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Family Vacations to Austria

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Austria – Family Vacation Guide

Cultured, outdoorsy, friendly and historic Austria is one of the most accessible and diverse countries in Europe for all types of family vacations. Visit in winter and you have gorgeous Vienna covered in ice rinks, markets, museums and kids entertainment. Tyrolean and Alpine skiing is snow-sure, long-season and some of the best value for families. Austria’s also a leader in lake-skating and cross-country skiing. Go in spring and summer for hiking, walking, climbing and touring. Plus don’t miss Danube cruises, parks and gardens, amazing festivals, flower-filled meadows and pretty towns and villages. Austria even does chocolate cake better than anywhere else and pairs it with the world’s best coffee.

Why Go

  • Austria’s Alpine region is one of the world’s leading snow-sure ski destinations.

     

  • Austrian Tyrol has five glaciers and includes legendary Hintertux where there’s skiing 365 days a year.

     

  • Salzburg is Europe’s greatest Baroque city and the entire historic center is a World Heritage site. It’s also home to the world’s oldest Christmas Market and the annual Salzburg International Music Festival in July and August.

     

  • 2017’s Mercer Quality of Living Survey named Vienna as the world’s best city to live in.

     

  • Innsbruck, the capital of Austrian Tyrol, opens lifts on the Stubai Glacier in October for Europe’s longest skiing season.

  • Austria has the most extensive network of marked walking trails in Europe and leads the world in accessible hiking with 24 wheelchair-approved routes across the country’s Tyrol region.

Where to Go

Vienna

Apart from the enormous Ferris Wheel in the Prater, Vienna’s skyline is dominated by the graceful spires of gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral which really says all you need to know about the city. It’s graceful and lovely, elegant beyond reason, packed with famous museums, galleries, monuments and sights and officially one of the best places in the world to live. No surprise that families want to raise kids here and Vienna’s a fantastic city to visit with children.

  • Vienna isn’t a budget city and hotels are expensive. Airbnb is good for families, with exceptional quality and often in historic properties – especially in the city center.
  • Don’t miss: Wiener Prater (the world’s oldest funfair), Zoom Children’s Museum, ice rinks in parks, gardens and in front of the City Hall all winter, best-ever hot chocolate in traditional Viennese cafés, the Spanish Riding School, kids’ tours of the Schönbrunn Palace, sailing on the Danube and exploring the city’s Museum Quarter.
  • Teenagers will love the citywide flea markets, vintage shopping round about Naschtmarkt and the Wieden district’s cool atmosphere.

Take me to Vienna

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Innsbruck

The capital of Austrian Tyrol is justifiably world famous for skiing. It’s hosted the Winter Olympics twice, owns the Stubai Glacier and has the Bergisel Ski Jump – designed by Zaha Hadid. But even when there’s no snow, this lovely city works for family vacations beautifully with no end of outdoor activities, pretty weather and fun festivals and kids’ events.

  • Within easy reach of Karwandel Alpine Park and the Zirbenweg trail.
  • Part of Austria’s major ski region and one of the first areas in Europe to open lifts in winter.
  • Tyrol is famous for skiing but equally good for road biking, mountain biking, paragliding, sailing, hiking, walking, climbing and driving.
  • Home to mighty Seegrube Mountain and the place to take a gondola ride to 6,500 ft at any time of year and stare out over the entire spectacular Inn Valley.
  • Renowned for its Christmas celebrations, fabulous decorations and very traditional festive markets.
  • Don’t miss: the Imperial Palace, historic Baroque city center, the golden roofed Imperial Church, Rathaus Galerien and winter ice skating.

Take me to Innsbruck

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Salzburg

Towered over by the immense Hohensalzburg Fortress, Salzburg is one of Europe’s prettiest cities, the birthplace of Mozart, setting for the Sound of Music and near neighbor to Austria’s best family-friendly skiing in SalzburgerLand. It’s also the Baroque capital of the world and the entire historic center is a World Heritage site.

  • Just over an hour from SalzburgerLand’s ski resorts and the enchanting World Heritage village of Halstatt on Lake Halstatter.
  • Close to the Bavarian border and skiing in the Wasserburg Am Inn region.
  • Salzburg’s Christkindlmarkt is the oldest in Europe, the first to open and the only one with its own angels – magical for young kids and always snowy.
  • Don’t miss: the Hellbrunn Palace, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Salzburg Dom, the medieval Glockenspiel, Mirabell Palace and gardens, the Wasserspiele trick fountains and Mozart’s Geburthaus.

Take me to Salzburg

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What to Do

  • Wiener Prater, Vienna
    Dominated by the world’s oldest funfair, Wiener Prater is also a fantastic park, has live music all year and lots of kids’ events during the summer.
  • Zoom Children’s Museum, Vienna
    Fantastic museum, activity center, learning zone and interactive playground, Zoom’s great for younger kids and can easily fill a day – year round children’s event calendar.
  • Haus des Meeres Aqua-Terra Zoo, Vienna
    Underwater and on land, cute or terrifying, Haus des Meeres zoo and aquarium has over 10,000 creatures for kids to marvel at and get close to.
  • Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves, Salzburgerland
    World of the Ice Giants is earth’s largest ice cave and a do-not-miss-under-any-circumstances experience for everyone.
  • Fisser Flitzer & Skyswing, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, Tirol
    7,200 ft long summer toboggan, thrilling skyswing and awe-inspiring Fisser Fliege kids’ bi-plane are just a few of the dare-devil attractions on Möseralm Mountain.
  • Innsbruck Alpine Zoo
    Over 2000 animals, a delightful Alpine setting and a funicular make this zoo a favorite for a family day out in Innsbruck.
  • Area 47, Ötztal, Tirol
    When roaming flower-filled meadows is too tame, find white water rafting, canyoning, canoeing and all sorts of other outdoor extremes for kids to go wild about.
  • Alpine Coaster, Golm
    Over a mile and a half of mountain-side coaster with 44 jumps, speeds of up to 28 mph and a 360˚ loop. Terrifyingly awesome, winter and summer.
  • Hirschalm Fairytale Hunting Park, Hinterberg
    Taking full advantage of Austria’s natural fairy tale prettiness with this fun day out for kids that has cute family lodges if you want to stay and play longer.
  • Halstatt Salt Mine, Salzburgerland
    World Heritage Hallstatt is captivating and also home to the wold’s oldest salt mine open for fascinating underground adventuring all year long.

Educational Value for Kids

  • Salzburgerland has several smaller, family-friendly resorts which are perfect for getting young skiers quickly from the nursery slopes on to the green runs.
  • Summer walking and hiking brings kids into natural contact with Austria’s unique countryside and every area is scattered with learning-rich visitor centers.
  • Vienna has specially designed children’s tours around many of its major museums and galleries.
  • On December 31st  every year, from 2 pm, you can have free waltzing lessons in front of Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral – just in time for Ball Season.
  • Don’t be shy about taking kids to Vienna’s coffee houses, many of them are historic icons in their own right.
  • The Salzburg International Music Festival in July and August has an outstanding program of children’s concerts, workshops and events.
  • Don’t just stick to skiing, Austria is the land where kids can learn everything in winter from safe lake skating to glacier walking.

Getting Around with Kids in Austria

Driving in Austria is one of the country’s great vacation experiences. But if you want to sit back and let someone else do the work, there’s an extensive and very efficient rail network and trains run to even the most remote ski regions. Public transportation in cities is fantastic and most have turn-up-and-join guided tours so you can see plenty on foot too.

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