With all the reasons why you should vacation in Austria, you can fill an entire book. Think of kilometers high Alps, which proudly protrude into the blue sky with their snowy peaks. Glaciers that have filled the valleys between the peaks for thousands of years and rolling, fresh green mountain slopes where cow bells ring. The attractive mountain huts, the cozy après-ski and the friendliness of the Austrians. Whether you go on a walking holiday, cycling holiday, skiing holiday or car holiday: Austria does not disappoint. You don't have to go hungry in Austria. Wienerschnitzel, Sacher pie and Apple strudel are served in large portions.
Austria is a suitable destination for a holiday with children. Take your children on a mountain hike, a journey of discovery in a cave or a medieval adventure in a castle. You will find great amusement parks, climbing gardens, fairytale forests and ice caves scattered throughout the country. Children do not have to get bored in this fairytale country.
In Austria you don't have to search long for an atmospheric overnight stay. The whitewashed and wooden houses with colorful flower boxes adorn the villages and the wooden mountain huts invite you into minimalist mountain landscapes. You rent a holiday home in Austria directly from the (German-speaking) owner, or through a Dutch intermediary. In any case, the hospitality is good and a holiday home in an attractive village quickly feels like home. Those who want to learn about farming life book a farm holiday. Stay in the yard of a dairy or cheese farmer and enjoy a breakfast every morning with fresh local produce.
Austria is of course also suitable for your camping holiday. Put your tent or caravan on a campsite by a lake or in the mountains and enjoy the outdoors. In Austria you have a wide choice of luxury campsites, small campsites and nature camping. Anyone who can appreciate the sun on the camping site, should visit the southern and sunniest region of Carinthia. You can camp on a large lake on the north side of Lake Garda, where it is a lot quieter than on the tourist south bank. High in the mountains you can sleep at an Alpine campsite or in the wild. Camping under the stars of Silvretta Montafon at an altitude of 2,200 meters is highly recommended.
In both winter and summer, you can enjoy beautiful walks in Austria. Follow one of the many Austrian hiking trails through valleys surrounded by pointed mountains, or explore the rolling hills in the Bregenzerwald. Stroll through the Großarltal in the footsteps of farming families who have been traveling the pastures with their cattle for centuries. More experienced hikers without a fear of heights head into the higher mountains and walk, for example, through the rugged Carnic Alps on the border between Austria and Italy. In the Hohe Tauern National Park you walk between 266 mountains with a height of more than three kilometers and more than 340 glaciers. Follow the winding paths over the flanks of the mountains and visit mountain lakes at more than two kilometers. If you can't get enough of mountain hiking, you can go on a multi-day hut tour past cozy huts with fantastic views. True fanatics follow the Alpe Adria Trail. A 750 kilometer walking route through Austria, Italy and Slovenia.
Cycling in Austria is not only reserved for cyclists who climb up the hairpin bends and then whiz down again in an instant. Mountain bikers follow breathtaking winding paths to mountain peaks and mountain lakes with fantastic views. Especially for daredevils are the courses on the Petzen and the seven kilometer long mine on the border between Carinthia and Slovenia. Tireless cyclists follow the multi-day Bike Trail Tirol, with a length of 1,000 kilometers and 27,000 vertical meters.
There are also beautiful cycling routes in Austria for people who prefer not to race at a fast pace on asphalt or mountain paths. In the Salzburgerland you can choose from six thousand kilometers of cycling routes over alpine meadows and through enchanting valleys. For a relatively flat ride, follow the Austrian rivers and visit the cities. For example, cycle a stage of the international Donauradweg, whose 330 kilometers through Austria are almost as flat as the Dutch cycle paths. The Murradweg, according to Austrians the most beautiful cycling route in the country, and the Tauernradweg between the peaks of the Alps, are also recommended for a multi-day cycling holiday.
Austria is a popular country for winter sports enthusiasts with its impressive mountains, many ski slopes and high snow security. Whether you are on a skiing holiday in Saalbach or on a snowboarding holiday in the Ötztal, an après-ski as cozy as in Austria can be found nowhere else. The German-speaking après-ski music you sing along with your heart out, with a well-stocked beer mug in your hand. After you have filled your stomach well with Kaiserschmarrn or a Wiener Schnitzel, you go sledding down the mountain on the illuminated slope. And the next day the whole party just starts again.
In Austria you can of course also go for a city trip or weekend away. Visit the city of Vienna and enjoy the typical culture and architecture. From Amsterdam you can travel for thirty euros without transfer to the heart of Vienna. Spend the night in an authentic hotel and stroll through the pleasantly lit city center in the evening. Salzburg with its beautiful castles, churches, palaces and cozy city center has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With the Salzburgerland Card you can visit many attractions for free for 24 hours. Fans of classical music reserve extra time in Mozart's hometown to visit his birthplace, among other things. The southern city of Graz was the cultural capital of Europe in 2003. This city is really not lacking in culture, creativity and history.
In Austria you will find some of the most beautiful train routes in Europe. By train you travel without a stop from Amsterdam to the major cities, from where you transfer to local routes through breathtaking Austrian scenery. Get on the Ötscherland Express to experience how people experienced train journeys a hundred years ago. The old steam locomotive takes you on one of the steepest tracks in Austria, between Göstling and Kienberg. The Schafbergbahn is still such an old and steep track, where the steam train takes you over a rack railway to the 1,783 meter high Schafberg. Travel like an emperor in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in the reconstructed 1891 court train or enjoy culinary delights on a train through the beautiful landscape of the Schilcherland.
From the comfort of your seat, you can enjoy the most beautiful views from the Austrian panorama roads. The Großglockner High Alpine Road is one of the most famous mountain roads in the world, and for good reason. From the road you have a view of the highest Austrian mountain: the Großglockner at 3,798 m high. In the 48 kilometers that the road is long, you enjoy the view, but also keep your attention on the road to take the 36 turns. The Silvretta High Alpine Road takes you via a mountain pass at an altitude of 2,032 meters from Vorarlberg to Tyrol. Enjoy the views along the way and take a walk around the Silvretta-Strausee reservoir along the route. In Austria, thematic routes have also been plotted for your driving holiday. Follow the Cheese Route (Käsestraße) past farms and cheese dairies. The passionate employees of these companies are happy to tell you all about their animals, products and lands. Wine lovers opt for the 400-kilometer Weinviertel wine route. The route meanders through the hilly and varied landscape past vineyards, wine cellars and other cultural attractions. Don't forget to schedule a few nights' accommodation along the route, so that you can enjoy an extensive taste of the delicious wines produced in the region.
Was your holiday in Austria over too soon? Enjoy by giving all your stories and photos a nice place in a travel journal that you can design yourself. Share your photo book online with friends and family and have it printed so that you can imagine yourself in the Austrian mountains again from home.