Hidden places in Austria

This cave extends for 26 miles (42 kilometers) and contains year-round frozen ice formations with natural columns and walls. Eisriesenwelt sits in the Tennengebirge range and ranks among Austria's notable geological features. The ice cave provides access to the country's natural sites located away from main routes.

The Lurgrotte extends 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) through limestone formations and displays underground lakes along with stalagmites and stalactites. This cave system represents one of Austria's less frequented natural sites and provides insights into the geological processes of the Styria region. Guided tours access the main sections of the grotto, where water flows and formations shaped over thousands of years are present.

The Krimml Waterfalls drop in three cascades over 1,247 feet (380 meters), making them among Europe's highest waterfalls. These falls sit within Hohe Tauern National Park and offer hiking trails along the cascade levels with views of alpine vegetation. The main path leads from the valley floor to the uppermost tier and takes about ninety minutes. The best time to visit is between May and September, when snowmelt increases water volume.

This medieval fortress rises from a 520-foot (160-meter) dolomite outcrop and documents nearly a thousand years of defensive architecture. The fortified approach to Burg Hochosterwitz passes through 14 successive gates with different defense systems, built between the 16th and 17th centuries. From the castle grounds, views extend across much of Carinthia. The Khevenhüller family has owned the property since 1571, and the castle displays collections of arms and historical armor.

This former gypsum mine in Lower Austria contains Europe's largest underground lake, spanning 6,765 square feet (6,200 square meters), and offers guided boat tours through illuminated tunnels. The Seegrotte Hinterbrühl formed after a blasting accident in 1912 when groundwater flooded the tunnel system and created the subterranean lake. The tours lead through several levels of the historic mine where visitors learn about the geological formations and the history of gypsum extraction.

This baroque monastery library from 1776 holds 70,000 volumes in a 230-foot-long (70-meter) hall with white walls and ceiling frescoes. Admont Abbey Library represents Austrian monastic culture away from main travel routes and demonstrates the historical importance of Benedictine scholarship in Styria.

The Hallstatt Salt Mines trace mining techniques from the Bronze Age and guide visitors through underground galleries to a salt lake at 1,300 feet (400 meters) depth. This operation ranks among the oldest working mines in the world and documents 3,000 years of salt extraction in the Alps. Tours explain prehistoric tools, wooden slides from the 19th century and geological formations shaped by millennia of human activity.

This medieval fortress on a volcanic rock in Styria features 11 gates and 108 rooms. Two museums document the history of witch persecution in the region. The castle complex was established in the 12th century and expanded to its current form in the 17th century.

This chapel stands on the site of the former Saint Nicholas Church where Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber composed the Christmas carol Silent Night in 1818. The original church was destroyed by flooding and replaced by the current memorial chapel in 1937. The adjacent museum documents the history of the carol and its creators through original scores, period instruments and contemporary records from the early 19th century.

This Renaissance palace houses a museum dedicated to Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his family, along with the crypt containing their remains. Artstetten Palace stands in the Waldviertel region and documents the life of the heir apparent whose assassination in 1914 triggered World War I. Exhibition rooms display personal belongings, historical photographs and documents from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy period.

This narrow gauge railway from 1900 connects Gmünd to Groß Gerungs across 25 miles (40 kilometers) through Waldviertel forests and valleys and represents one of Austria's historical transport routes away from main thoroughfares.

This meltwater lake at the base of Hochschwab reaches its highest water level in early summer, when snowmelt fills the basin and emerald water covers submerged hiking trails and park benches. The limestone formations of the surrounding mountains reflect in the clear surface, while water depth varies between three and forty feet (one and twelve meters) depending on the season.

This gorge in the Gailtal Alps runs along wooden walkways fixed to steep rock walls through narrow passages. The geological formations display clear stratification and erosion patterns developed over thousands of years. The path follows the Garnitzen stream as it cuts through the bedrock. Visitors can examine limestone walls and various weathering features at close range while water echoes through the confined passages. The site demonstrates how mountain streams shape alpine landscapes over geological timescales.

The Rax-Seilbahn was built in 1926 and carries visitors to an elevation of 5070 feet (1545 meters). This historic installation provides access to a high plateau with extensive hiking trails and alpine routes, ranking among the notable natural destinations in Lower Austria and offering access to geological formations and traditional mountain huts.

This 12th-century castle ruin stands on a rock 984 feet (300 meters) above the Danube and displays medieval construction techniques. The site belongs to Austria's hidden historical places away from main routes, offering insight into medieval defensive architecture. The preserved walls and towers provide wide views over the Danube valley and surrounding Wachau vineyards.

This high mountain road connects Carinthia with Salzburg through High Tauern National Park and reaches an elevation of 8215 feet (2504 meters). The Grossglockner High Alpine Road was built in the 1930s and provides access to alpine landscapes, glaciers and observation points. The route extends 30 miles (48 kilometers) with 36 hairpin turns through different vegetation zones and leads to hiking trails and information centers about mountain ecology.

The Vorarlberg Museum presents archaeological finds from Roman times, works by regional artists and documents the cultural development of the federal state over two millennia. The collections include prehistoric objects, medieval sculptures, paintings from the 16th century to the present and ethnographic exhibits. The museum shows the historical connections between the Lake Constance region, Alpine areas and neighboring cultural spaces through rotating exhibitions and thematic focuses on state history.

This lake measures roughly 1.7 miles (2.8 kilometers) in length and ranks as Tyrol's second largest body of water, offering opportunities for swimming, fishing and boating between mountains. Plansee lies away from main routes in a region that draws fewer visitors than other Austrian lakes, showing the natural diversity of the country.

This valley extends over 14 miles (22 kilometers) and shows traditional mountain farms as well as alpine vegetation. Villgratental ranks among the remote regions of East Tyrol and offers hiking trails through working alpine pastures. The side valleys lead to mountain lakes and viewpoints above 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) elevation. Several huts serve as bases for multiday tours through the area.

This lake in Carinthia reaches a depth of 466 feet (142 meters) and provides several swimming areas along its shores. Water temperatures rise to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) during summer months. Boat services operate regularly between lakeside towns. Hiking trails traverse the forested slopes above the lake and connect surrounding villages. Millstätter See lies between the Nockberge mountains to the north and the foothills of the Gailtal Alps to the south.

This glacier in the Tyrolean Alps represents one of Austria's natural sites located away from main routes. The Rettenbach Glacier sits at an elevation of 8775 feet (2675 meters) and enables skiing from October through May. The slopes offer views across surrounding peaks of the Ötztal range. A glacier road provides access to the area, connecting the ski terrain with the valley below.

The Tannheimer Tal sits at 3600 feet (1100 meters) elevation in the Tyrolean Alps and offers 150 kilometers (93 miles) of marked hiking trails through mountain meadows and along mountain lakes. This valley represents one of Austria's less visited natural areas and provides hikers access to several peaks and traditional mountain villages. The trails range from easy walks to demanding mountain routes with elevation gains reaching 3300 feet (1000 meters).

This 13th century fortress features a knights' hall, underground passages and a museum about Templar history. Located in Burgenland, it stands among the historical sites of Austria that have been preserved away from main routes.

Altausseer See sits at 2,336 feet (712 meters) above sea level in Styria and covers an area of about 0.8 square miles (2.1 square kilometers). Water temperatures range from 39 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (4 to 22 degrees Celsius). This alpine lake represents one of the less visited natural sites in Austria and provides access to hiking trails and swimming opportunities away from the country's main tourist routes.

The Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe provides direct views of the Grossglockner, Austria's tallest mountain at 12,461 feet (3,798 meters), and the Pasterze, the longest glacier in the country. This viewpoint sits at 7,769 feet (2,369 meters) elevation at the end of the Glacier Road and allows visitors to approach high alpine terrain without strenuous hiking. The visitor center documents glacial retreat over recent decades. A trail leads down to the glacier tongue.

This medieval castle from the 12th century was built as a defensive structure and sits away from the main routes of Lower Austria. The rooms display historical furniture and armor from the Liechtenstein noble family, who resided here for centuries. The castle belongs to the less visited historical sites in Austria and offers insight into medieval aristocratic life.

These waterfalls in the Muggendorf Valley drop over multiple limestone tiers and reach a total height of 213 feet (65 meters). Wooden walkways and bridges lead through the forested gorge and provide access to various viewpoints along the river course. The Myra Falls remain among the less visited natural monuments in Lower Austria and demonstrate the geological diversity of the eastern Alpine foothills.

Gesäuse National Park spans the northern limestone Alps in Styria, offering hiking trails through gorges and steep rock faces. The Enns River cuts through the area, creating conditions for white-water rafting. Hikers find routes of varying difficulty levels, while climbers use the limestone formations. This protected area covers about 27,000 acres (11,000 hectares) with alpine flora and fauna, including golden eagles and chamois.

The Hoher Dachstein rises to 9760 feet (2995 meters) and forms the highest summit of the Dachstein massif. This mountain provides routes for experienced climbers and ski tourers who venture into this region away from main tourist corridors. The rock faces and glaciers demonstrate the geological diversity of the Austrian Alps.

This Gothic church from the 15th century stands at the foot of Grossglockner and represents one of Austria's hidden places. The church tower reaches 87 meters (285 feet) and defines the village skyline. The interior preserves religious artwork and wood carvings from the late Gothic period. The location provides access to hiking trails in the Hohe Tauern range.

This waterfall drops 341 meters (1,119 feet) through the center of Bad Gastein town, forming one of the highest waterfall cascades in the Alps. Nearby thermal springs reach temperatures of 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) and have made the location a notable spa destination since the 19th century. The Gasteiner Waterfall demonstrates the geological activity and natural diversity found in Austrian mountain regions away from main tourist routes.

This memorial site documents the concentration camp that operated from 1938 to 1945. The museum presents exhibitions and archives showing the lives of prisoners and the crimes of the Nazi era. The site sits on a hill above the Danube and includes the former camp grounds with barracks, the quarry and memorial walls.

The Schattensee lies in a forested area of Styria and offers hiking trails along its shores. The water reflects the surrounding mountains and this lake counts among the less visited natural sites in the region, away from main routes in Austria.

This 11th century castle sits atop a hill overlooking the Salzach Valley and houses a weapons museum with artifacts spanning several centuries. Daily bird of prey demonstrations take place in the courtyard, featuring falcons and eagles in flight. The fortress stands about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Salzburg and remains one of the better preserved hilltop fortifications in Austria.