Over a length of 480 km, Austria's most romantic road connects 14 unique cities and towns off the motorway between Salzburg and Vienna. On the route lined with lake and mountain scenery, castles, palaces, museums and monasteries offer exciting insights into the past as well as the cultural specialities of the regions. The breathtaking mountain landscapes and lakes invite you to linger and discover. Austria's Romantic Road enchants its guests with culinary and cultural highlights, offers a relaxing journey through the middle of three UNESCO World Heritage regions and is perfectly suited for a wonderful Austrian holiday.

Take your time and explore the surroundings

With the Romantic Road, the journey is the destination: the historic sites mark the so-called "path of all the senses" and offer cultural diversity and culinary specialities all year round. The Romantic Road is very well marked thanks to clearly recognisable road signs and a specially prepared road map lists the entire route in detail. In addition, the Romantic Road travel guide provides detailed tips as well as background knowledge about the most romantic road in the country. Romantik has compiled eight highlights of the Romantic Road for you so that you are ideally prepared for your exploration of the Romantic Road.

1. Salzburg

Situated in the beautiful Salzkammergut region, Salzburg is the ideal starting point for the Romantic Road, as it is easy to reach geographically and already offers numerous cultural highlights. The city of Mozart has a special charm thanks to its urban appearance and scenic beauty. Numerous events such as the Mozart Week in January, the Easter Festival and Whitsun Concerts as well as the famous Summer Festival allow visitors to enjoy a varied cultural programme throughout the year. The entire old town of Salzburg, along with Hellbrunn Palace and the world-famous Water Games, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Hotel tips in Salzburg:

As Austria's oldest family-run hotel, the Romantik Spa Hotel Elixhauser Wirt welcomes you only 5 km from Salzburg's city centre and offers a relaxing stay on the green outskirts of Salzburg. The hotel's spacious wellness area allows its guests to spend relaxing hours after an exciting exploration of the city of Mozart. In the lovingly furnished parlours and romantic garden of the Romantik Spa Hotel Elixhauser Wirt, guests experience the village idyll.

In addition, the Romantik Hotel Die Gersberg Alm is also located in the midst of beautiful nature only 7 km from the city centre of Salzburg. The hosts there welcome you warmly in elegantly furnished rooms and offer excellent cuisine as well as exquisite wines. Enjoy a delicious dinner on the terrace with the best view of the beautiful city of Mozart.

2. Lake Mondsee

The Mondsee is a fantastic bathing lake in the Salzkammergut and has drinking water quality. It offers its guests a pleasant bathing holiday on the numerous sandy and meadow beaches and convinces with a wide range of sports and leisure activities. Every year from May to September, around 600 events such as concerts and theatre provide entertainment at Mondsee. A special highlight: the beautiful village of See enchants nature lovers with its breathtaking mountain scenery and is a UNSECO World Heritage Site.

3. St. Wolfgang

With its unique charm, the municipality of St. Wolfgang welcomes its guests on the northern shore of Lake Wolfgang. Surrounded by picturesque mountains and directly on the lake, St. Wolfgang impresses with its magnificent natural diversity. Austria's steepest steam rack railway has been running from St. Wolfgang up the Schafberg since 1893, covering 1190 metres in altitude and a distance of 5.85 km in just under 35 minutes. Lake Wolfgang invites you to swim and do water activities and can be wonderfully explored by boat. In addition, the lake is ideal for diving fans. Lake Wolfgang offers ideal underwater visibility all year round and gives divers access to a varied underwater world.

Hotel tip in St. Wolfgang:

Located directly on the lake, the Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rössl on Lake Wolfgang is an ideal starting point for swimming fun as well as activities in the region. The hotel combines Austrian tradition with modern elements and pampers its guests with a large SPA area as well as culinary delights from the hotel's own restaurant and an exclusive selection of wines from the traditional Rössl rock cellar. Guests can also explore the exciting underwater world of Lake Wolfgang at the hotel diving school.

4. Bad Ischl

The historic town of Bad Ischl lies in the heart of the Salzkammergut region and offers a wide variety of culinary delights, sporting activities and cultural highlights. Even Emperor Franz Joseph resided in the Kaiservilla in summer and enjoyed the charm of the town. In 2016, the city won the Entente Florale and was named the most flowery and liveable city in Europe. The Kaiserbummel allows its guests to shop outdoors and offers traditional costume, hat fashion as well as handmade jewellery for everyone. Bad Ischl is a good starting point for extensive hiking and mountain biking tours, as well as some 70 Salzkammergut lakes in the surrounding area.

Hotel tip at Lake Altause:

Only about half an hour away from Bad Ischl is the Romantik Hotel Almtalhof. The hotel offers its guests a relaxing stay far away from mass tourism and is the ideal starting point for the many activities in the area.

5. Steyr

The small town of Steyr lies on the edge of a national park and is characterised by culture, industry, nature as well as architecture. In the centre of the town square is the town's landmark, the Bummlerhaus, which is one of the best-preserved Gothic buildings from the 13th century. The rivers Enns and Steyr have determined the development of the city for centuries, which is why it has 119 different bridges and footbridges. Whether music festivals in summer or a contemplative Advent season in the Christkindlstadt in winter, Steyr is a popular destination all year round.

6. Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig

Situated near Krems on the Danube, the Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig is perched on a mountain cone above the river plain. According to the foundation charter, the monastery, originally intended for Augustinian canons, dates back to 1083. The ascent to the monastery is impressive and offers a magnificent view of the surrounding area. In the heart of the Abbey courtyard is the magnificent Collegiate Church of the Assumption of Mary. In the Kaisertrakt, a museum displays the treasures of the monastery as well as a large private collection of prints.

Hotel Tip:

Only about 20 minutes away from the Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig is the Mörwald Romantik Hotel Schloss Grafenegg. The extensive castle park invites its guests to linger in idyllic surroundings. In addition to elegant rooms and the breathtaking location in Grafenegg Castle, the hotel spoils you with true culinary highlights. The award-winning top chef Toni Mörwald cooks here personally for his guests.

7. Vienna

The capital Vienna enchants visitors with its incomparable charm and impresses with a wide range of historical and cultural highlights. The romantic city offers a wide variety of activities with its extensive parks, the famous Prater amusement park and numerous museums. The Belvedere Palace and the Vienna Opera are particularly worth a visit. The Romantic Road in Austria can therefore be perfectly combined with a short holiday in Vienna, for example in our Romantik Townhouse Beethoven.