Visit the Austrian Alps: fortresses, castles, and ice caves

This fortress overlooks Salzburg from its hilltop position and represents an important military stronghold in this collection of Alpine castles and fortifications. Within its walls stands a puppet museum, giving visitors insight into local traditions. A climb to the panoramic tower rewards you with views across the city and the surrounding mountains. The fortress tells the story of the region's past while offering a vantage point to understand the landscape below.

Mirabell Palace is a princely residence built in 1606 for Archbishop Wolf Dietrich and stands as one of the notable sites in the Austrian Alps. The palace gardens feature fountains, statues, and flower-lined paths arranged in baroque style, creating spaces where visitors can walk and observe the design of past centuries. The palace offers a glimpse into princely architecture and the craftsmanship of formal garden design.

This ice cave in Werfen is part of the main attractions in the Austrian Alps. The Eisriesenwelt extends 42 kilometers through limestone rock, with the first kilometer filled with ice that creates natural formations. It is a place to visit when summer heat becomes unbearable.

This palace was built in 1613 by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus as a summer residence. Hellbrunn Palace is part of a collection of main tourist sites in the Austrian Alps, where you can explore fortresses, palaces, natural sites, and historical monuments. The palace features mechanical water fountains, French gardens, and rooms decorated with baroque frescoes. The grounds offer a window into the artistic and technical creativity of past centuries.

Swarovski Crystal Worlds is an underground exhibition space where artistic installations made of crystal come to life. The collection brings together the history of the Swarovski brand with modern creations. Visitors walk through rooms filled with sparkling crystal art and learn how these stones have been transformed by artists and designers. This site fits naturally into an Alpine journey, offering a different kind of treasure to discover alongside the region's fortresses and natural wonders.

St Rupert's Cathedral stands in Salzburg as an important religious monument in the Austrian Alps region. Built in 1628, this cathedral showcases baroque architecture with distinctive features: five organs placed throughout its interior and seven bells hanging in the main towers. The dome rises 79 meters high. This cathedral serves as a significant destination for visitors exploring religious sites alongside the fortresses, castles, and natural sites found throughout the Alps.

The Krimml Waterfalls in this collection showcase the power of nature in the Austrian Alps. Water plunges down three tiers for a total of 380 meters, originating from the Krimmler Kees glacier. The falls sit within Hohe Tauern National Park, where visitors can hike trails through the surrounding landscape. In summer, the valley is green and the water rushes with force. In winter, the scene becomes quieter, though portions of the falls freeze over.

Ambras Castle is a 16th-century princely residence in Innsbruck and stands as one of the major historical monuments in the Austrian Alps. The castle houses an armory, historical portraits, and a chamber of arts filled with rare Renaissance objects. Visitors can explore how the princes of this Alpine region lived and ruled, stepping back into centuries past through the castle's rooms and collections.

The Streif Run is an alpine ski piste in Kitzbühel that descends from Hahnenkamm with very steep terrain. Each year it hosts a World Cup race that draws skiers and spectators from around the world. The run is part of the Austrian Alps landscape and represents the challenging ski resorts featured in this collection of fortresses, castles, and natural sites.

Lake Achensee sits at an altitude of 929 meters (3,050 feet) in Tyrol, nestled between the Karwendel and Rofan mountain ranges. The lake stretches 6.8 kilometers (4.2 miles) long and about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) wide. This mountain lake offers opportunities for water sports in summer and serves as a gateway to nearby ski resorts in winter. The water is cold and clear. Steep mountains rise on both sides of the lake, creating dramatic views that change with the seasons. People come here to hike, swim, and enjoy the natural landscape.

Hohenwerfen Castle rises from a 155-meter rock outcrop and has commanded the Salzach valley for 900 years. As part of this collection exploring the Austrian Alps, this fortress stands among the region's principal historical monuments, offering visitors a window into medieval life and warfare. Inside the castle walls, you'll find a falconry exhibition and collections of medieval weapons that reveal how people lived and fought in earlier times.

St Peter's Abbey in Salzburg is a Benedictine monastery founded in the 7th century. The monastery houses a library filled with medieval manuscripts, a restaurant where visitors can eat, and a herb market in its inner courtyard. This site reflects the deep religious history of the Austrian Alps region and offers insight into monastic life over many centuries.

Schallaburg Castle stands as a 16th century fortification within this collection of major destinations in the Austrian Alps featuring castles and strongholds. The castle displays arcades decorated with terracotta reliefs that showcase the craftsmanship of the era. Inside the courtyard, a two-level gallery features elaborately decorated columns and floral ornaments that reflect the artistic style of the period. The design reveals the architectural and decorative traditions of Renaissance times.

Eggenberg Castle is a 17th-century princely residence that fits perfectly into our collection of Alpine fortresses and castles. The building stands out with its four corner towers and 365 windows. Inside, the rooms display frescoes and paintings that illustrate episodes from the history of humanity. Visitors can walk through the spaces and explore the stories of the region and its people.

SkiWelt is one of the largest ski areas in the Alps and fits naturally into this collection of mountain destinations in Austria. The area spans 279 kilometers of slopes with different difficulty levels—red, black, and blue runs. A dense network of lifts connects Söll, Going, Scheffau, and six other villages, allowing skiers to move freely between locations. This makes SkiWelt one of the most popular winter resorts in the region.

The Hahnenkamm Run is a legendary ski slope in the Austrian Alps that has hosted international competitions since 1931. This demanding course descends 3,312 meters with a vertical drop of 860 meters. In the steepest sections, the slope reaches grades of up to 85 percent. It is one of the most challenging ski runs in the world and represents a highlight for winter sports enthusiasts exploring the best ski resorts in the Alps.

Kitzsteinhorn is a glacier in the Hohe Tauern range at 3,203 meters altitude. You can reach it by cable car from the valley station in Kaprun. From the top, you see the surrounding mountain peaks and valleys stretching out below. You can ski here in both winter and summer, or simply enjoy the mountain landscape. This location is part of the Austrian Alps and offers visitors nature and outdoor activities all in one place.

This 12th-century church shapes the old center of Zell am See. The religious building draws attention with colorful stained glass windows, ribbed vaults, and a steeply pitched bell tower. It represents one of the historical monuments in the Austrian Alps, where fortresses, castles, and natural sites like ice caves complement this architectural landmark.

The Medieval Center of Kitzbühel is a key destination in this collection of Alpine sites. This historic center features cobblestone streets lined with colorful houses from the 14th and 15th centuries. Here you will find luxury shops and traditional Tyrolean restaurants that reflect the authentic character of the Austrian Alps.

Ehrenberg Castles comprise a group of four interconnected medieval fortifications dating from the 13th century. This site fits naturally into a collection focused on Alpine fortresses and castles in Austria. Visitors can explore a permanent exhibition about the history of European fortifications, complete with weapon demonstrations and historical reenactments that bring the past to life.

Tratzberg Castle sits on a rocky promontory and was built in the 16th century. This castle shows you furniture from different periods, wall frescoes, and carefully carved wooden ceilings. It is one of the historical sites in the Austrian Alps where you can step back in time and discover the craftsmanship of centuries past.

Kufstein Fortress is a 13th-century military structure that crowns the landscape above the Inn River. As one of the main attractions in the Austrian Alps, this fortress houses the world's largest outdoor organ. Daily concerts bring music to the Alpine surroundings, and from within the fortress walls, visitors can take in sweeping views of the region and its history.

Bruck Castle is a medieval fortress from the 13th century in Lienz. The castle displays Gothic paintings and exhibitions about the wildlife, flora, and crafts of Eastern Tyrol. It is a significant site in this collection of fortresses and castles of the Austrian Alps.

Silvretta Arena is a ski area that spreads across the Austrian-Swiss border and offers slopes for different skill levels. With numerous lift facilities connecting the terrain, it stands as one of the larger ski destinations in the Alps. The winter season runs from November to May, allowing for an extended period of skiing. As one of the main tourist sites in the Austrian Alps collection, this area appeals to winter visitors looking for variety and quality in their mountain experience.

Landeck Castle is a medieval fortified castle from the 13th century that overlooks the Inn Valley and is part of this collection of the main tourist sites in the Austrian Alps. The castle housed local courts until 1950 and now serves as a regional museum where visitors can learn about the area's history.

Skicircus connects the villages of Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Leogang, and Fieberbrunn through interconnected ski runs in the Pinzgau Grass Mountains. This ski area offers groomed slopes for skiers and snowboarders of different abilities and is one of the major winter destinations in the Austrian Alps.

Matzen Castle stands on a hill above Reith im Alpbachtal and is a structure from the 12th century. It is one of the castles that shape this Alpine region. The castle has an inner courtyard, medieval towers, and a French garden. Visitors can see the old architecture and enjoy the location in the Alpbach Valley landscape.

Berneck Fortress sits on a rocky outcrop in the Ötztal valley, showing the solid design of a medieval defensive structure. With its keep and thick walls, it offers a window into how people built fortifications in the Middle Ages. From its high position, the fortress overlooks the valley below and speaks to a time when such buildings guarded the mountain passes and trade routes through the Alps. The Inn Valley beneath the fortress was an important passage for merchants and travelers, and this fortress helped control movement through this strategic location.

This castle was built in the 12th century on a rocky promontory and served as a prison for King Richard the Lionheart in 1192. The preserved walls offer views over the Danube Valley and represent part of the historical sites found throughout the Austrian Alps, where fortresses, palaces, and natural landmarks come together.

Lake Zell is a mountain lake located in a valley of the Austrian Alps at an altitude of 750 meters and stretches for 4.5 kilometers. The lake offers opportunities for swimming, sailing, and relaxing while exploring the alpine region. The clear water and surrounding mountains make it a popular destination for visitors seeking natural beauty and outdoor recreation during their stay in the Austrian Alps.