Gartl Waterfall
The circular path around Tirol's Gartl waterfall features show mills and a viewing platform. The microclimate is said to have stress-relieving effects.
Austria's nature is real, original and authentic. In some places the gorges, caves, national parks, lakes and waterfalls are especially impressive. #feelAustria
Austria's nature seems so real on social media posts that you might immediately want to dive into it. And the good news is, the lakes and mountains don't end at the edge of your screen in real life. In Austria, you are right in the middle of it all.
Many hiking trails lead very close along waterfalls. So close in fact that you can see the tiny water droplets in the air and feel them on your skin. The gorges are so deep that hikers experience a special microclimate when walking on the well-secured footbridges between the raging water and the rocks. And even places that seem out of this world do really exist in Austria - like enormous ice caves that were formed over millions of years. And the lakes? It seems like nature only used the brightest colours for them. Austria is real - touch, feel and experience its natural treasures for yourself!
Austria's waterfalls are an impressive natural spectacle - and you can admire over 700 of them up close. They are popular destinations, especially on hot summer days. The humid air feels pleasantly cool on the skin and refreshes the lungs with a mix of moss and fir.
The closer you get to the falls, the louder its roaring sounds. The healing effects of water are scientifically proven: It can reduce stress and enhance mental wellbeing. Thinking about it, this comes with little surprise: The irrepressible force of nature has been around a lot longer than us humans.
The circular path around Tirol's Gartl waterfall features show mills and a viewing platform. The microclimate is said to have stress-relieving effects.
The widest waterfall in the Eastern Alps can be found in the Tirolean Stubaital valley. It is especially impressive in early summer after the snow melts.
The picturesque natural spectacle in Tirol's Ötztal valley seems close enough to touch thanks to a system of paths, platforms and vie ferrate.
One of the highest free-falling waterfalls in Europe is located close to Carinthia's Lake Klopeiner See. A platform provides a picture-perfect view.
Whirring crickets provide the melodic background music to outdoor activities, a hawk circles over the pastures in search of prey and the cows enjoy the lush grass on the alpine pasture. Austria's national parks spoil locals and visitors with their natural beauty - striking mountains in the distance, dense forests and lovely rivers in the foreground, the panoramic views often look almost unreal.
The national parks do not pretend to be an ideal world, they are an ideal world. They are places where humans live in harmony with nature and take great pride in protecting its treasures for the generations to come. Visitors to Austria can experience them first-hand while walking and hiking, climbing, cycling or swimming.
The national park is located in the secluded Green Canyon of Lower Austria, between dense deciduous trees, steep rocky cliffs and the river that gives the valley its name.
Experience Austria's youngest national park in Styria along the roaring Enns river and the rugged limestone mountains. Unspoiled nature at its best!
In the National Park Kalkalpen (literally: Limestone Alps) in Upper Austria, four fifths of the area are covered by trees, the majority of them being spruces, firs and beeches.
A wild forest on Vienna's doorstep, the greenest city in the world? Fact! The Danube River flows freely and unregulated here and provides a habitat of various endangered species.
Wild water is a constant companion when hiking in many parts of Austria. The gorges are beautiful witnesses of the past, proudly showcasing the deep aisles that have been washed into the rock over the millennia. In Austria, where the mountains are high, the gorges are particularly deep and long. However, secured paths, footbridges and steps lead along the rushing river, allowing us to experience the power of the water up close. Hikers are also rewarded with a constant play of light and shadow, impressive waterfalls and deep pools.
Tired legs? All the natural beauty the water has created will easily distract you and get you back on your feet to see even more!
Austria is full of mystical parallel worlds beneath the earth's surface, namely huge caves and grottos. Anyone venturing down these cavities will find themselves in an extraordinary environment: Some of the grottos and caves feature bizarre stalactite formations, others shimmering objects made of ice. They all came about by a whim of nature. As unreal as these fascinating worlds may seem, they are real!
What do they tell us about the past? What is hidden deep inside? Only those daring to explore them will see the colourful minerals in the rocks, the subterranean lakes condemned to eternal darkness and the mighty ice palaces with their own eyes.
The outdoor options at and around Austria's lakes are as varied as the waves that roll onto the shore. Where the tranquility of the water meets the power of the Alps, it's easy to relax and rewind. Whether you want to jump straight into the water to cool off, take a bike ride around the lake, a boat tour together with your family or go on a diving adventure, we promise, your day will be a good one!
That alpine summer feeling everyone talks about will kick in the moment you first set your eyes on the picturesque mountain and lake landscape.
Alpine regions with lakes and mountains, Pannonian steppes, forests and Mediterranean landscapes - Austria is full of natural wonders. #feelAustria
Austria's strictly protected national parks and biosphere reserves offer visitors the chance to discover nature in its original, untouched state first-hand.
Deep breaths are healthy and powerful in Austria. And it's all down to altitude, stimulating climate and the power of water. #realAustria
Nature gives us energy; lakes and mountains feel almost magical. What effect do water adventures and spending time in the mountains have on us?