Things to Do in Austria in June
June weather, activities, events & insider tips
June Weather in Austria
Is June Right for You?
Advantages
- Longest days of the year with sunset around 21:00 (9pm) - you'll actually have time to visit Schönbrunn Palace, grab dinner in the Naschmarkt, and still catch an evening concert without feeling rushed. Those extra daylight hours genuinely change what you can accomplish in a day.
- Alpine hiking conditions hit their sweet spot in June. Snow has cleared from most trails below 2,000 m (6,560 ft), wildflowers blanket the meadows in the Salzkammergut and Tirol regions, and the high-altitude lakes are finally swimmable at 16-18°C (61-64°F). Mountain huts are freshly opened for the season with full menus.
- Opera and concert season technically ends in June, but you get the Vienna Festival running through mid-month with 150+ performances across the city. Ticket availability is actually better than peak winter season, and prices drop 20-30% compared to December-January performances at the Staatsoper.
- Strawberry and asparagus season peaks in June across Austrian farms. Every market from Salzburg's Grünmarkt to Vienna's Karmelitermarkt has stalls piled with Marchfeld asparagus (white, thick as your thumb) and local strawberries at €3-5 per kilo. You'll see 'Spargel' on every restaurant menu, often prepared with brown butter and new potatoes.
Considerations
- June sits awkwardly between shoulder and high season, so you'll pay near-peak hotel rates (especially first two weeks when school groups flood Vienna and Salzburg) but still encounter afternoon thunderstorms that can derail outdoor plans. Hotels in Vienna average €180-250 per night versus €120-160 in May.
- Those 10 rainy days tend to hit as sudden afternoon thunderstorms between 14:00-17:00 (2-5pm), particularly in the Alps. They're brief but intense - the kind that send hikers scrambling for shelter and turn dirt trails into mud slicks within 20 minutes. Plan morning hikes and have indoor backup options for afternoons.
- Tourist crowds ramp up significantly after June 15 when German and Swiss schools break for summer. Popular spots like Hallstatt, Melk Abbey, and Salzburg's Altstadt go from pleasantly busy to genuinely packed. The difference between early June and late June is substantial - we're talking 40% more visitors in that final week.
Best Activities in June
Grossglockner High Alpine Road Driving Tours
The Grossglockner opens reliably in June after winter closure, and you'll catch the road at its most dramatic. Snowbanks still line the upper sections creating 3-4 m (10-13 ft) walls on either side, while lower elevations burst with alpine flowers. The 48 km (30 mile) route gains 1,500 m (4,920 ft) and typically takes 3-4 hours with photo stops. Morning drives before 10:00 offer clearer views before afternoon clouds roll in. Entry costs €38-42 per car depending on vehicle size.
Wachau Valley Wine Cycling Routes
The Danube cycling path through Wachau hits peak conditions in June - warm enough for comfortable riding at 18-22°C (64-72°F), but not the scorching heat of July-August. The 40 km (25 mile) stretch from Melk to Krems passes through apricot orchards in full leaf, terraced vineyards, and medieval villages. Most importantly, the new wine (Heuriger) from last year's harvest is ready, and every third building seems to be a wine tavern with garden seating. The relatively flat terrain makes this doable for casual cyclists in 4-5 hours with stops.
Salzkammergut Lake Swimming and Hiking
The Salzkammergut's 76 lakes finally warm to swimmable temperatures in June - Wolfgangsee reaches 18-20°C (64-68°F), Hallstättersee hits 16-18°C (61-64°F). Combine morning hikes (the Dachstein trails are snow-free by mid-June) with afternoon lake swimming when temperatures peak. The lakeside trails around Hallstatt and St. Wolfgang offer 8-15 km (5-9 mile) loops that take 3-4 hours. Tourist numbers are manageable in early June before the late-month rush.
Vienna Classical Concert Experiences
June offers the best value for Vienna's classical music scene. The Vienna Festival runs through mid-June with performances at venues from the Musikverein to the Burgtheater, while regular concert schedules at Karlskirche and Schönbrunn Palace kick into high gear. Tickets are 20-30% cheaper than winter high season, and you'll actually get seats for popular performances. The Schönbrunn Palace concerts happen outdoors in the Orangery with sunset light streaming through windows - genuinely atmospheric in ways winter concerts aren't.
Innsbruck and Nordkette Mountain Activities
The Nordkette cable car from Innsbruck city center reaches 2,256 m (7,402 ft) in 20 minutes, depositing you in alpine terrain while your hotel breakfast is still digesting. June brings reliable weather for the high trails, with snow cleared but temperatures cool enough at 8-12°C (46-54°F) for comfortable hiking. The contrast is remarkable - you're literally going from Renaissance buildings to rocky peaks above treeline in less time than it takes to watch a movie. Popular trails like the Goetheweg traverse take 2-3 hours one way.
Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave Explorations
The world's largest ice cave near Werfen opens for the season in May, but June offers the most dramatic ice formations before summer melt reduces them. The 90-minute guided tour takes you 1 km (0.6 miles) into the mountain through chambers with 20 m (65 ft) ice walls and frozen waterfalls. Temperatures inside stay at 0°C (32°F) year-round, creating a shocking contrast with June's 20°C (68°F) valley temperatures. The approach involves a cable car and 20-minute uphill walk gaining 150 m (490 ft).
June Events & Festivals
Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen)
Running from mid-May through mid-June, this is Vienna's premier performing arts festival with 150+ events spanning theater, dance, music, and contemporary art. Performances happen across 25+ venues from the Burgtheater to converted industrial spaces. Unlike the tourist-focused summer concerts, this draws serious arts audiences and features avant-garde productions you won't see during regular season. Tickets range €15-85 depending on venue and performance.
Danube Island Festival (Donauinselfest)
Europe's largest free open-air festival takes over Vienna's Danube Island for three days in late June with 2,000+ hours of music across 20 stages. Attendance hits 3 million over the weekend. Genres span everything from rock to electronic to Austrian folk. It's genuinely free, though you'll pay for food and drinks at festival prices. Locals pack the U-Bahn heading to the island, and the atmosphere is more neighborhood block party than commercial festival.
Midsummer Night Celebrations (Sonnwendfeuer)
June 21 brings traditional bonfire celebrations across alpine regions, particularly visible in Tirol and Salzburg provinces. Communities light massive bonfires on mountainsides creating chains of light across valleys. Innsbruck's surrounding mountains typically have 30-40 fires visible from the city. Many villages hold festivals with traditional music and food, though these are local affairs rather than tourist productions. The fires are lit around 21:00 (9pm) when dusk finally arrives.