When one thinks of Austria, it is usually the charming city of Vienna that comes to mind. However, I believe no one has truly seen Austria until they've seen the breathtaking Alps that make up about 60% of the country's landscape. The Austrian Alps have it all: mountains, lakes, cows (with bells!), cute cottages on the mountainsides, and cozy little villages full of good people and good beer.
Reasons to love the Austrian Alps
1) Culture - read HERE about our amazing Oktoberfest experience in the village of Tirol where we got to see the cows come home and drink with the locals
2) Skiing any time of year - while a majority of the ski resorts are open around the winter, there are a few that are open about 6 months out of the year, and the one that we chose to visit, Hintertux Glacier, is open 365 days a year - read more about our experience there HERE
3) The colorful bed & breakfasts - the balconies with red and pink flowers, the bathrooms with towel warmers, the fluffy pillows, and the breakfast of meats, cheeses and fresh bread. Nothing beats that.
4) The beer - of course the beer is good pretty much anywhere in Austria and Germany, but every major region of Austria has its own local beer that is served in the restaurants and pubs
5) All of the choices for nature lovers - with 13 peaks that are higher than 3,000 meters and 34 above 2,000 meters there is no shortage of exciting hiking trails with plenty of waterfalls, lakes, and rivers along the way