Boutique hotels in Austria

Austria has a long hotel tradition rooted in imperial grandeur and Alpine hospitality, and its smaller properties combine both. Vienna's coffeehouse culture, Salzburg's baroque old town and the lake villages of the Salzkammergut sit alongside some of Europe's best ski resorts, and many of the best places to stay are still family-run across generations.

Cities

Vienna leads our ranking, with historic palace hotels, Ringstrasse grand hotels and compact design hotels in the old town and the museum quarter. Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz and Linz are smaller, walkable cities with a mix of castle hotels and modern boutique conversions.

Mountains and lakes

The Arlberg, the Tyrol and Salzburgerland hold the country's best-known resorts, including Lech, St. Anton, Kitzbühel, Ischgl and Mayrhofen. In summer, the lakes of the Salzkammergut, including Hallstatt and St. Wolfgang, are among Austria's most scenic places. The Wachau valley on the Danube adds castles, abbeys and apricot orchards.

When to go

December to April is ski season in the Alps, and summer suits hiking and lakeside stays. Vienna is at its best in spring and autumn, and the Christmas markets in December are among the best in Europe.