2 Best Sights in Austria

Sweeping along the southeastern shore of the Bodensee, this peaceful lakeside promenade is the perfect place for a stroll any time of year. It runs all the way from the Festspielhaus to the harbor and is lined with charming cafés, hip bars, and tree-shaded benches all the way. As well as enjoying sweeping lake views in one direction, there are also city landmarks to see in the other, from the Neoclassical Post Office, to the glass-cube Kunsthaus, to the local mountain Pfänder. If you want to wander even farther, the Pipeline promenade continues northward from the harbor all the way to Lochau, near the German border. Or, in the other direction, the lakeside gets more natural with some lovely picnic and swimming spots.

Another popular stop between Hall and Zell, this impressive gorge hike is a great way to stretch your legs. Exhilarating and spectacular (but very safe), the climb starts in the village of Stans, follows walkways hewn from the mountainside and across bridges spanning the tumbling river and beside waterfalls—all protected by railings—and finally reaches the Benedictine monastery of St. Georgenberg. The whole thing takes about 90 minutes and features 354 steps. At the top, the monastery's sumptuously decorated Baroque church, precariously perched on a rocky peak, is worth a few minutes of your time. There is a decent restaurant, too, with a terrace dizzily located above a sheer drop of several hundred feet.