Lienz

Lienz sits in East Tyrol, a bit cut off geographically from the rest of Tyrol by the mountains, which gives it a quieter, less commercialized feel than Innsbruck or the ski resorts further west. The town itself is small and handsome, with a pastel-colored old center where the Isel and Drau rivers meet, and the jagged Dolomites of the Lienz group rising dramatically just south of town.

Summer is really the draw here for hiking — the Lienz Dolomites offer serious alpine scenery without the crowds of the Italian side, and there are gentler valley walks too if you want less elevation gain. Winter brings skiing at Zettersfeld and Hochstein, both right above town, modest in size compared to the big Tyrolean resorts but easy and uncrowded.

Schloss Bruck, a medieval castle above town, houses a museum with a strong collection of works by Albin Egger-Lienz, a painter closely tied to the region. The Roman ruins at nearby Aguntum add another layer of history.

Lienz works well as a slower base — a day or two wandering the town and surrounding mountains, good regional food, and easy onward routes into Italy or Carinthia if you're driving through the Alps.