.
Truthfully, I’ve always forgone the city in favor of getting deeper into rural Tirol to discover some of the most gorgeous valleys in Austria. Zillertal is among the most famous (and probably my favorite) with its sprawling hiking areas, ski resorts, and Instagram-famous hanging bridge overlooking lake Schlegeisstausee. It’s here that you’ll also find the Hintertux Glacier, a magnificent slab of ice that hides a mindboggling series of ice caves underground. A little further west, Ötztal is another valley most famous for the discovery of Ötzi the Iceman. More contemporarily in Ötztal, the Sölden ski resort rose to international fame as a filming location of the James Bond movie Spectre.
Salzburg
The state of Salzburg, like it’s capital of the same name, is best known for the birthplace of Mozart, the setting of The Sound of Music, and peaceful, rolling hills flanked by towering alpine peaks. The city of Salzburg oozes with old-world charm and Habsburg influences, a treasure trove of history and culture. While Tirol will always take the gold medal for me, Salzburg is far more popular among tourists.
In the countryside, there’s much to see as well. The Pinzgau area is one of the best for outdoor activities featuring all the mountains you could ever dream of. The Kitzsteinhorn Glacier is another big draw with its skywalk, caves, and hiking area. It’s also a great place for skiing, as is the world-famous Saalbach-Hinterglemm resort, a dizzying network of mountain pistes.
Vorarlberg
The westernmost state in Austria, Vorarlberg, is smaller than Tirol or Salzburg, but it is still well worth a visit. It’s tucked snuggly between Germany and Switzerland and bordering tiny Lichtenstein.
In the north of Vorarlberg, you can visit the lovely Lake Constance, a hotspot for watersports on the doorstep of the Alps. The most well-known mountain peak in Vorarlberg is Mount Pfänder with its famous cable car which carries vista seekers to the top.
If you’re looking for an active holiday in Europe that gets you back to nature, you can’t choose a better location than the Austrian Alps. They’re so full of life yet simultaneously peaceful and refreshing. They’re full of opportunities for adventure, relaxation, exploration, and fun. They’re nothing short of an alpine wonderland.
If you want to discover as much of the region as you can, why not rent a car and take a road trip through western Austria? Alternatively, if you want to do some extensive skiing or hiking, pick one of the many valleys to base yourself in. There really is no bad choice! Either way, you’ll have an unforgettable time exploring some of the most beautiful mountains on Earth.
For me, the Austrian Alps are one of those places that keeps drawing me back in. I visit every year to ski and have made it a big goal of mine to start hiking the Alps as much as I’ve skied them. I can’t imagine I’ll ever get enough of them and as much as I’ve explored them so far, it’s only the tip of the iceberg.
While many travelers flock to European cities, the wild, natural sections of this continent are often neglected. That shouldn’t be the case. The Austrian Alps, in particular, are an incredible destination for nature and adventure, one of the best not only in Europe but the entire world. I implore you not to miss them.
By Casey Snook
Casey is a native Bostonian currently living in Berlin. She writes the travel blog Carefree Compass which is all about outdoor adventures and expat life in Europe. She collects magnets from every trip she takes and she’s also a former civil engineer funnily enough! You can read more about her adventures at CarefreeCompass.com.
TRAVEL BLOG / INSTAGRAM / PINTEREST / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / YOUTUBE