# Road trips in Austria

> 12 road trips and 38 hand-picked places in Austria, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/roadtrips/austria/

12 road trips and 38 hand-picked places in Austria, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

## Road trips through Austria

- [Salzkammergut lakes](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/salzkammergut/): From Salzburg past St. Wolfgang to Hallstatt’s lake and Gmunden’s ceramics.
- [Zillertal, Krimml and the Grossglockner](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/tyrol-krimml/): Tyrolean valleys, Austria’s highest waterfalls and the country’s most famous Alpine road.
- [Wachau: the Danube wine valley](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/wachau/): Melk Abbey, apricot orchards, terraced vineyards and the blue tower of Dürnstein.
- [Carinthia’s warm lakes: Ossiach and Wörthersee](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b4-carinthian-lakes/): Swimming lakes, a peninsula church and a castle of fourteen gates, between Villach and Klagenfurt.
- [South Styrian Wine Road](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b4-south-styria-wine/): Steep vineyards, clattering klapotetz and Buschenschank taverns along the Slovenian border, ending at the Riegersburg fortress.
- [Ötztal and the Timmelsjoch](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b4-oetztal-timmelsjoch/): Up Tyrol’s longest side valley past its highest waterfall to Sölden’s glacier road and the high pass on the Italian border.
- [Silvretta and Arlberg loop](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b4-silvretta-arlberg/): From Lake Constance through the Montafon, over the Silvretta High Alpine Road and back via St. Anton and the Flexen Pass to Lech.
- [Kamptal and Waldviertel: castles beyond the Wachau](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b4-kamptal-waldviertel/): Wine terraces in Langenlois, then castles and abbeys in the quiet granite forests of Lower Austria’s north.
- [Burgenland: Lake Neusiedl and the Seewinkel](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b4-lake-neusiedl/): Haydn’s palace, stork-nest roofs in Rust and the steppe lakes of Austria’s flattest national park.
- [Salzach valley: ice caves, gorges and Kaprun’s dams](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b14-salzach-ice-caves/): From Salzburg’s trick fountains up the Salzach to the world’s largest ice cave, a fortress, a deep gorge, the lake at Zell am See and high reservoirs below the glaciers.
- [The Danube through Upper Austria: Passau to Melk](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b14-upper-austria-danube/): The Schlögen loop, Linz and its hill church, Bruckner’s abbey, the Mauthausen memorial and the wooded Strudengau to Melk.
- [Außerfern: highline179, Plansee and the Fern Pass](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b14-ausserfern-fernpass/): Across the border from Füssen to a suspension bridge over a castle road, a clear mountain lake, the Zugspitze wall at Lermoos and the turquoise lakes of the Fern Pass.

## Places worth the detour in Austria

- [Hallstatt](https://camping-spirit.com/places/hallstatt/): A lakeside village below steep mountains. Park in the paid lots outside; the centre is car-free.
- [Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße](https://camping-spirit.com/places/grossglockner/): A toll road climbing to 2,504 m with views of Austria’s highest peak. Usually open May to early November.
- [Krimml Waterfalls](https://camping-spirit.com/places/krimml-falls/): Austria’s highest waterfalls drop 380 m in three steps. A path climbs beside them.
- [Melk Abbey](https://camping-spirit.com/places/melk-abbey/): A yellow Baroque abbey on a rock above the Danube, with a library of painted ceilings.
- [Maria Wörth](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-maria-woerth/): Two churches on a small peninsula in the Wörthersee, one of Carinthia’s most photographed views. Parking is tight in summer, so arrive early.
- [Hochosterwitz Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-hochosterwitz/): A castle on a limestone crag reached through 14 gates along a winding path. An inclined lift saves the climb.
- [South Styrian Wine Road at Ratsch](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-south-styrian-wine-road/): The narrow wine road follows the ridge along the Slovenian border through steep Sauvignon Blanc vineyards and clattering klapotetz rattles. Buschenschank taverns serve cold platters with local wine.
- [Riegersburg Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-riegersburg/): A fortress on a volcanic rock in the Styrian Volcano Land, never taken by force. An inclined lift runs up the cliff; the steep footpath takes about 20 minutes.
- [Stuibenfall](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-stuibenfall/): Tyrol’s highest waterfall drops 159 m in the Ötztal, with steel stairways and a suspension bridge in the spray. Allow two hours from the car park in Umhausen.
- [Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-timmelsjoch/): A 2,474 m pass on the Austrian-Italian border, with small open-air museum pavilions along the way. The toll road closes in winter and at night, and trailers are banned.
- [Silvretta Reservoir at Bielerhöhe](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-silvretta-bielerhoehe/): The top of the Silvretta High Alpine Road at 2,032 m, where a turquoise reservoir mirrors glaciated peaks. Boats cross the lake in summer and an easy path loops around it.
- [Rosenburg Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-rosenburg/): A Renaissance castle above the Kamp valley with one of Europe’s largest tournament courtyards and falconry shows in season.
- [Esterházy Palace](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-esterhazy-palace/): The Baroque palace where Joseph Haydn served as court composer for decades; concerts still fill the Haydn Hall.
- [Neusiedler See–Seewinkel National Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-seewinkel/): Salt pans, steppe and reed beds on the eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl, home to avocets, herons and grazing grey cattle. Hire a bike near the Illmitz visitor centre and bring binoculars.
- [highline179](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-highline-179/): A 406 m pedestrian suspension bridge hanging over the B179 between the Ehrenberg castle ruins and Fort Claudia. Paid entry; park at the Ehrenberg castle car park and walk up about 30 minutes.
- [Eisriesenwelt](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-eisriesenwelt/): Usually described as the largest ice cave in the world, high above Werfen, with ice formations seen by carbide lamp on the guided tour. Open May to late October; allow three hours including the walks, cable car and 700 steps up, and bring warm clothes.
- [Liechtensteinklamm](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-liechtensteinklamm/): One of the deepest gorges in the Alps, explored on walkways above the water, with a newer spiral staircase at the far end. Open roughly May to October; paid entry and parking at the entrance south of St. Johann.
- [Kaprun High Mountain Reservoirs](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-kaprun-reservoirs/): Two turquoise reservoirs below the glaciers, the Wasserfallboden and, higher up at about 2,040 m, the Mooserboden with its two dams. Cars stop at the Kesselfall car park; buses and an open inclined lift take you up, roughly late May to October.
- [Schlögen Danube loop viewpoint](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-schloegener-schlinge/): The famous U-bend of the Danube seen from the Schlögener Blick above the river. Park in Schlögen and walk up the signed forest path, allowing about 40 minutes.
- [Naschmarkt](https://camping-spirit.com/places/naschmarkt/): Vienna’s long market street of spice stalls, cheesemongers and small restaurants.
- [Landskron Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-burg-landskron/): A castle ruin above Lake Ossiach with birds-of-prey shows and a monkey park on the same hill. The view takes in Villach and the Julian Alps.
- [Pyramidenkogel Tower](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-pyramidenkogel/): A 100 m timber observation tower above the Wörthersee with views to the Karawanks. Children love the long enclosed slide back down.
- [Seggau Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-seggau-castle/): A former bishops’ castle on a wooded hill above Leibnitz, with a historic wine cellar and Roman gravestones set into its walls.
- [Stams Abbey](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-stams-abbey/): A Cistercian abbey with twin onion-domed towers on the floor of the Inn valley, founded in 1273. The Baroque church with its Tree of Life altar is open to visitors.
- [Ötztal Glacier Road](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-otztal-glacier-road/): A toll road climbing to about 2,800 m beside the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers, among the highest points in the Alps you can reach by car. Snow is possible even in summer.
- [Flexen Pass](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-flexen-pass/): A 1,773 m pass between the Arlberg and Lech, with the road clinging to the cliff through avalanche galleries. Pull in at the top for the view down to Stuben.
- [Altenburg Abbey](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-altenburg-abbey/): A Benedictine abbey with a Baroque library and a painted crypt, usually far quieter than Melk. Its gardens are open in summer.
- [Rappottenstein Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-rappottenstein/): A never-conquered medieval castle on a granite outcrop in the Waldviertel, with a series of courtyards and original frescoes. Guided tours run in summer.
- [Forchtenstein Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-forchtenstein/): The Esterházy family’s treasure castle on the slopes of the Rosalia hills, with an armoury and a cabinet of curiosities.
- [Podersdorf Lighthouse](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b4-podersdorf-lighthouse/): A small white lighthouse at the harbour on Lake Neusiedl, a rare sight on an Austrian lake. Come for the sunset over the water.
- [Plansee](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-plansee/): A long, clear mountain lake east of Reutte, lined by a road with lay-bys and small beaches. The same road continues through the Ammerwald into Bavaria to Linderhof Palace, a slower alternative crossing.
- [Blindsee](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-blindsee/): A turquoise lake in the forest below the Fern Pass, visible from the lay-bys on the B179. A path leads down to the shore; come on a weekday, as the pass road is busy on summer weekends.
- [Hellbrunn Palace and trick fountains](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-hellbrunn/): A 17th-century pleasure palace on the south edge of Salzburg, famous for its trick fountains that soak visitors on guided tours. Open April to early November; parking at the palace.
- [Hohenwerfen Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-hohenwerfen/): A medieval fortress on a rock above the Salzach valley, with daily falconry displays in season. A lift runs up from the car park, or you can walk up in 20 minutes.
- [Pöstlingberg](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-poestlingberg/): A hill above Linz crowned by a twin-towered pilgrimage church, with views over the city and the Danube. Take the historic Pöstlingberg tram from the main square or drive up to the paid car park.
- [St. Florian Abbey](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-st-florian/): A baroque Augustinian abbey south of Linz where Anton Bruckner was organist and is buried beneath his great organ. Guided tours show the library, the imperial rooms and the crypt.
- [Mauthausen Memorial](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-mauthausen/): The former Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the Danube, now a memorial and museum. Entry is free; allow at least two hours and visit the granite quarry with its Stairs of Death.
- [Maria Taferl Basilica](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b14-maria-taferl/): A baroque pilgrimage church on a terrace high above the north bank of the Danube, with views to the Alps on clear days. Signed from the B3; parking below the church.

## FAQs

**What are the best road trips in Austria?**
Popular routes include Salzkammergut lakes, Zillertal, Krimml and the Grossglockner, Wachau: the Danube wine valley and Carinthia’s warm lakes: Ossiach and Wörthersee. CampingSpirit has 12 trip guides that pass through Austria, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary and a route map.

**Which places in Austria are worth a detour?**
Our editors recommend Hallstatt, Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße, Krimml Waterfalls, Melk Abbey, Maria Wörth and Hochosterwitz Castle.

**Do you need a vignette or pay tolls in Austria?**
Vignette needed for motorways. Vehicles over 3.5 t need a GO-Box for distance-based tolls. Rules and prices change. Check official sources before you travel.

**What is the motorway speed limit in Austria?**
130 km/h on motorways for cars, unless signs show otherwise.

**Are there low-emission zones in Austria?**
Few or none.