Nature and Outdoor Activities in Austria in 2026: The Best Ways to Explore

Austria's outdoor infrastructure is among the finest in the world: the Hohe Tauern National Park protects the largest glaciated area in the Alps, with marked trails to Grossglockner (Austria's highest peak at 3,798 metres) and the Krimml Waterfalls — the highest in Europe. The Salzkammergut lake district between Salzburg and Linz delivers cycling, swimming, and lake kayaking in a landscape of green hills and mirror water that becomes genuinely dramatic in morning light. The Wachau valley of the Danube, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape, is one of the great cycling routes in central Europe. The Wienerwald forest above Vienna is the city's daily outdoor escape — deer in the clearings, trail running, and viewpoints over the Danube Basin. The best part is often the hidden gems you were not even looking for. Take it all in.