With the UK enduring its fourth heatwave of the summer, jetting off to somewhere even hotter hardly feels like an escape. Southern Europe is battling anti-tourism protests, drought and the threat of wildfires — while even parts of Scotland and Wales are on alert. But while Europe’s beaches are losing the climate battle, its mountains are winning. They offer fresh, clean air, sunny warm days, and none of the humidity and sweat that comes with a Mediterranean summer.
A new wave of rural escapes is leading the way with sustainable hotels and spectacular views, surrounded by nature that soothes the soul — plus some serious spas. Travel writer Alison Tyler took her family to Austria to test whether the hills really are alive with a new kind of summer holiday.
A car-free alpine adventure
A cheap flight to Salzburg lands you less than an hour from the Saalfelden-Leogang mountains, where ski resorts transform into summer playgrounds for bikers and hikers. There are more than 105 kilometres of dedicated walking and cycling trails to explore. High-speed cable cars ferry you to the top, where you can glide back down, take an easy stroll or ride through scenery that rarely leaves you breathless — unless you want it to.
What strikes most visitors is how committed Austria is to green tourism. Guests staying in Leogang receive the Leogang-Saalfelden card, which includes free public transport — trains between Salzburg and Leogang, local buses and even a daily cable car trip. It also gives free entry to museums, swimming pools, saunas and cultural events. No beach needed when you have a lakeside spa to lounge beside.
Eco-luxe stays and forest bathing
Austria’s eco-luxe resorts have gone viral for their aspirational aesthetic: infinity pools over lakes, wild-swimming ponds and glass relaxation lounges facing unspoilt fields and slopes. It’s forest-bathing in five-star style. At the Puradies Nature Resort, traditional Austrian architecture meets modern design to create a luxurious spa resort with private chalets and loft-style suites set around a natural swimming lake.
“Lounging by the infinity pool feels every bit as relaxing as a beach resort, but without the sand,” Tyler notes. The mountain air is clean and invigorating, while the sound of birds and distant cow bells adds to the calm. Between the two main cable cars, the Asitzbahn basecamp has a festival-like atmosphere. Bikers and thrill-seekers gather there, while families can try the adventure playground, take the toboggan run, or ride the flying fox. The mountain-top bars and restaurants, including AlteSchmiede, serve traditional Austrian dishes as well as pizza and pasta.
Adrenaline in the mountains
For those seeking extra thrills, the Flying Fox XXL at Leogang is one of the longest and fastest steel zip lines in the world, at 1.6 kilometres. Riders reach speeds of 130km an hour as they glide head-first across the valley. “The scariest part is the anticipation,” Tyler says. “Once you start moving, the ride is sensational — even my 12-year-old loved it. It’s the closest you’ll get to flying.”
The zip line costs from £47. Back at the base, Hutten Gaudi (Hutten 34, 5771 Hutten) is a good stop for drinks and snacks, right below the bike park, pump track and beginner slopes. The entire bike park and its conveyors are free to use. If you want lessons, Epic Bikeschool Leogang (beside Tarlack Apartments at the Asitzbahn) or Sport Mitterer (at the Steinbergbahn cable car base station) offer bike hire and guides.
Food and relaxation done right
The region is a foodie paradise, with two Michelin-starred restaurants in the valley. At Puradies, dining options range from a sleek bar serving local cheeses, crudités and cured meats, to fine dining in the Austrian restaurant, and the relaxed contemporary Ess:enz, where many ingredients come from the hotel’s organic farm and kitchen gardens.
Between mountain walks, dips in pristine waters and morning adrenaline, afternoons are well spent in the spa and sauna or by the pool. Evenings bring farm-to-fork meals. If Leogang is about rural tranquillity, the Gastein valley offers mountain wilderness combined with a chic, pretty town setting ideal for those without a car.
Exploring the Gastein valley
At Gastein’s heart is Bad Gastein, Austria’s original Belle Epoque spa town, perched over a huge waterfall between cliffs. Its natural thermal springs feed the Felsentherme spa, set 1100 metres above sea level and built into the rocks, with views that feel like a Bond villain’s lair. For families, the huge Alpentherme baths at Bad Hofgastein are connected to most hotels by a network of tunnels, so you can walk there in your robe.
The Alpentherme has pools, spas, saunas, a lazy river and huge slides. Outside, a natural swimming lake is perfect for paddleboarding. A little further down the valley, at Dorfgastein, the Fulseck mountain lift takes you to 5km of twisting mountain carting tracks. After a thrilling ride down 550 metres in altitude to the middle station, you can refuel at the bar and try the family adventure trail.
From Bad Hofgastein, a cable car takes you to a children’s adventure playground and family-friendly walks. From the lift at Bad Gastein, spectacular viewing platforms and a suspension bridge await. At the top of Graukogel mountain, reached by a two-person chair lift, you can walk the ancient stone pine trail while eagles soar above.
Evenings and practicalities
In the evenings, the summer music festival offers free concerts by the Salzburg Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as jazz by the lake in Bad Hofgastein. Restaurants and bars fill the squares, including unGXUND and Good Gastein. With zero car travel all week, Tyler says it was a refreshing, cool alternative to the heatwave at home and in the Med. “Just don’t tell everyone, or they’ll all be running for the hills next summer.”
British Airways flies direct from London Gatwick to Salzburg from £61 each way. Summer rates at Puradies Nature Resort start from €205 per person per night all-inclusive, with e-bike hire available. Hotel Norica Therme offers a three-night family spa package with half-board and access to the Alpentherme from €594 per person (children under 10 go free). Both Saalfelden-Leogang and Gastein Guest Mobility passes are included, giving free travel on trains and buses, plus entry and discounts at local attractions. For more information, visit the official websites for Leogang and Gastein.
