Sports and active holidays in the mountains
The best for body, mind and soul in the midst of beautiful nature. It doesn't get any better than this!
Couch-Potato? War gestern! Den ganzen Tag nur faul rumliegen ist nichts für Sie. Sie brauchen Action und Bewegung. Wenn schon nicht zuhause, dann zumindest im Urlaub. Gut, dass wir in Österreich den Spielplatz Natur direkt vor der Haustür haben! Wenn Ihnen der Sinn nach einem Sport- und Aktivurlaub steht, dann packen Sie Ihre Sportsachen ein und ab mit Ihnen in die Berge! Atmen Sie die frische Luft ein, klettern Sie mit den Gämsen um die Wette und kühlen Sie sich nach einer anstrengenden Wanderung im eiskalten Gebirgssee ab.
We tell you the best sports activities in the mountains and where you should go for them:
On foot over all mountains
To have fun on the mountain, you don't need much more than two healthy legs. Lace up your hiking boots, pack your snack in your rucksack and off you go! Whether it's an enjoyable hike to the first alpine hut or a hardcore summit tour from sunrise to sunset: the Alps are a true paradise for hikers. Head up high on one of the high-altitude trails, for example on the Karwendel High Trail in Tyrol, which stretches from the Seefeld plateau to Scharnitz. If you also want to learn more about the country, its people and customs during your hike, one of the more than 300 themed hiking trails throughout Austria is the right place to go. Along the Tauerngold Adventure Trail in the Rauris Valley, for example, you can immerse yourself in the wild gold rush times and even try your luck panning for gold in the stream yourself.
The best place to start your hiking holiday is one of the currently 58 Hiking villages of Austria: Regionen, die das Wandergütesiegel tragen, haben nachgewiesen abwechslungsreiche und gut ausgeschilderte Wanderrouten und bietet einzigartige Naturplätze, die für Wanderer besonders in Szene gesetzt wurden. Zu den Wanderdörfern gehören beispielsweise Ellmau und Scheffau in Tirol, Großarl, Bad Hofgastein und Maria Alm im Salzburger Land, Kals am Großglockner in Osttirol, usw.
By the way: Trail runners also get their money's worth in the Austrian mountains. There are a total of 1,443 designated trail running routes throughout the country - most of them in Tyrol, followed by Vorarlberg. If you are looking for a challenge and want to measure yourself against others, take part in the Innsbruck Alpine Trailrun Festival 2020 which has been rescheduled for 10-12 September 2020.
Hanging by a thread
For big and small climbers, the mountains of Austria are a land of milk and honey. Rugged rock faces, challenging bouldering and of course popular via ferratas invite you to adventure at dizzying heights. Whether you are a climbing pro or a complete beginner, on a climbing wall or in the high mountains: Austria is a true paradise for climbing freaks and those who want to become one.
Especially Tyrol is known as a holy climbing country: World-class granite for bouldering and sport climbing as well as climbing areas with promising names like "eternal hunting grounds" await you in the Zillertal. Also a bouldering paradise with about 160 boulder is the at 2000 meters at the end of the Paznaun valley. "Silvapark Galtür". At the Chinese Wall in Leutasch, strong climbers in particular get their money's worth, while the Ötztal in turn offers a huge selection of routes for every ability.
If you want to get out of Tyrol for a while, but still want to spend a fine climbing holiday, you can go to the Maltatal to Carinthia. After you have exhausted yourself in the climbing garden, you can relax at one of the beautiful bathing lakes in the area, for example at Lake Millstätter See. There are also plenty of via ferratas in the Malta Valley, such as the Fallbach via ferrata or the Bella Vista via ferrata. So, what are you waiting for? Allez!
Mountain biking in a class of its own
Whether leisurely through the valley, steeply uphill or rapidly downhill: cycling is currently experiencing a real boom. And rightly so! Get in the saddle and discover Austria's mountains by road bike or mountain bike. If your physical condition is not sufficient to move mountains, an e-bike will give you the necessary momentum for your tour. The very brave dare to take on the challenge of downhill biking.
With more than 400 mountain bike trails, challenging freeride parks and many gondolas that also transport bikes, this is Saalbach-Hinterglemm probably the best known bike paradise in Austria. Not far away from it lies the Bike park in Leogangwho is also internationally one of the best and makes the heart of the freeride elite stand still for a short time.
If you are looking for endurance, you will find it in the Kitzbühel Alps. With the Fleckalm Trail the longest trail descent in Tyrol is located here with 7 km. And the Ötztal valley has also developed into a true biking mecca: 900 km of mountain bike trails around Sölden invite you to discover and enjoy. In the bike park BIKE REPUBLIC SÖLDEN 16 natural trails, 11 built lines and signposted enduro routes await adventure seekers. And in Oetz the 1st eBikepark of Tyrol including uphill flow trail opens in summer.
Adrenaline? High!
If you are looking for an adrenaline kick, downhill biking is not the only way to get your money's worth. Water rats plunge down raging rivers in a kayak or rafting, cave explorers abseil down gorges in canyoning and those who want to fly high, soar through the air with a paraglider or test their courage in the high ropes course.
Want to have the adventure of a lifetime this summer, but don't quite know where to start? Then you'd best head off to the Area 47 in the Tyrolean Ötztal! In the largest outdoor leisure park in Austria, there is a 20,000 m2 huge water park with the fastest water slide in Europe, blobbing, cannonball, wakeboard facility and much more, also the highest high ropes course in Austria and the opportunity to go rafting or canyoning. Pure thrills!
It’s “TEE”-Time
You want to try your hand at the driving range or improve your handicap in between all the mountain tours? Many of the TOP hotels we recommend for your sports and activity holiday in the mountains are just around the corner from one or more of the country's best golf courses. Dare to tee off, but don't be distracted by the stunning mountain scenery all around you!
Wer einen reinen Golf-Urlaub verbringen möchte, darf sich übrigens auf Ende Mai freuen. Am 29.05. verraten wir Ihnen mehr über die beliebstesten Golfregionen Österreichs und stellen Ihnen die Top 10 Golf-Resorts des Landes vor!
From the happiness of the earth & more
As you can see, the list of all the activities you can do on your sports and activity holiday in the mountains is long. And it's far from over! Horse girls (and boys) can explore the Alps from horseback, for example in Salzburger Land or in Austria's largest equestrian village in Ampflwang in Upper Austria. If you want to bring your ying and yang back into balance, take part in a yoga class. And on very hot summer days, we also let the lap swimming in the nearby natural swimming lake pass as sport...
But the best thing to do is simply explore for yourself what the Austrian mountains have to offer in summer for power women and men like you. So that nothing stands in the way of your adventure holiday in the mountains, we have selected the most beautiful sports and active hotels for you right away!
The most beautiful sport & activity hotels in the mountains!
=> Click here!
Picture credits: area47.at; bergfex.com; bergwelten.com; galtuer.com; karwendel-hohenweg.com; maltatal.rocks; saalbach.com; saalbach-leogang.com; Unsplash (Linus Mimietz; Court Cook; Rune Haugseng; Yannic Laderach); Shutterstock