The Ultimate Austria Road Trip: 20 Iconic Stops from East to West 🚗🇦🇹
Mapping Austria from east to west is honestly the best way to plan your epic road trip or chill train adventure. You’ll vibe through landscapes that switch from wine-soaked plains near Hungary to insane alpine peaks bordering Switzerland. The scenery is literally glow-up goals!
Here’s the Austria bucket list—20 iconic tourist spots, laid out east to west, so you can just follow the trail. Swipe through, add to your map, and get ready for pure wanderlust! 🌍✨
Eastern Austria: Palaces, Wine, and Imperial History
1. Lake Neusiedl (Neusiedler See)
Right at Austria’s eastern edge! This steppe lake is super unique with vast reed beds, shallow chill waters, and epic windsurfing spots. It’s also surrounded by Austria’s best red wine vineyards (hello, wine tasting tours!).
Address: 7141 Podersdorf am See, Austria
Opening hours vary—you can visit the lake area year-round!
2. Vienna (Wien)
The imperial capital! Vienna is packed with world-famous architecture like Schönbrunn Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the art-filled Belvedere Palace. Stroll around and feel the royal vibes.
Schönbrunn Palace: Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, 1130 Wien
Belvedere Palace: Prinz Eugen-Straße 27, 1030 Wien
St. Stephen’s Cathedral: Stephansplatz 3, 1010 Wien
3. Wachau Valley & Melk Abbey
East-west road trip = magical. The UNESCO Wachau Valley is famous for terraced vineyards and castle ruins (like Dürnstein). Melk Abbey drops jaws with its golden Baroque style.
Melk Abbey: Abt-Berthold-Dietmayr-Straße 1, 3390 Melk
Opens daily—check local timings!
4. Graz
Austria’s second city, in Styria! Graz is historic with Renaissance-old town streets and the iconic Schlossberg clock tower. Sooo Instagrammable.
5. Hochosterwitz Castle
Deep south in Carinthia, this insane 14th-century fortress crowns a steep limestone rock—guarded by 14 defensive gates!
Address: 9314 Launsdorf, Austria
Central & The Lake District: Salzkammergut and Salzburg
6. Linz
Straddling the Danube, Linz mixes industrial roots with futuristic art spaces like the Ars Electronica Center. Don’t miss the historic main square!
Ars Electronica Center: Ars-Electronica-Straße 1, 4040 Linz
7. Lake Traunsee & Gmunden
Kick off your Salzkammergut adventure! Famous for the pretty Schloss Ort castle (literally sitting on the lake) and Gmunden’s green-and-white ceramics.
Schloss Ort: Ort 1, 4810 Gmunden
8. Lake Wolfgangsee & St. Gilgen
Ride the legendary SchafbergBahn steam cog railway up for panoramic views. The lakeside is unreal.
SchafbergBahn: Markt 45, 5360 St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut
9. Hallstatt
The poster child for Austria! This fairytale village hugs the lake with Dachstein mountains right behind. Totally a must for your trip.
Hallstatt village: 4830 Hallstatt, Austria
10. Eisriesenwelt (Werfen)
Ice cave bucket list alert! South of Salzburg, this is the world’s biggest accessible ice cave system—massive frozen cave formations you gotta see!
Address: Eishöhlenstraße 30, 5450 Werfen
Open May–October, check for guided tour times!
11. Salzburg
Mozart’s birthplace and the Sound of Music dream spot. The gigantic Hohensalzburg Fortress and baroque vibes are next-level.
Hohensalzburg Fortress: Mönchsberg 34, 5020 Salzburg
Alpine Heartlands: High Peaks and Glaciers
12. Zell am See & Kaprun
Perfect mountain resort right on Lake Zell, with year-round snow on Kitzsteinhorn glacier nearby.
Kitzsteinhorn: Kitzsteinhornplatz 1, 5710 Kaprun
13. Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Legendary alpine drive—36 hairpin turns packed with epic views of Austria’s highest mountain (3,798 meters!).
Start: Fusch an der Großglocknerstraße, 5672 Fusch
14. Krimml Waterfalls
The tallest waterfalls in Austria and all of Europe, dropping 380 meters. Three epic tiers—bring your camera!
Krimml Waterfalls: Krimml 47, 5743 Krimml
15. Kitzbühel
Historic medieval town turned luxury ski hotspot. Famous for the wild Streif downhill racing slope—skiers, this is your playground.
Western Austria: Tyrolean Alps & Vorarlberg
16. Lake Achensee
Tyrol’s largest lake is the “Fjord of the Alps”—turquoise water, steep mountain walls, and major chill vibes.
Address: Achensee, 6215 Pertisau, Austria
17. Innsbruck
Capital of Tyrol! Snap your selfie at the Golden Roof in the medieval old town. Then hop the Nordkette cable car for insane mountain views, right from the city.
Golden Roof: Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 15, 6020 Innsbruck
Nordkette cable car: Rennweg 3, 6020 Innsbruck
18. Seefeld in Tirol
Winter sports haven on a sunny plateau. Hosted the Winter Olympics multiple times—perfect for skiing and chill mountain vibes.
19. St. Anton am Arlberg
On the Tyrol/Vorarlberg border, this legendary mountain resort is the OG birthplace of modern alpine skiing.
Address: St. Anton am Arlberg, 6580 St. Anton, Austria
20. Bregenz & Lake Constance (Bodensee)
Austria's westernmost stop! Bregenz sits right on the massive lake shared with Germany and Switzerland. The floating opera stage during the Bregenz Festival: pure summer magic!
Bregenz Festival: Platz der Wiener Symphoniker 1, 6900 Bregenz
Travel Tip:
Roll across Austria with the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB)—connects spots 2 (Vienna), 3 (Wachau/Melk), 6 (Linz), 11 (Salzburg), 12 (Zell am See), 17 (Innsbruck), and 20 (Bregenz) along a direct east-to-west mainline. For those wild mountain valleys and iconic alpine roads, rent a car and go full adventure mode!
Ready to create your Austria playlist? Save these spots, pin your favorites, and let the road trip or train journey begin! Get booking vibes rolling at trip.com and start packing for your Austrian adventure! 🚀