Autumn in Austria is magical with a quieter way of life, meaning you can embrace all of the adventures on offer
Travel transforms us, but if the blistering heat and bustling crowds of high summer are not your cup of tea, then an out of season break can offer a far more magical getaway. Somewhere that offers 365 days of adventure is the Austrian Alps, famed for its breathtaking scenery and active lifestyle. During quieter months, you can fully embrace lebensgefühl – meaning ‘way of life’ – allowing you to enjoy everything at your own pace.
With the summer heat subsiding and glorious golden foliage, autumn is the ideal time to visit. If hiking is high on your agenda, you’ll be spoilt for choice. There are serviced mountain huts dotted along well-trodden trails all ready to welcome you in for a well-deserved rest and delicious refreshments – plan your route well and you could be savouring more than just the views.
Austria is a food lover’s dream. In Tirol, trails such as Außermelang-Alm, Farmkehralm and Jagdhausalm offer opportunities to sample local delicacies en route, such as milk, cheese, butter
and meats. Or perhaps try surspeck, a blossom-white bacon, in Upper Austria, or the distinctive tang of pumpkin seed oil in Styria, while Carinthia is home to the Gailtaler Alpine cheese trail – tasty cheeses and a good hike afterwards to walk off any over-indulgences, win-win!
Austria’s crystal clear lakes also prove enticing destinations. Carinthia’s Lake Weissensee offers a restorative route from Techendorf to Ronacherfels where you can enjoy secluded bays with enviable views – and, up until October, there’s even a boat to take you back to your starting point if weary legs win out. Straddled across SalzburgerLand and Upper Austria, Lake Wolfgangsee has shimmering waters that alter in tone, from light to deep blues and greens. While it may be too bracing for a dip in autumn, on dry land there are plenty of activities to enjoy. The Alle Neune tracks offer nine trails around the lake with varying degrees of difficulty, conditions and panoramas. Of course, you don’t need to do them in one trip – pick one and save the rest for future holidays.
Austria’s Alpine lakes are also the ideal spot from which to enjoy other popular activities such as boating, kayaking and paddle boarding – or you could simply find a peaceful patch to sit back, relax,
and enjoy your holiday, planting the seed for your next big Austrian adventure.
For more information, visit austria.info