3 Charming Austrian Towns Not To Miss

(This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy.)

When your travels take you to breathtaking Austria, you can’t go wrong with a visit to three of the most delightful villages in Europe. These charming Austrian towns are so close together you could visit them all in a day, but we’re convinced that if you take a little more time to wander the streets of these quaint lakeside towns, you definitely won’t regret it! We rented a car with AVIS in Munich for our time in Germany, then made our way over the border into Austria to explore these beautiful towns in the stunning Salzkammergut region!

Fuschl am See

A quick 25-minute drive (or bus ride) east of Salzburg brings you to the adorable lakeside village of Fuschl am See. The vibrant turquoise waters of Lake Fuschl caught our eye while driving past and we just had to check it out. After an impromptu picnic and boat rental, we added this charming town to the list of places we need to revisit ASAP!

Fuschl am See Austria

Fuschl am See Austria

Electric boat at dock Fuschl am See Austria

Fuschl am See Austria Small Towns

St. Gilgen

Just 5 miles from Fuschl am See is St. Gilgen, another quaint Austrian town you don’t want to miss. Lake Wolfgang provides the scenic backdrop for the 4,000 locals who call St. Gilgen home. With nearby cable cars, bike rentals, and plenty of restaurants, this is the perfect place to relax on your next visit to the Alps.

St Gilgen Austria

St Gilgen Austria restaurant

St Gilgen Austria Towns

St Gilgen Austria sunset

Hallstatt

Drive (or ride) another 40 minutes down the road and you’ll come to one of the cutest little towns in the Alps. Hallstatt has less than 1,000 residents and is considered to be the oldest still-inhabited village in all of Europe!

3 Charming Austrian Towns Hallstatt

Hallstatt Austria

Hallstatt Austria

Hallstatt Austria

Click HERE to see even more pictures!

Do you know of any more charming Austrian towns?

10 Comments

  1. Don’t you just love Austria? We used to go there every summer as a kid and still I love coming there. Shame it’s about an 8 hour drive, so too far for a weekend …

  2. I would also love to be close to Austria. I am 20 hours away by plane.

  3. Austria is such a beautiful country, though we were quite disappointed by Hallstatt – we didn’t expect it to be so disneylandized for Chinese only. It was strange to see so many posters and advertisements in Chinese in this little paradise, not to mention the red paper laterns in several restaurants. 😀

    • We’ve heard mixed reviews from others about Hallstatt. Like many other small charming towns, it’s been ‘discovered’ and many are turned off by busloads of people being dumped into the center of town. We didn’t feel that it was overly crowded during our visit, but it was a little rainy that day, so maybe it kept the crowds away for us. We didn’t notice the posters and advertisements, so that might be something new since our last visit. I’m sorry you had a disappointing experience in Hallstatt. That’s a shame. 🙁

  4. We are an American family blessed enough to live in St. Gilgen. Our kids attend an international school right here in the village. It is very peaceful, slow, and mellow. Just today, as we were paddleboarding on the crystal clear lake, my husband said, “I just don’t understand why more Americans don’t know about this place.” I read the other comments about Hallstatt, and we feel the same way. St. Gilgen and Fuschl are less touristy. Even though we have busloads of Asian tourists, none of the business have signs in Chinese. Next time you’re in this area, check out Bad Ischl. It’s a little bigger than the villages with lots of old-world charm

  5. Krista Pressey

    Another gorgeous town in Austria is Gmunden. Lots of cafes along the Esplanade and the highlight is Schloss Ort.

    • Agreed! We actually just went there on our anniversary this past year! Loved the views from Schloss Ort over the lake! We put a lock on the heart sculpture to commemorate our visit.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *