Austria holidays
Holidays in Austria are ripe with cultural highlights and outdoor adventures. In this compact country, you can wend your way through alpine vistas dotted with lakes and peaks, slide down pristine pistes and call in at charming mountain villages. Austria’s grand imperial cities offer sophistication – and an abundance of palaces, opera houses and museums, as well as plenty of opportunities to sample indulgent cakes and coffee in cosy cafes.
Our cheapest holidays to Austria
Waltz from Baroque streets to alpine peaks
Austria’s capital Vienna is home to opulent concert halls like the Musikverein and Staatsoper, Klimt-filled galleries and foodie treats in the Naschmarkt. Innsbruck offers sweeping alpine vistas alongside striking structures by starchitect Zaha Hadid. You can also tour the lavish staterooms of the Hofburg palace before taking in the tile-adorned Goldenes Dachl.
Ski in Zell am See or visit in summer to swim, hike and boat. Cruise along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, an exhilarating drive with views of waterfalls, lakes, glaciers and snowy Alps. Salzburg, the setting for the Sound of Music and Mozart’s birthplace, is home to the Residenz palace and the 900-year-old fortress Festung Hohensalzburg. Book your flights to Austria today.
Carefully selected Austria hotels
Best hotels in Austria for all types of traveller
From Graz to Linz on the River Danube, Austrian cities share a love of coffee houses, otherwise known as temples to sinful Sachertorte chocolate cake, and sacred Gemtlichkeit, literally cosiness. Trace the winding River Danube to Austria's cultural centre and capital city, Vienna, or visit Mozart's birthplace in beautiful Salzburg. Head west to the Vorarlberg and Tyrol regions to snuggle in wooden alpine chalets and nibble on farm-fresh cheese.
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City breaks in Vienna
Admire Vienna’s vast Museums Quartier collection of museums. Or try local speciality Sachertorte cake in an elegant 19th Century coffee house. Take a stroll along the twinkling Ringstrasse boulevard that wraps itself around Vienna's centre. Climb Graz's medieval clock tower, looming above a jumble of red-roofed townhouses.
Ski holidays in Salzburg
A holiday in Salzburg offers a rare opportunity to combine one of Europe’s most fascinating cities with world-class skiing. At the heart of Salzburg you’ll find a beautiful, baroque old town steeped in history, and 23 ski resorts at its fingertips. All are covered by one pass and each easy to ski in a day.
Ski holidays in Innsbruck
Host to two Winter Olympic Games, Innsbruck is a haven for winter sports lovers. Nine ski areas provide varied terrain for all levels of skiers. Each is served by a free shuttle bus service from the city.
Skiing in Austria
Ski holidays in Austria offer high quality pistes, great modern lifts and world-class ski schools.
Zell am See
48 miles from Salzburg airport & 92 miles from Innsbruck airport
This beautiful lakeside town is idyllic, traditionally Tyrolean, but is also a modern ski resort with high-tech, fast-moving lifts up to 3,000 metres. Zell am See itself is a large town, with fantastic bars, great shopping and high-end hotels, making it a good destination for a luxury ski holiday. The pistes are perfect for beginners, with some long, wide blue runs together with spectacular views of the lake below. There are also some brilliant red runs for the more advanced skiers, and even a few steep blacks for the courageous. Afterwards, head down into town for some well-deserved apres ski beers.
Kitzbuhel
45 miles from Salzburg airport & 60 miles from Innsbruck airport
Home to the famous annual Hahnenkamm Race, Kitzbuhel is a great resort for every level. From newcomers to experts there is a run for you, so expect to be sharing the pistes with some very good skiers. Wide slopes accommodate beginners, while steep red and black runs allow the more advanced to gain some real speed. It is said that skiing was ‘invented’ here, but what brings the international crowd is more than that. Great food, both traditional and modern, chic bars and high-end shops all create a sense of luxurious charm.
Austria holiday FAQs
- Wind your way off the map and explore the region of Bregenzerwald where narrow valleys carve up mighty mountains and forests. Discover a region chock full of villages bursting with pretty timber-lined houses and limestone peaks.
- Tour the Weinstrassen (wine roads) of Styria just outside Graz for a taste of greenery paired with a crisp glass of Gruner Veltliner. Explore gently rolling hills, flower-stippled meadows, forests and vineyards that carpet the south of the region making it resemble Tuscany without the crowds. Go in late September or early October if you can, to witness the Weinlesefest (grape harvest festival).
- Few regions of Austria cast a more magical spell than the Wachau. This scenic stretch of the Danube Valley is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It offers slopes covered in vineyards and orchards, and trails dotted with forests, fields and romantic medieval castles perched on hillsides, plus a lively food and wine scene.
- Bad Gastein is another compelling town, complete with thermal hot springs beloved by everyone from Schubert and Klimt to Empress Elisabeth. Take in Belle Epoque villas set on forested slopes where a dramatic waterfall drops 341 metres and then explore the mountains on a gondola to reach the 2,200-metre-high Stubnerkogel and its impressive bridge and hiking trails.
- If you want to go off-piste then you can’t go far wrong with a trip to the Steyr and the Nationalpark Kalkalpen in Upper Austria. In the town of Steyr, which inspired Schubert to pen his Trout Quintet, you’ll discover patchwork fields and orchards climbing up hillsides, cycle paths that hug the riverbanks and farms selling homemade cider.
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Europe’s hidden ski resorts
Discover seven of the best hidden ski resorts Europe has to offer – these smaller mountain villages are linked to major resorts, but offer a retreat from the masses and at a fraction of the cost.
The best of European après-ski
Après the right way. Dance on tables, sip on Aperol Spritz and listen to the best beats, all with panoramic views of snowy mountains. Grab your skis for bluebird days and play in Europe's best après ski areas.
Hack the ski weekend
There’s something deeply satisfying about a weekend on the slopes – it’s short enough to ski and party hard, but long enough to blow the cobwebs away. As you stride into the office on Monday morning, you’ll not only be the envy of the meeting room, but you’ll also have your holiday allowance in tact, says ski expert and travel writer Gabriella Le Breton.
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