Hiking in nature
Autumn means lower temperatures, which also means the possibility of hiking in beautiful nature without sweating severely. The trails you avoided due to the summer heat should now be more enjoyable.
Also, most mountain huts are still open during the first weeks of October, and you can enjoy them without a large crowd. You might also be able to go there spontaneously without booking a bed in advance.
With the peak summer hiking season behind, autumn often sees fewer tourists on the trails, and if you are looking for a more private connection with nature experience, you are likely to be able to have it.
Visiting vineyards
Autumn is the harvest season in Austrian vineyards.
It is a great time to visit some of the country’s many vineyards, such as those in Burgenland or in Vienna Woods.
You can sometimes see grapes picked by hand, a centuries-old tradition during the visits.
Many vineyards also offer guided tours during autumn, during which you can learn about the winemaking process, from grape picking to fermentation and bottling.
While visiting the vineyards, you can also enjoy their surroundings, as they are often located in beautiful nature spots, such as the hills of Wachau in Lower Austria.
Here, you can walk or hike in comfortable autumn temperatures and visit traditional Austrian wine taverns (Heurigen in German).
You can try different wines from the region there. Enjoying some light snacks (Jause) and often homemade food and regional products is also typical.
A must during autumn is also to try young wines known as "Sturm," a partially fermented grape juice that is sweet and fizzy. This is only possible during the harvest period.
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READ ALSO: 11 unmissable events in Austria this October
Booking cheap getaways
Autumn is a great time to look for deals on tourist accommodations.
You can find hotels, guesthouses, and Airbnb offerings at much lower prices than during peak seasons.
Therefore, if you want to save money, autumn might be a great time for travelling.
Furthermore, popular spots are likely to be significantly less crowded during autumn, so if you want to visit tourist hotspots such as Hallstatt or the other lakes in Salzkammergut without big crowds, now is the time.
Visiting a spa
Austria is known for its thermal baths and spa towns.
Autumn is a great time to cosy up inside one of the country’s many spas, where you can enjoy different saunas, pools, and relaxation areas.
Some of the country’s most famous spas worth visiting are Bad Blumau, designed by Hundertwasser in Styria, Therme Wien in Vienna, and Thermal Spa Römerbad in Carinthia.
READ ALSO: The rules and customs of Austrian saunas foreigners need to know
In an Austrian spa, you can recover from the cold air outside by enjoying a classical Aufguss, a sauna ritual in which a sauna master pours water mixed with essential oils onto hot stones to create steam. To make it extra hot, the sauna master usually uses towels to circulate the steam throughout the sauna space.
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READ MORE: Five of the best destinations for an autumn break in Austria
Checking out autumn markets
Different farmers' markets pop up across the country during autumn. Here you find local products, pumpkin dishes, cheeses, and traditional delicacies at affordable prices.
You can explore autumn fairs such as the Retzer Weinlesefest (Wine Harvest Festival) and Kürbisfest (Pumpkin Festival) in Styria. Here you can buy buy products from the region's harvest, enjoy live music, food, and other activities.
You can also visit different pumpkin farms, a typical activity for people in Austria during autumn. At the farms, you can enjoy eating and buying pumpkins as well as a wide range of other activities for the whole family, such as hay jumping and pumpkin decoration workshops.
If you are near Vienna, you can visit pumpkin markets such as Kürbishof Franzlbauer and Kürbisbauernmarkt Am Himmel.
Picking mushrooms
October is a good month to be out and about if you want to pick mushrooms.
In Austria, you can find 4,450 large mushroom species in nature; 200 of them are edible.
The five most common ones are Porcini (Steinpilz), Chanterelles (Eierschwammerl), Parasol (Parasolpilze), Chestnut Bolete (Maronenröhrling), and Coprinus Comatus, or the shaggy ink cap (Schopftintling).
Best places to go in Austria are Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol and forested areas close to Salzburg.
If you want to have a more specified idea of where to go, you can use the mushroom finder.
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Spending time in a museum
Autumn is a great time to visit some of the country’s famous and exciting museums.
When the air is cold outside and the wind might be strong, especially if you live in Vienna, escaping to a museum to learn something new can be a great idea.
Many Austrian cities are home to world-class museums where you can explore art, history, and science.
In Vienna, you can visit museums such as the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which has an extensive art collection, and the Belvedere, which presents works by Gustav Klimt.
In Salzburg, you can explore Mozart’s Birthplace, and in Graz, the Kunsthaus and Universalmuseum Joanneum, where you can check out art, history, and regional culture exhibitions.
READ ALSO: How will Austria's federal museum card work?
Relaxing in a café
As the temperatures drop, cosying up in a friendly café can be a nice activity.
Many cafés offer seasonal specialities during autumn, such as pumpkin soup, spiced pastries, and hot drinks.
You can go here with friends or, why not, alone with a book, and relax over a hot drink or soup.
The coffee culture in Austria often allows you to sit in coffee places longer without being frowned upon.
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