The day I left Pennsylvania was a day that was about 30 degrees and sunny. I was sad that I was leaving my warm sunny weather in my home state. I had been told previously that summers in Austria aren’t really that hot. Well lucky me—I arrived during a heat wave.
That being said, I have learned a few things and found some really cool places (literally) to beat the heat this summer in Austria.
First off, most (basically all) Austrian households do not have air-conditioning. So as I sat in the apartment drinking water like a fish and sweating small rivers, the idea came about: let’s go to a lake!
Spot One: Lakes
I’ve been to about four different lakes in different parts of Austria and Germany this summer. The great thing about these lakes is that they are very cheap (only about three or four euros) to enjoy the water. There are usually public restrooms and a place to buy food and drinks. Some lakes also have boats you can rent. Check out Mondsee near Salzburg, Austria.
Spot Two: Public Pools
Many towns have public pools that you can also pay a small fee to get into. Unfortunately, these pools usually get kind of crowded the warmer it is.
Spot Three: Find a Friend with a Pool
I was fortunate enough to have found a friend with a pool right down the street. A quick dip in the pool companied with some local friendship makes the hottest day cool.
Spot Four: Take a Vacation and Find a Spot with a Place to Cool Off
When I first got to Germany, I went on a trip with the au pair family I was with. We traveled to Tirol and stayed at a lovely resort called the Aquadome in Längenfeld, Austria. It was positioned near a beautiful river with sparkling blue water and the gorgeous Austrian Alps all around. The cool thing about the resort is the amount of pools it has. There were cold pools, hot pools, salt water, chlorine and fresh water pools. There were lazy rivers, water slides, whirlpools—anything you could think of! People of all ages were enjoying their time in the relaxing pools.
Spot Five: A Konditorei
A Konditorei is a small Austrian café that sells pastries, coffee and usually ice cream. Stop by and get this absolutely delicious ice cream. You can really experience good Austrian culture in a local Konditorei.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and most importantly, keep calm, cool and happy.
