The most beautiful stops along the A8 motorway: relaxed travel through Upper Austria
Recommended for travellers from Bavaria and southern Germany
Are you coming from Bavaria or southern Germany from Munich or Passau and travelling towards Salzkammergut, Carinthia or the Adriatic? Then your route takes you via the A8 - Innkreis motorway, right through the middle of Upper Austria. What many people don't know: Real holiday highlights await you directly along the route - without detours and without any traffic jams. Treat yourself to a break with a view: thermal spas, monasteries, natural paradises, enchanting towns and regional cuisine invite you to take a relaxing break or a few days' holiday. Because Upper Austria is not just a journey - it is a destination full of variety, enjoyment and relaxation.
Travelling from Bavaria? The first holiday starts right after the border
Travelling to Upper Austria via Passau is the best way to get that holiday feeling right away. Instead of routine rest stops, you will find nature, culinary delights and hospitality - for example in the baroque Reichersberg Abbey, which delights visitors with its history and flavours. Or head a little further south to the Lower Inn European nature reserve, home to more than 300 bird species. Or take a dip in the Therme Geinberg, which offers thermal spa luxury and Caribbean flair.
Relaxed breaks between Suben, Ried and Wels
The region around the A8 motorway surprises with its diversity, but also with regional delicacies in the inns of the Innviertel. Ried im Innkreis attracts visitors with its city flair and shopping. Pure bathing fun awaits the whole family at the thermal spa in Bad Schallerbach. In between, head to Schmieding Zoo for a meet & greet with giraffes & co. before breathing in the breath of history in the city of Wels and strolling through galleries and shopping streets. And all this just minutes away from the motorway.
Highlights along the A8 Innkreis motorway
Baroque tranquillity with a monastery shop and beautiful monastery garden. A place that offers peace and quiet and invites you to linger.
Charming city with flair and a baroque silver row. Tip 2025: Upper Austrian State Garden Show.
A natural paradise with water, alluvial forests and islands that is a unique habitat for hundreds of plants and animals.
Wellness with Caribbean flair and a sandy beach. If you only stay here for a short time, you'll miss out on the best. Better to stay overnight!
Shopping in the old town centre, Silent Night cot and regional delights. Tip: Innviertler dumplings and "Bratl in der Rein"
Pure bathing fun at the Bad Schallerbach thermal spa resort with the Aquapulco pirate world and the Tropicana Cabrio-Therme.
From giraffes and Siberian tigers to Austria's only gorillas and impressive marine animals.
Take a break in the town square, go shopping, discover museums and galleries and immerse yourself in the history of the town.
From stopover to holiday - it's quick and easy here
If you prefer to enjoy pure nature, splash around in crystal-clear lakes or stroll through old town streets instead of being stuck in traffic jams, Upper Austria is just the place for you. Route-friendly, traffic jam-free, surprisingly beautiful. No detours, no overcrowded places - but real experiences, delicious specialities, fantastic nature and the certainty that the south can wait. Because what was planned as a short break quickly turns into a real holiday in Upper Austria. If you add a few more days, you will discover the nearby Salzkammergut with its mountains and lakes, the mystical and idyllic Mühlviertel the pulsating provincial capital Linz, the varied region of Wels the romantic Steyr and the south with its unspoilt nature in the Kalkalpen National Park or the west between the Inn and Hausruckwald.
Travelling in Upper Austria
