Austria Hiking: From Chill Walks in Vienna to Scary Climbs in Traunsee

If you’re thinking about hiking in Austria, you’re in a right place. From peaceful walks through Vienna’s historic gardens to heart-pounding climbs in the Alps, Austria offers something for every kind of adventurer.

In this blog, I’ll share the places we explored on our recent trip—including some hidden gems, budget-friendly tips, and honest thoughts on what’s worth your time.

Table of Contents

1.Vienna

2.Hinterstoder

3.Hallstatt

4.Traunsee

1.Vienna

If you decided to visit Austria, Vienna might be the first city to start your trip in Austria.

We flew from Gdańsk to Vienna airport.

I believe the city is known for esthetic buildings so we really enjoyed walking around the city.

We only had a half-day in Vienna but we managed to visit these spots which have no entrance fee. (Good for budget travellers like us)

2.1.Belvedere Gardens

The iconic garden in Vienna so it is hard not to miss. It was bigger than I thought. Visit in the morning to avoid crowds.

I believe some parts of the building are not free but hey, the garden is so impressive and free!

2.2.Karlskirche

Compare to Belvedere Gardens, it is a shortstop.

2.3.University of Vienna Botanical Garden

Probably my favourite spot in Vienna. It is right next to Belvedere Gardens and a quite fun spot for nature lovers and walkers.

There are some benches available so could be your lunch spot if the weather is good!

2.4.Fenster Café

If you start your day with a good cup of coffee like us, Fenster Café is the one you need to hit. As their signage says, they serve pretty dumb good expresso drinks!! (I believe they don't do filter coffee such as hand drip or french press.)

We both had flat white and it was delicious.

It is more like a coffee stand so people came here for takeaway coffee. I saw people (presumably locals) queuing up but the barista worked really swiftly so the waiting time didn't bother us. Plus, he was very friendly too.

2.5.KAFFEIN

I found this cafe on google map, it isn't located on the main street so you wouldn't accidentally find this cafe. Filter coffee wasn't that great but espresso drinks were good. I personally prefer Fenster Cafe.

The Interior and the atmosphere of the cafe were super cool so I can imagine it is popular among esthetes.

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2.Hinterstoder

Hinterstoder quickly became one of my favorite places in the world—and honestly, I think it’s one of the most underrated spots in all of Austria.

So, what makes it so special?

Well… pretty much everything. Majestic mountains, scenic hiking trails, crystal-clear lakes, and even the practical stuff like a grocery store and pharmacy are all within easy reach. It’s the kind of place where you can be deep in nature but still grab snacks for your hike.

One of the best parts? It wasn’t crowded at all. We felt like we had the trails and views almost to ourselves, which made the experience even more magical.

Tips

• All the restaunrants and shops colse at 6pm.

• Needles to say, water is super clean and delicious from the mountains.

Großer Priel (2,515m) (Hiking)

Schiederweiher Lake

Award-winning lake. It is a man-made lake but absolutely stunning. You can walk to the lake from the town so easily so anyone can reach here.

Where we stayed

We would highly recommend this place.

https://www.booking.com/Share-8H5HfB

Hallstat

Very touristy.

Not many hiking trails.

Should go in the morning.

But it is totally worth visiting!!

That's all I wanted to say.

Traunsee

Camping Traunsee

There are 3 options for camping sites in Traunsee if I am not mistaken. After checking google reviews, we decided to stay at Camping Traunsee.

It was next to the main road so the car noise bothered me but everything else was okay.

Also, we were impressed with how clean the shower room and toilets were. Both rooms had IC card locks.

Traunstein (Hiking)

One of the scariest but most exciting ascend I’ve ever done.

You will struggle if you have a fear of heights.

However, there are plenty of paths to the summit and I assume we took the most advanced one and it was exhilarating.

There is a hut on the top and it is well-built and equipped.

We started walking from the camping site in Traunsee as we didn’t travel by car but it can be skipped.

Plan with extra time allowance as it could take longer than you think. You don’t need any special hiking tools and the trail has ladders and chains to hold.