Austria in May

Cities pleasant; many mountain lifts and huts still closed until June.

• Vienna and the east · Vienna, Wachau, Burgenland, Grazbest weather

  Dry continental climate: hot July–August (up to 35 °C) and cold, grey winters; wine harvest September–October.

• Salzburg and the lakes · Salzburg, Salzkammergut (Hallstatt, Wolfgangsee)fine

  Salzburg is one of the wettest cities in Austria ('Schnürlregen'); bring a rain jacket in any month. Lakes are swimmable July–August.

• Tyrol valleys · Innsbruck, Kitzbühel, Zillertalfine

  Sunny, dry winters in the valleys; foehn wind makes sudden warm days. Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms.

• High Alps · Ötztal, Arlberg (St Anton), Hohe Tauern, glacierscool

  Ski season December to April ('best' in winter means snow); huts open late June to late September. Many lifts close in May and November.

Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.

• Labour Day

  1 May

  Shops closed; parades in Vienna.

• Spring holidays

  Ascension, Whit Monday, Corpus Christi

  Long weekends; trains and lake towns busy.

Crowds · Austria

Medium

Prices · Austria

Medium

• Layers: a fleece or light jacket

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Rated best or good this month

• Vienna and the east

  Best weather of the year (Vienna, Wachau, Burgenland, Graz)

• Vienna

  Warm, long days; good month.