For many people, the hottest months mean escaping to the beach, which can make landlocked countries like Austria less obvious summer holiday choices. But perhaps that’s precisely what makes it so appealing to fellow summer-in-Austria stans like myself. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the coast – I mean, I live in the Algarve – but I usually prefer my sandy escape in the shoulder season when the mid-day heat is less intense and crowds far fewer.
That’s why I’ve been gleefully spending some of my summer holidays in Austria over the last few years. For a long time, I’d only visited in winter, charmed by the snowscapes, ice caves, and festive markets. But now, my seasonal loyalties have shifted. From the start of summer solstice celebrations to the onset of the wine harvests in autumn, these blissful and bright months are filled with unforgettable outdoor moments.
I love how, as the sun climbs higher, the energy in the cities rises too, even though many flee to the countryside by day. How the mountains seemingly stand taller once they have shaken off their winter snow coat. And, with ice a distant memory, the sparkling lakes lure you in once more. Sure, skiing is almost a winter religion for those passionate about pistes, and those freshly dusted peaks add extra enchantment to the Christmas markets. But if you ask me, Austria’s magic is in these milder, warmer days, when you can put two feet forward, dive into a dazzling lake, or enjoy a stein of beer on a sun-bathed terrace.
There are numerous reasons to visit Austria in summer, plenty of incredible ideas of what to do when the sun is radiating and an abundance of different itineraries you can follow – whether on foot, bike, train or car – without skiing being the snowy staple. Here, I’ve tried to share my picks of the best for your Austrian summer holiday, just in case you’re still on the fence about when is truly the best time to visit Austria.
Innsbruck’s Old Town bathes in the sunshine while terraces invite you to pause
Reasons to visit Austria in summer
If you’re weighing up the reasons to holiday in Austria this summer or still deciding if it’s better to wait until the winter snow turns the country into a powdery-white wonderland, let me tell you why I love Austria in summer.
Cities are still special sans skiing and snow
If there is one area where Austria excels, it’s Christmas Markets – the kind that completely transforms an already snow-coated city into something even more enchanting. Salzburg was even the birthplace of (probably) the first Christmas carol, Silent Night. But that doesn’t mean they are one-season wonders, and summer in Austria is just as memorable.
In Salzburg, a year-round festival and concert program makes it magical in the summer when performances move outside to the likes of the Mirabell Palace’s garden. Vienna’s coffee culture and classical architecture give way to overflowing terraces and picnics in the Stadtpark. And in sustainable Graz, with the heavy student population off for the summer holidays, the UNESCO-listed Old Town feels slightly calmer. Graz is by far my favourite (summer) city in Austria for a long weekend, as there are central swimming spots, relaxed bar-onboard rafting down the River Mur, river beaches, and you’re only a 15-minute ride from some shaded nature walks.
Still, perhaps the most notable urban difference is found in Innsbruck. Wedged in a valley between mountain ranges that you feel can be touched from the Old Town, the city is an absolute haven for winter sports lovers. Cable cars run right from the city up to the peaks and pistes, and seeing people carrying skis on the high street isn’t even an oddity. Fast forward to the end of spring, and you’ve got a completely different picture: the Old Town’s famous gold roof shines without a snow topper, terraces overflow, and those cable cars keep running but now to epic hiking trails through Tyrol’s famous mountains. Innsbruck in summer is something special, but that’s also true of Austria in summer as a whole.
The Cinema of Nature, Leogang, is the perfect summer escape
Outside living equals summer holidays in Austria
Austria’s cities are captivating year-round, but perhaps, like me, you’d rather spend your summer holiday in Austria outside? No problem! This Alpine escape is an absolute al fresco marvel in the warmer months, and you don’t even have to strap on your hiking boots to enjoy it!
Summer in Austria comes in plenty of different forms. Want to sit back, relax, and soak in the sun and scenery? Take a Danube river cruise and witness the Wachau wine region slip by from the outside deck, or head to Styria’s open-air museum to dive into the nation’s history. You can even do nothing atop the Alps, whether it’s taking the city-centre cable cars in Innsbruck or riding the gondola to a ‘Cinema of Nature’ atop The Asitz Mountain.
Then, of course, you’ve got all those tempting café terraces in Vienna, lazy strolls along the (unbearably crowded) shores of Lake Hallstatt, and staring in awe at perhaps the country’s most famous village, as well as heaps of fantastic cycling trails that connect medieval castles, traditional taverns, and remote settlements. Cycling in Graz is especially delightful as the River Mur path is mostly fairly easygoing and flat, while a cable car can whisk you up to the Schöckl mountain, avoiding any mid-day hiking sweats. Spending summer in Austria means spending summer outside, and that is by far one of the country’s biggest warm month appeals.
Inside the Rein Abbey, blissfully quiet at the end of summer
Losing the crowds is easy
One of my favourite things about Austria is how easy it is to find your own remote slice of serenity, and a summer holiday in Austria will gift you plenty of peaceful moments if you pick your destination wisely.
For sure, some of the most famous places to visit in the country, such as Hallstatt or Salzburg’s many attractions, will always be popular, but enjoy an Austrian city break in less famous Linz, student-free Graz in summer, or a mountain escape to Saaflden Leogang, and you won’t find it hard to get away from the crowds. Even when you board a busy cable car in Innsbruck up the Patscherkofel, you won’t have to walk too far to find the simple joys of Austria’s summer silence.
The same can apply to some of the country’s best cultural attractions, even if you’ll never get Vienna’s Imperial Palaces to yourself. Still, on a summer day, many people will be more inclined to be outside than walking around the Rein Abbey near Graz or Innsbruck’s Ambros Palace.
Even at the start of Autumn, Salzburgerland’s lakes are still tempting
Lake swims over sun, sea and sand
Perhaps the biggest hurdle for many people to overcome when planning their summer holiday is the fact that Austria is landlocked. But no matter whether you love the beach or have zero interest in tanning, this mountainous nation more than comes through with an excellent alternative: outstanding, crystal-clear, and tempting lakes.
After an afternoon of kayaking or lounging around Lake Wolfgangsee in Salzburgerland, you’ll quickly see that spending summer in Austria can be as equally about the water as heading to the coast.
Kitesurf at Lake Neusiedl, marvel at the turquoise fringes of Lake Achen in Tyrol, or head to Lake Constance, where you can hop on a boat after bathing to visit two other countries – Germany and Switzerland – all on the same day. Austria’s lakes are a true summer oasis, and the lack of a coastline shouldn’t be a reason to skip Austria in summer.
Visit a Styrian Buschenschank in summer for cold plates and wine
Harvest and produce, especially on summer’s fringes
When it comes to food, I think it’s fair to say that Austria’s traditional heaty mountain staples aren’t exactly what you want to eat on a hot summer’s day. Still, there is far more on the menu than that.
One of the best summer destinations for fresh food, farmers’ markets, and even start-of-season wines is the fertile region of Styria. Here, you can spend some days enjoying the best things to do in Graz: sightseeing and eating sustainable global cuisine before venturing out to the nearby vineyards and farms. Orchards, vineyards, and farmland coat the countryside just beyond the city’s limits, and you’ll be showered with scrumptious dishes, whether they are cold cuts at a typical Buschenschank or mouthwatering plates at award-winning restaurants.
At the ‘Top of Innsbruck’ you’ll even find snow in summer
The mountain trails come calling during Austria’s summer
The lofty peaks of Austria’s Alps might be most celebrated in winter, thanks to the piled-high snow, glaciers, and skiing opportunities. Once that all melts, however, you’re left with soaring slate peaks, exquisite Alpine forests, and no longer frozen lakes – all of which means one thing: hiking.
Yes, Austria in summer is a true hikers eden, with long-distance or day trails for all abilities. In Innsbruck, I was amazed at how accessible the mountains were with adapted step-free platforms to the cable cars, making it ideal for both a family holiday and more experienced hikers. In Leogang, I fell in love with the trails to a still lived-in Hermitage and those that were lined with artwork, while in Wachau, the low-slung hills and flat river-side trails offer an even more low-impact option.
Still, it’s those grand, lofty and epic trails that get the most attention, and if you love adrenaline and adventure, you’re in for a treat. The Stubai Glacier is still an incredible sight in summer, the waterfall trails in the High Tauern are a treat, and rock climbers and bikers are equally rewarded at spots such as Bikepark Leogang. Summer in Austria means strapping on those boots and breathing in that fresh Alpine air, a truly blissful way to enjoy the sunshine.
Vienna’s classical charm is as appealing in summer as in winter
Culture and the classics are available year-round
To end on a somewhat unoriginal note, I need to trot out that now famous quote: “The hills are alive with music” – because they very much are, especially in summer.
Mountains and music go hand-in-hand across the country, and summer is perhaps the best time to soak it all up. Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, is awash with entertainment during the more than century-old Summer Festival – in fact, Salzburg’s concert programme is packed year-round. In the Leogang Mountains, summer classical performances occur up in the Eastern Alps before being re-played through speakers in little huts.
Across the country, the culture continues. In Graz, the Springfestival marks the arrival of summer in Austria, while Vienna’s museums and cultural institutions are accompanied by plenty of outside events and festivals. Then, in Innsbruck, those long summer evenings mean traditional folk concerts and festivals are in full swing. As tempting as it might be just to sit in a beer garden and soak in the sun by the evening, I’m sure you’ll find those long summer nights in Austria end up being packed out with music, art, festivals and good times.
The Murinsel in Graz, Austria’s somewhat offbeat second city
How to spend summer in Austria: three sample itineraries
Not sure how to spend your summer holiday in Austria? Here are a few of my favourite summer in Austria itinerary suggestions for making the most of one week in the country.
A slow travel wine and culture trip by train and bike
Why not spend your summer holiday in Austria not just soaking up the landscapes, but also the delicious wine. This would work as a road trip (easier to get to vineyards) if you have a designated driver, but it’s also tempting and pretty straightforward by train if everyone wants to try more than just a sip of wine. I’d also suggest coming towards the end of summer, as the main harvest in Styria starts in September.
Start your trip in Graz by spending a few day exploring the UNESCO-listed old town of the city, trendy Lend district, one of the city’s hikes, and visiting Eggenberg Palace’s lush gardens. Plan a stop at the Open Air Museum to see historic houses and buildings in a well-preserved state then head to the the nearby Styrian vineyards and farmlands. After five days around Graz, head off to Vienna for a night of cultured highlights – palaces, museums, or whatever takes your fancy. Then, spend a couple of days staying alongside the Danube River, near Melk or Krems, which you can use as a base for Wachau vineyard visits, river cruises, and a guided tour of the impressive Benedictine Melk Abbey.
Afterwards, to be really chill, escape to an Alpine lodge with a sauna for a final few nights. The gorgeous Stockinggut Leogang is a good bit and the perfect place to do little more than relax, read a book, and admire the views – they are, after all, what makes Austria so special in the first place! From there, you can wrap-up in Salzburg.
Explore Austria in the summer by train makes for some amazing views
Four fast-paced cities by train
Combine the most famous cities of Austria into a summer train trip over seven fast-paced days. Spend days one and two exploring the two sides of Vienna, with visits to Hofburg Palace and Belvedere Museum, before making time for the more contemporary sights and galleries. On day three, take a train to Graz (approx 2.5 hours) to explore the courtyards, clock tower and Styrian armoury before eating arguably the country’s best cuisine – stay for at least two days to do Graz justice.
On the afternoon of day five, board the train (around 4 hours) to Salzburg, where you can enjoy an evening concert, and then visit the Mirabell Palace and Hohensalzburg Fortress the following day. Day six will see you continue to Innsbruck (2 hours), where you can visit the Imperial Palace and spot the Golden Roof before heading to the Nordkette range on the first cable car of day seven.
Cruising along the Danube near Melk on an overcast summer’s day
Trails and lakes bookended by culture
If you’d prefer to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Salzburgerland and Tyrol, spending a week enjoying landscapes, lakes, and epic trails, then this is the one for you. Spend the first day days of your visit to Salzburg to get a little of the city’s culture before heading out to Salzburgerland’s lakes. Base yourself for a few nights in the cute lakeside town of St Gilgen (reachable by bus from the city) and enjoy everything that summer in Austria celebrates: pristine lakes, hiking trails, cable car rides, and watersports.
Next, take yourself off to Tyrol for a few days. Either base yourself in Innsbruck, and use the Innsbruck card to get to hikes via cable car connections up the Nordkette and Patscherkofel, or if you have a car, you could spend some time hopping between some of Tyrol’s other natural wonders, such as Achen Lake.
Graz’s courtyards provide a perfect place to find shade and a glass of wine
Five more fantastic things to do in Austria in summer
Picking out the best things to do in Austria during summer is no easy task, and this list could easily be much longer, but here are just five of my favourite summer activities.
Take a summer city break in Innsbruck
All of Austria’s cities have an awesome atmosphere in summer, but Innsbruck in summer is perhaps the city break most transformed. Spend your days up the top of mountain ranges – you can reach the 2,300-metre heights of the Nordkette Range in around 30 minutes – or watch summer ski jumpers at Zaha Hadid’s impressive Bergisel building. Then, dip into a palace or museum before soaking up the long Tyrol summer nights along the river with entertainment. It’s the perfect pocket-sized Alpine city break.
The Asitz Mountain comes alive in summer with a cultural hiking programme
Hike up The Asitz Mountain
My favourite hike so far in Austria wasn’t the most intense or even the highest. In fact, you can pretty much get to all of The Asitz Mountain’s attractions via cable car. No, what makes the ‘Mountain of Senses’ – as it has been nicknamed – so appealing is the cultural inclusions dotting the mountainside. Sit back on a lazy chair and admire Mother Earth at the ‘Cinemar of Nature’, hike the art gallery trail to the still-water pool installations, or sit inside a small wooden hut called a TONspur and listen to a classical concert replay. This is summer in Austria at its most cultured best.
Enjoy Salzburg’s Summer Festival
There are so many summer events and festivals all around the country, but it’s the Salzburg Summer Festival which has stood the test of time and has been delivering world-class performances for over 100 years. If you’re heading to the city of Mozart in July or August, try and grab a ticket to a concert.
Watch a classical concert at Salzburg Summer Festival
Embrace some R&R around Salzburgerland’s lakes
Austria’s lakes are something special, and if you visit the country in summer, you’ll certainly see them at their best. My personal favourite is Wolfgangsee as you can get there easily and quickly from Salzburg by public transport; there’s a handful of different villages around with boats connecting them; cable cars will bring you to the mountains alongside the cerulean pool, and watersport rentals are easy to find. If you go, seek out the unique Red Bull HQ nearby – it basically floats above its own lake!
Cruise the Danube River and visit Wachau’s vineyards
You don’t need to be wealthy to enjoy a cruise along the Danube River – at least if only for a day trip. For less than €50, you can book one of the combined boat and train tickets, which will see you sail from Melk (home of the famous Abbey) along the Danube River, spotting castles and vines along the way. Then, for the return, you can take the scenic train through Wachau’s vineyards. It’s a beautiful summer’s day out and, unsurprisingly, one of the most popular ways to spend a day in Austria.
Toasted ham baguettes in hand, we cheered as the new-generation Nightjet drew into Vienna Hauptbahnhof. It was a little before 7pm, and as the carriages hummed past I felt a rush of joy, like celebrity trainspotter Francis Bourgeois, but without the GoPro on my forehead. For more than three years I’ve been documenting the renaissance of sleeper trains, and I’d wondered if I might one day tire of them. But the thrill seems only to intensify each time I embark on another nocturnal adventure, this time with my two daughters – aged eight and five – who were already arguing over the top berth. The first four carriages were designated for travellers to the Italian port city of La Spezia, the other seven carrying on to Roma Tiburtina, where we would alight at 10am. Once in Rome we had 24 hours to eat classic carbonara, dark chocolate gelato, and bike around the Villa Borghese before taking a train to Florence.
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has played the lead role in resuscitating Europe’s night trains. Towards the end of 2016, ÖBB launched its Nightjet network on 14 routes, using old rolling stock it bought from Deutsche Bahn. Then, to the delight of train nerds like me, it launched a brand-new fleet at the end of 2023, and now operates 20 routes across Europe. We were now on board this high-spec service, which smelled of freshly unpacked furniture, the carpets soft underfoot, the lighting adjustable to disco hues of neon blue and punk pink.
We were booked into a couchette carriage, which mostly comprisesd mini cabins designed for solo travellers preferring privacy. Placing shoes and small bags in lockers, passengers can open a metal door with a keycard and crawl into their single berth, drawing the door closed around them, and not have to look at another human until morning. Last year I had trialled the mini cabins from Vienna to Hamburg alongside a tall friend who had likened the experience to sleeping inside a bread bin, though I hadn’t found it as claustrophobic as I’d feared, just a bit hard, chilly, and with a pillow as flat as a postage stamp. So I was curious to see how the carriage’s four-person private compartments, for families and groups, would differ.
New generation Nightjet train in Austria. Photograph: Christian Blumenstein
Normally happy to share with strangers, I’d booked a whole compartment for the three of us: more to protect other hapless travellers from my children, who were now swinging off the berths like members of Cirque du Soleil, their sweaty socks strewn under the seats. With raised sides, the upper berths were safe for the girls to sleep in without rolling out, and I set about tucking in their sheets while they settled down to finish their baguettes. There is no dining car on the Nightjet, so we’d bought food from the station, which was now moving backwards as the train sailed out of the Austrian capital in silence, smoothly curving south-west.
Two days earlier we’d arrived in Vienna by train from London, via Paris, and had checked into the Superbude Wien Prater, a curious hotel that appeared part art-installation, part hostel, with gen Zs slouched around worn leather sofas on MacBooks. With four-bed family cabins overlooking the Prater amusement park, it was a great location from which to explore the city, then finish the evening with a terrifying rollercoaster and a spicy Bitzinger wurst. A friend had described Vienna to me as a grand and beautiful “retirement village”, but, on the contrary, its green spaces, playgrounds and museums made it an easy stop for 48 hours with kids.
Hopping off the Nightjet from Paris, we’d gone straight to my favourite restaurant, Edelgreisslerei Opocensky – an unassuming nook serving homely dishes such as stuffed gnocchi, and goulash with dumplings – before whiling away an afternoon at the Children’s Museum at Schönbrunn Palace.
Dressing up like young Habsburgs, the girls had swanned around in wigs and musty gowns, laying tables for banquets and begging not to leave – a far cry from our usual museum experiences. Before boarding this train we’d had one last run around the interactive Technical Museum, where the human-sized hamster wheels, peg games and slides had so worn out the children that my five-year-old was asleep as the train plunged into the Semmering mountain pass.
It was still light as we swept around the Alps, my eight-year-old kneeling at the window and asking where local people shopped, so few and far between were signs of human life. Horses grazed in paddocks, cows nuzzled, and the occasional hamlet emerged from round a bend as though the chalets were shaken like dice and tossed into the slopes. In the blue-grey twilight we watched streams gleam like strips of metal, and spotted a single stag poised at the edge of a wood, before the train made a long stop at the Styrian city of Leoben, at which point we turned in.
Monisha Rajesh and her daughters disembark the night train. Photograph: Monisha Rajesh
Like the mini cabins, the compartment was still too cold, the pillow still too flat, but the berths were wider and the huge window a blessing compared with the single berths’ portholes – this one allowed for wistful gazing.
Shoving a rolled-up jumper under my head, I fell asleep, waking at 7am to rumpled clouds and a golden flare on the horizon. Most night trains terminate soon after passengers have woken up, but this one was perfect, allowing us to enjoy a leisurely breakfast of hot chocolate and jam rolls while watching the Tuscan dawn breaking into song, and Umbrian lakes and cornfields running parallel before we finally drew into Rome – on time.
When travelling alone I relish arriving with the entire day at my disposal, but with children it’s hard work waiting until 3pm to check in to accommodation, so I default to staying at a Hoxton hotel if one is available. Its Flexy Time policy allows guests to choose what time they check in and out for free, and by 11am we had checked in, showered and set off to toss coins in the Trevi fountain, finding thick whorls of eggy carbonara at nearby trattoria Maccheroni, and gelato at Don Nino. To avoid the crowds and heat, we waited until 6pm to hire an electric pedal car from Bici Pincio at the Villa Borghese and drove around the landscaped, leafy grounds, relishing the quietness of the evening ride. Excited about the next adventure in Florence, the girls had only one complaint: that they couldn’t ride there on the night train.
Monisha Rajesh is the author of Moonlight Express: Around the World by Night Train (Bloomsbury, £22), published on 28 August and available on pre-order at guardianbookshop.com
Omio provided travel in a four-person private compartment in a couchette carriage from Vienna to Rome (from £357). Accommodation was provided by Superbude Wien Prater in Vienna (doubles from €89 room-only); and The Hoxton in Rome (doubles from €189 room-only)
A former expatriate, he worked in Kolkata for two years before heading to the Gulf in 1977. After 33 years abroad, he returned home in 2010 and has since been indulging his lifelong love for travel.
Sreenivasan
Who says age comes with limits? Sreenivasan, a 79-year-old from Irinave in Kannur, certainly doesn’t think so. Far from slowing down, he’s still hitting the road solo — and his most recent adventure took him all the way to Howrah, clocking a whopping 4,357 kilometres over nine days, all by himself.
Living on the sixth floor of a flat in Thalap, Kannur, Sreenivasan is not one to lock himself in with the passing years. Age may change the numbers, but not his passion for travel. Whenever the mood strikes, he hops into his car and sets off — this time, turning the wheel eastwards to Howrah.
Despite the long journey, there’s not a trace of fatigue in his voice. Sreenivasan doesn’t let age define his pace. “When the desire to travel wins, age doesn’t matter,” he says with conviction.
A former expatriate, he worked in Kolkata for two years before heading to the Gulf in 1977. After 33 years abroad, he returned home in 2010 and has since been indulging his lifelong love for travel. Over the years, he has made countless trips, each one fuelling the next. His eyesight isn’t perfect, and he has a few health issues — but giving up solo travel is out of the question.
His journeys aren’t planned with maps or strict timetables. He simply follows his instinct — just as he did this time, choosing the route via Kottupuzha and Mysuru before heading straight to West Bengal. He drives from 8 am to 6 pm, avoiding night travel entirely. Pit stops are only for petrol and tolls.
For the Kannur–Howrah trip, he used 305 litres of petrol and paid ₹6,500 in tolls. He sticks to national highways and avoids detours. On some three-lane highways, rows of trucks can be a challenge, but Sreenivasan notes, “They’ll clear the way if you honk — it’s part of the driving culture.”
A vegetarian, he stops only at places that cater to his diet. His travels have taken him to Mangaluru, Mysuru, Srirangapatna, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar and of course, Kolkata — which he has visited thrice already. Shorter getaways to places like Thrissur and Palakkad are also part of his routine.
Sreenivasan believes that for elderly travellers, good roads make all the difference. He lives with his wife Reetha and has two daughters — Sreeja and Sijitha.
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Bed & bath: 1 bedroom, 2 baths Top amenities: Mountain views, sustainable and thoughtful design, in-unit laundry, free parking on premises
For a tasteful, stylish, and refined stay out in Wanship, Utah, this property is a western take on a traditional lighthouse. The Towerhouse is a four-story estate at 8,000 feet of elevation, and the only property on this list that has no body of water in sight. That said, guests can expect sprawling views of both the mountains and Park City, Utah. While the space can fit up to four guests, its one queen bed is more suitable for two—perhaps for a remote, romantic getaway. With novel, eclectic touches, it’s architecturally unique, and only a 15-minute drive from the small towns nearby. Note: If booking during the winter, all guests must have four-wheel drive with snow tires as the roads are steep and often covered with snow.
