Austria spans many miles from east to west, with the Tirol area to the west and the Alps to the south, but this area of focus is the beautiful lakes just southeast of Salzburg (Mondsee, Wolfgansee, Attersee, and Halstatt). These are very reachable from Salzburg and worth extra time in your itinerary.

In the general geographic sense, Southern Austria encompasses the federal state of Carinthia, the region of East Tyrol , most of Styria and southern Burgenland , meaning the parts of Austria that lie south of the main Alpine ridge , roughly the line Brenner Pass – Neusiedlersee . The region comprises the southeastern part of the Alps and the Alpine foreland in the southeast . Biogeographically and climatically, the area is characterized by the border area of the Illyrian climate , the Pannonian climate and the Alpine climate with the corresponding eco-zones.

There is so much to do in this area. The scenery alone is worth the visit. Halstatt, one of the most photographed villages in the area is iconic in its tradition and surroundings. Other places to discover are the many lakes mentioned above, as well as Dachstein Ice Caves, Schafberg Railway up the Schafberg Mountain on Wolfgang Lake, quaint village of St. Wolfgang, ferry ride from Hallstatt to St. Gilgen, and a cable car up the Zwölferhorn Mountain. This is just to name a few experiences in the area.

A special thank you to AirPixels CZ for an inspiring video of the Alpine towns and lakes of Austria.