Combine valley walks with majestic gardens on a scenic quest to see Austria's most spectacular flowers

You can’t think of edelweiss without humming the tune from The Sound Of Music. This little white flower, which grows high on mountains, sums up Austria – precious and pure, a starburst of beauty.

If you love flowers, edelweiss is just one of the blooms that light up the landscape throughout summer in Austria’s lakes and mountains. Monkshoods, arnicas, bellflowers, primulas, white poppies, gentians and even orchids grow among the meadows and rocks.

They make great subjects for those who dabble in photography or painting, especially if there’s a rustic barn and a panorama of snow-capped peaks in the background.

Don’t worry about reaching these remote places – you can glide up on a network of cable cars. TUI Lakes & Mountains has chosen the resorts that offer the best access to Austria’s bounty of nature.

Most visitors to Austria like to walk and with thousands of miles of well-signposted trails, embracing the landscapes is easy, whether you are a get-up-and-go adventurer or someone who prefers a gentler pace.

At the top of those cable cars are routes with marvellous views and mountain huts serving hearty meals using produce from local farmers.

Naturalists should take their binoculars, because shy chamois and marmots may make an appearance on the alpine slopes.

If you are staying in Kitzbühel, the Alpine Flower Garden boasts more than 300 species, 6,000ft up in the air.

Down in the valleys, walking paths start close to your hotel doorstep, taking you past tumbling streams and through sun-dappled woods to pretty villages, their window boxes bursting with geraniums.

Stay in the Austrian Lake District, at quaint St Wolfgang or Fuschl am See for example, to enjoy level walks along the shores of serene waters, with forested mountains all around.

Whatever your passion in the great outdoors, you’ll be indulged in Austria’s natural wonderland.

Stir up your senses on a Lakes & Mountains holiday

The clean, crisp air, the dazzling scenery, the slow pace of life and the serenity of the surroundings – these are some of the reasons we choose to visit the world’s lakeside towns and mountainous regions.

From the majesty of the Italian Lakes and the mind-blowing panoramas of the Swiss Alps to the cultural hotbeds in Slovenia and Germany, a TUI Lakes & Mountains holiday provides the perfect balance of peaceful exploration and expanded horizons. 

For more information and to book a TUI Lakes & Mountains holiday, visit