Gänsehäufel ranks 1st on the list of the most beautiful islands in Austria. It is a wooded sand island in the Old Danube in the Donaustadt district of Vienna, which is used as a bathing facility. The approximately 20-hectare island can be reached from the mainland via a bridge that can be walked on, driven over by a car, and occasionally by a public bus line. The name refers to the former "heaps" (washed-up islands), which are said to have served primarily to breed geese.

One thing is certain: The Gänsehäufel is a legendary landmark! The sandy island in the Old Danube ("Alte Donau") was once used to breed geese ("Gänse"), thus the island's name. Today, it is the site of one of Vienna's most popular outdoor swimming pools. The island's extensive beaches, wave pools, and water slides are popular with the Viennese. The Old Danube offers the required cooling, especially in the summer, with its delightful water temperature, encouraging young and old to swim, bathe, and go boating. On the Gänsehäufel and along the Old Danube, there are various cafés, restaurants, and taverns for those with a little appetite.

Location: Vienna, Austria

Did you know that before 1770, the peninsula Maria Wörth was an island? A Marienkirche ("Church of the Virgin Mary") was erected here in the 9th century and was a prominent pilgrimage site. Maria Wörth Island ranks 2nd on the list of the most beautiful islands in Austria. The peninsula and chapel in Maria Wörth are now a famous tourist site and a great postcard and Instagram theme. The peninsula of Maria Wörth glows brilliantly, surrounded by the turquoise-blue water of Lake Wörth ("Wörthersee") and the mountains of the Karawanken.

Maria Wörth is a center of Austrian and European summer tourism, with 330,000 arrivals (although these numbers have declined sharply since the 1950s). Today's parish church Saints Primus and Felician stand on the highest point of the peninsula, with the neighboring Winterkirche beneath it. It is a major pilgrimage site and, due to its romantic setting, a popular wedding church. Another tourist attraction is the nearby Pyramidenkogel, an 851-meter high mountain with a 54-meter high observation platform, the Pyramidenkogel Tower.

Location: Carinthia, Austria
Area: 17.39 km2

Perner Island ranks 3rd on the list of the most beautiful islands in Austria. The Pernerinsel ("Pernerinsel") is a natural island in the Salzach River that is located in the heart of Hallein. A brewhouse was erected here in the middle of the 19th century to extract salt from the Salzburg Dürnberg. However, it is now used for a different purpose: The Salzburg Music Festival is held on Perner Island, which is well-known among theatre and opera fans ("Salzburger Festspiele").

One of the most memorable experiences you can have on this island is to take a full-day guided trip that involves jumping from high places and getting wet. More specifically, you’ll be guided through narrow crevasses filled with waterfalls, tropical foliage, natural pools of water, and natural waterslides. You’ll wear a helmet, and a life jacket, and be sure to bring a pair of tennis shoes. Come here and enjoy your time on Perner Island.

Location: Salzach River, Austria

Carinthia has the most lakes of any Austrian province, therefore it's no surprise that there are more islands here than anyplace else. Faaker See Island is located in the midst of Lake Faak ("Faaker See"). It ranks 4th on the list of the most beautiful islands in Austria. This is also the location of Austria's one and only island hotel. To visit the island, you do not need to be a hotel guest. You may go to the island by water taxi and then relax on the beach or participate in water sports like windsurfing and sailing.

The first thing to do when visiting The Faaker See Island is to rent a scooter and go. Wind through golden fields, dusty roads, and rolling hills to discover the most incredible views. The contrasting colors of the dry landscape to the lush jungle next to white sand and crystal blue water cannot be described in words. Spend the entire day feeling like a pioneer who is discovering an island for the first time. No tourists, few villages, and certainly no big development.

Location: Carinthia, Austria
Area: 2.2 km2

The Murinsel is one of the most beautiful islands in Austria. It is an artificial floating "island" in the middle of the Mur river and links the two banks on both sides. At night the blue navigation lights that surround the structure light up. This landmark of Graz was designed by New York City artist Vito Acconci on the occasion of Graz becoming the 2003 European Capital of Culture. Mur Island is in the form of a giant sea shell and measures 47 m (154 ft) in length.

The Mur Island has reintroduced the Mur River to the people of Graz. Until recently, the river had been polluted by sewage and industrial effluent. So the fact that the Mur had dug itself 12m deeper into its riverbed following its regulation in the nineteenth century didn't bother anyone. The river that connects and divides the city now has good water quality and has become inviting. Graz-born Robert Punkenhofer inspired the New York artist Vito Acconci to design an accessible artificial island. The project was realized as a 47m-long reticular steel construction. The curved and twisted shape can be associated with a half-opened shell. In its open part, wave-like blue benches form an amphitheatre for events of all kinds. Under the domed glass roof cooled by water, a café in blue and white offers the opportunity to enjoy being close to the Mur - a new feeling even for locals.

Location: Graz, Austria

Area: 1.052sq

The Donauinsel (Danube Island) is a long, narrow artificial island in central Vienna, Austria, lying between the Danube river and the parallel excavated channel Neue Donau ("New Danube"). It ranks 7th on the list of the most beautiful islands in Austria. The island is 21.1 km in length but is only 70–210 m (230–689 ft) wide. The New Danube waterway is practically an elongated (swimming) lake, technically a diluvian bed. It has been described as an "autobahn for swimmers", due to its use by people commuting to work.

The island is known to most visitors as a recreational area with bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. It offers sports such as rollerblading, cycling, and swimming, as well as canoeing. There is one beach that, at first, felt so exotic that it was quickly nicknamed "Copa Cagrana" as a satirical allusion to Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana: Kagran is the part of Vienna's 22nd District next to that beach. On Donauinsel Island, there are numerous nudist beaches on the island's southern and northern coasts. The Donauinselfest is a well-known annual open-air festival that attracts over 3 million visitors, making it Europe's largest event of its kind.

Location: Vienna, Austria

Area: 21.1 km