Best Rafting Resorts in Austria

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.

Tucked away in the foothills of the majestic ‘Bishop’s mitre’ mountain, Filzmoos really comes into its own in summer, with all sorts of festivals and celebrations (if you’ve ever wondered what a doughnut or dumpling festival would be like, you’ve come to the right place!). With graded paths for scenic strolls, themed walks and mountaineering as well as cycling, climbing, rafting and pony trekking on the ‘to do’ list, there’s plenty to fill your week in this traditional Austrian village.

Summer in Ischgl is a way more relaxed affair than the raucous scenes of winter - think lazy days by the river and chilled evenings listening to live bands on pub terraces. When it comes to picking up the tempo, the mountain biking is legendary and the hiking, paragliding and white water rafting are pretty good 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.

The market town of Sankt Johann in Tirol has charm in every nook and cranny, with coloured chalets, chic cafes and a twin-spired church between expanses of alpine pastures. Bordering the town are the Kitzbuhelerhorn and Wilder Kaiser mountain range – each with a fantastic set of trails and routes to discover on foot or by bike.

Often ranking high on lists of ‘the prettiest’, this posh Alpine resort is one of Austria’s classics. The village is traditional and the Arlberg mountains jaw-dropping but Lech’s not just somewhere to feast your eyes upon – this is a real hotspot for walking, with a mix of easy family trails and more demanding climbs. The river dissecting the town is great to get to grips with canoeing, paddle boarding and canyoning and cyclists are spoiled for choice on a variety of paths.

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.

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.

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.

Yes it’s the king of ski resorts but St Anton is also an incredible place in the summer. Roam the region on bike or foot and soak up glorious views of mountains, meadows, lakes and waterfalls all day long. Unlike the winter months, the summer evenings are pretty chilled – ask the barman for a local beer or wine and get some tips on where to explore tomorrow...