Best Family Resorts in Austria

Mayrhofen is ‘traditional Austrian’ from head to toe and the town has a refreshing buzz to it all summer long. Cross alpine pastures, speed down the Penken and discover deep gorges and canyons before letting your hair down with a stein and some Austrian folk music – you’d struggle to find a ‘best for Alps activities’ list that this place doesn’t crop up on.

Galtur is a charming resort nestled in the Paznuan Valley. Less than 1,000 people live here year-round, making it an incredibly peaceful place for a mountain getaway. If for any reason you feel like moving from the beer gardens, you’ll find 300km of walking trails on your doorstep – and some world class mountain biking, too!

It’s easy to fall in love with Zell am See (there’s even a mountain called ‘Schmitten’...) and the surroundings will certainly take your breath away, but not just because they’re so beautiful – the area’s a super base for activities; climb, hike or bike the mountains, sail, paddle or swim the lake and do tonnes more in between.

It’s little wonder that the scenic Glemm Valley surrounding Saalbach is known as the ‘Valley of the Games’. With 400km of hiking and biking trails, this is a massive playground of outdoor pursuits - the infamous Seven Summits have their home here and the Pinzgau Bike Circus and 280km Tauern network are sure to keep you amused on two wheels.

Ellmau is a little mountain village with Austrian charm by the bucketload. It’s nestled in a lush green valley overlooked by the huge Wilder Kaiser Mountains (on a clear day the view is unbelievable!). There’s lots to keep you occupied, whether you fancy a long walk, a bike ride or even a round of golf.

One of the top destinations for Alpine activities, Kitz it’s also a feast for the eyes, with a colourful medieval village, stunning lakes and bright, flowery meadows. There’s oodles to do, from hurtling down the Streif to wandering round the posh boutiques - on top of mile after mile of cycling and walking trails.

If you’ve a head for heights, Obergurgl’s the highest parish village in Austria which means awesome scenery (including twenty 3000m peaks) and tonnes of high altitude activity. Hike to Ramolhaus at 3006m, crank up the speed as you bike down the Wurmkogel or do things at a slower pace on a hack with a Haflinger. The village itself is small and quiet, just what you need to relax on those long summer evenings.

Surrounded by dreamy meadows and thick forests, this small mountain village is beautifully tranquil - one of the walking trails is even called the ‘Path of Contemplation’! The area’s perfect for a relaxed walking or cycling holiday, with stunning mountains dotted with ‘alms’ – alpine pastures where you’ll often find farmers grazing their cattle.

Söll rests snugly in a wide valley between the Wilder Kaiser and Hohe Salve peaks. With lush green meadows, alpine dairy farms and chalet-style buildings, the village is a Tyrolean gem that just oozes chocolate-box appeal. Visitors soon fall head-over-heels for the panoramic walks, mountain runs and gnarly bike routes – and to really make it above par, the area’s a haven for golfers.

Often proclaimed Austria’s “most beautiful”, Alpach is a dreamy olde-worlde village with wood and stone architecture, bright flowers and a centre-point church steeple. It’s surrounded by lovely rolling meadows and with the Gratlspitz mountain to one side, there’s plenty of scope to enjoy the fresh air from gentle strolls to paragliding and rock climbing.