Austria is famous for its mountains and for having no coast. But even in a summer when the temperature rarely rises above 30 degrees Celsius, water is the protagonist. A therapeutic, clean and fresh water that flows through rivers that flow into lakes surrounded by reeds and trees and guarded by snow-capped peaks in the land of Sigmund Freud, Stefan Zweig and Egon Schiele. This combination of mountains and water has created a natural and cultural landscape. Easel, desk and symphonic landscape: Anyone who has not yet seen the Danube may have heard Johann Strauss Jr.’s waltz “The Blue Danube”.
It is a water that makes for refreshing baths with a view of the Alps and can be drunk from the many fountains that follow each other every few meters in towns and mountains. Peaks accessible from almost every urban center by bus, tram and train, turning skiers into hikers in summer. The cable cars and the restaurants on the peaks remain in operation non-stop. On the same summer day it is possible to touch the snow at an altitude of over 2,000 meters and in the afternoon to swim in a lake with water around 21 degrees Celsius. In Austria, nature is part of the lives of its residents, just as rural and urban worlds are connected and not alien to each other. Something noticeable on a train journey that starts in Vienna and ends in Zurich, a route along mountains, rivers and lakes.
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Vienna, the Danube as a beach
There is so much greenery and water in Vienna that it seems like a miniature of the country of which it is the capital. The lack of coasts is compensated by pleasant summer temperatures and river ponds in the water of the Danube. A river where, in addition to bathing, you can navigate and walk along its banks, whose canal extends through the city center between graffiti walls and lattices from which you can see the boats departing from the municipal jetty set sail at Schwedenplatz. The Danube Canal ends at the river after which it is named, which has a long and narrow artificial island of the same name. With a length of 21 kilometers and a width between 70 and 210 meters, you can ride a bike, skate, eat and drink, walk through the woods and swim on the beaches reserved for nudists.
View of the Danube and the sea from Vienna, the capital of Austria.xbrchx (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
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On the other side of the island, on the east bank, are the Neue Donau and Donaustadt, which can be crossed via a pedestrian bridge. This is on the outskirts of the city, but close to the historic Prater Ferris Wheel, which is a quick subway ride away. To the north and south of the Reichsbrücke are the recreation areas of CopaBeach and Wiener Stadtstrand, places of rest and refreshment where there is no lack of deckchairs or sand. Closer to nature are the Pirat Bay and Alte Donau bathing areas, the old branch of the river on which the Gänsehäufel floats: a wooded and sandy island with river sandbanks, swimming pools, restaurants and a children’s playground. In addition to Pronudists and Catholics, Austria is also a children’s country.
Old Danube Lake, Vienna. Alamy Stock Photo
Graz, Austrians with Italian aesthetics
Artificial, but smaller, is the Murinsel on the Mur, which flows through Graz. An oyster-shaped island that serves as a bridge between its two shores. The new city is to the west and the old to the east. The latter extends at the foot of the Burgberg, a 473 meter high hill on which stood the fortress that gave Graz its name. All that remains of this building is the medieval clock tower, the postcard image of this Austrian city with Italian aesthetics. At its foot you can see a sea of brick-colored roof tiles covering ornate mansions, buildings with colored and stuccoed facades in the Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance and Art Nouveau styles. The buildings follow each other along streets that hide courtyards accessible through corridors whose walls become shop windows. To visit the historic center you have to take an open-air art class.
Murinsel Bridge over the Mur in the city of Graz (Austria). Bashar Shglila (Getty Images)
The city park and the castle garden extend around the hill and the historic center. The first is a green and lively park and the second is an enchanting garden. If you are looking for a place to swim as well as shade, there are two good options: the swimming pool at the Auster sports centre, very close to Eggenberg Castle, to the west, and the Augarten, a park on the outskirts of Graz and on the east bank of the Mur , where there is a river lido, swimming pools and various recreation, rest and sports areas for adults and children.
A Salzburg in Salzburg
There is also a river in Salzburg, the Salzach, but its water is sinking quickly and the temperature is 11 degrees. For swimming, it is better to go to the nearby Badesee Liefering-Salzach, a small lake in the north, half an hour’s bus ride from Mozartplatz.
Antonio Campos, the city guide, says Salzburg is an island surrounded by mountains. Two cairns on either side of the river, Mönchsberg to the south and Kapuzinerberg to the north, both covered by forest. At the top of the first stands the white fortress of Hohensalzburg, overshadowing a baroque town built with revenue from taxes on salt mined at a nearby mine and transported by barge down the river. Salzburg was sort of the seat of Vatican City, with a cathedral, many churches designed to look like cathedrals, shops advertising artisans with wrought-iron figurines for illiterate people to identify with, and enough pleasure palaces to keep them identify powerful and rich princes, archbishops and the like would not be bored. They only did so in the 19th century, when Vienna turned the tap on excess.
Salzach with a view of the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Makartsteg Bridge in Salzburg. Alamy Stock Photo
From the legacy of princes and archbishops, the city has today become the legacy of the Porsche, Siemens and Red Bull dynasties. The latter exhibits its Formula 1 cars, planes, helicopters and other vehicles in a space called Hangar-7 next to the airport. A little further away are the Mondsee, the Attersee, the Achensee, the Zeller See and the Hallstätter See, whose waters invite you to swim and contemplate.
Innsbruck, mountains and springboards
In Innsbruck, the Nordkette looks like another building. Like a skyscraper that can be reached on foot or by funicular and cable car. A sublime rather than enduring journey that begins on the south bank of the Inn. From the 560 meter altitude of the Congress station you can reach the 2,256 meter altitude of the Hafelekar station in 18.5 minutes. In between there are other stations where the Alpenzoo, the cable car museum, cafes, a guesthouse, a church, restaurants, hiking trails, playgrounds and viewpoints are located. Of these, the patrimonial Goldenes Dachl is indistinguishable from the old town, but so is the Bergisel: a ski-jumping springboard designed by the late Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid that has become a symbol and tourist attraction of this Tyrolean town to roam can see as many skis as crucifixes.
There is also no shortage of diving boards at the nearby Lanser See, whose water has a temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius and which can be reached by bus in less than half an hour from the central market square. It is surrounded by mowed grass where you can lie under the trees that serve as umbrellas or sit on some floating platforms and contemplate the granite peaks covered with snow that won’t go away. Summits such as the Patscherkofel (2,248 meters) and the Glungezer (2,677 meters), which can be almost reached by cable car from the towns of Igls and Tulfes. You can hike from one to the other following a path that runs between an area covered with vegetation where cows graze and another rocky area where the posts of the chairlifts, which do not work in summer, are covered by pine trees come next where the small Zirbensee is located, a great alpine mirror.
Golden Roof of Innsbruck. Alamy Stock Photo
Despite the altitude and the surroundings, you can enjoy high-calorie Tyrolean cuisine in restaurants such as the Tulfeinalm at 2,035 meters. In addition to this creative children’s playground in the middle of the forest, consisting of a circuit of wood and water in which you have to roll a ball made of said material and overcome various obstacles, there is a viewpoint from which you can overlook the entire valley and identify localities in the district of Innsbruck such as Tulfes, Rinn, Aldrans and Hall in Tirol. It’s a good place to stay and explore the area.
Terminus: Zurich
If in several of the cities mentioned you can see wrought iron on the facades of the buildings, which indicate the type of work carried out, a train journey through Austria, in addition to mountains and water, you will also see many forests and factories wood. The balconies and gabled roofs of the houses that bring idyllic villages to life are built of this material around churches with stylized bell towers. Villages equipped with a train station that do not stop even after entering Switzerland.
A floating platform on Lake Zurich (Switzerland). Alamy Stock Photo
Also in the Swiss country there is no coast, what changes is the size of the lakes. Zurich seems to be right on the sea, in a lake with clear, clean water of 21 degrees Celsius, where the rivers Sihl and Limago flow and framed by wooded hills on which there are privileged residences, many with a jetty. own.
In summer, Lake Zurich turns into several city beaches that can be reached by tram and boat: Wollishofen, Mythenquai, Enge, Utoquai and Tiefenbrunnen – the latter has the longest sunshine. From any of the three floating platforms there is no reason not to miss the sea in the summer.
Practical guide for an alpine summer
- Vienna. Near the Danube beaches are the hotels Bassena Messe Prater and NH Danubio City. At lunchtime, the Gladis Beisl in the Museumsquartier is a temptation. It has a large and very nice terrace. The specialty of the house is the Viennese breaded veal schnitzel, accompanied by raspberry jam, half a lemon and a salad. Another classic are the sausages, which can be tried at the Bitzinger kiosks in the Prater and on Albertinaplatz.
- Graz. At bedtime, the Motel One is a central and inexpensive option. To taste the local Styrian cuisine, visit the restaurants “Der Steirer”, “Stainzer Bauer”, “Mohren Wirt” and “Landhauskeller”.
- Salzburg. Very close to Mozart Square, in a quiet area with a view of the castle, the Jufa Hotel is ideal for traveling with children. Stembräu with a terrace in a very pleasant inner courtyard is recommended for dining. They serve traditional Austrian and some international dishes. The Bärenwirt is also a typical German bar at the western end of the Mönchsberg.
- Innsbruck. Located on the banks of the Inn River, Hotel Innsbruck features an indoor pool and spa, ideal for relaxing after a day of sightseeing. Nearby is the Weisses Rössl restaurant, a restaurant with a terrace that serves traditional Austrian dishes with influences from Hungarian and Ottoman cuisine.
- Hall in Tyrol. A good place to stay is the Garten Hotel Maria Theresia, a typical Tyrolean house very close to the old town. For dining there is the Wirtshaus Bretze restaurant, where dishes from the local gastronomy are served.
- Zurich. As there is high demand in the summer months, it is advisable to stay just outside the center and stay at the Hotel Placid, from where you can take tram line 2 to the swimming pool in Tiefenbrunnenpark. Here you can either have a picnic or stop by one of the two restaurants.
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