Top of St Gilgen Mountain – The most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

Salzkammergut is the lake’s region in Austria, with very high mountains perched over the lakes and an incredible beauty. You will be amazed. I think the Salzkammergut region in Austria is one of my unmissable destinations. It is, for sure, one of the most beautiful and impressive regions we have been so far and one of the places in the world we truly love.

SALZKAMMERGUT –  THE WONDERFUL AUSTRIAN LAKE’S REGION

Gosau Lake – The most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

We stayed one week there and we were able to visit some of the most beautiful among the 76 lakes of Salzkammergut, as well as many small cities located beside these lakes. If you like hiking, biking, visiting small and cozy cities and awesome views, this is the perfect place to visit.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

1) HALLSTATT LAKE – HALLSTÄTTER SEE IN THE SALZKAMMERGUT

There are 3 small cities around the Hallstatt Lake: Hallstatt, Obertraun e Bad Goisern.

– HALLSTATT VILLAGE  AT HALLSTATT LAKE – ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

Hallstatt Village at Hallstatt Lake – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

Hallstatt, in  the Salzkammergut, is considered the top destination in the region. In December of 1997, it became UNESCO Cultural and Natural Heritage site. We established our base in the region on this small paradise and explored the other lakes and cities by car. It was a perfect choice.

We wrote an specific post about Hallstatt and its surroundings, detailing the best things to do over there. Make sure you check it out.

TIP OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT: HALLSTATT IS THE MOST FAMOUS, CHARMING AND INTERESTING VILLAGE!

Hallstatt Lake – The most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

Just a hint about some of the attractions in Hallstatt: electric boat tour by the lake, a walk around the village and the main square in Hallstatt, the view point, the Roman and Celtic ruins underneath a sporting goods store or “only” relaxing and enjoying the lake. Absolutely great. You cannot miss the ascend to the Hallstatt Skywalk, where you will find a platform perched over the city, hanging in the sky. In Hallstatt, you can also visit the oldest salt mine in the world. We didn’t go there because we preferred to visit the Salzbergwerk Salt Mine in Berchtesgaden. We will have an specific about that and you will find out why we made this decision.

– BAD GOISERN VILLAGE AT HALLSTATT LAKE- ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

Bad Goisern at Hallstatt Lake – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

The Bad Goisern village is located in the opposite side of the Hallstatt and Obertraun villages, in the other side of the lake. If you are coming from Bad Ischl, Salzburg or Vienna, you will pass through Bad Goisern before arriving to Hallstatt.

It is a good idea to stop in one of the larger grocery stores to stock up. The village is bigger than Hallstatt, with more lodging options, restaurants and stores. However isn’t as charming and beautiful! .

– OBERTRAUN VILLAGE AT HALLSTATT LAKE – ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

Obertraun Village at Hallstatt Lake – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

It is located 10 minutes by car from Hallstatt. It is tiny. The major attraction here is the Krippenstein mountain with its Five Fingers and the Ice Cave.

TIP OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIEW IS FROM THE FIVE FINGERS!

2) GOSAU LAKE – ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

Gosau Lake and the Dachstein Glacier – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

The impressive Dachstein Glacier is located in the border of Gosau Lake. For us, the Gosau Lake and the Hallstatt Lake are the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut. If you don’t want to walk, it won’t be a problem, since the parking lot is very close to one side of the lake, on its best photograph spot. You can sit and relax drinking the great local beers. The view is spectacular.

TIP OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT:  THE VIEW OF DACHSTEIN GLACIER FROM GOSAU LAKE IS SPECTACULAR!

Gosau Lake – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

At the end of the day, a good idea is to have a light dinner at the outdoor tables of the only hotel/restaurant at Gosau Lake, admiring the beautiful mountains and the glacier. It was a bless to visit this place.

Believe it or not, Gosau Lake is considered a very good diving spot. There is a diving company, beside the lake, that offers classes for beginners and experts. The water of the lake is transparent, crystal clear, and obviously, very cold for Brazilian standards.

3) ALTAUSSEE LAKE – ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

– ALTAUSEE VILLAGE:

Altausee – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

It was a cloudy and drizzled day when we visited Altausee, but we loved it anyway. It is a very small village, but also very charming. Typical architecture and a lot of flowers in the gardens. At the end of the main street there is a delicious tiny beach where you can sit and enjoy.

It was unbelievable for us, but there is an open and free bookshelf, just beside the water, where people can choose and pick one of the books to read on that marvelous place… Don’t forget to return them or leave one to replace. Austria, first world example.

4) GRUNDLSEE LAKE – ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

– GÖBL VILLAGE:

Gobl – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

The Grundlsee Lake is larger, while very beautiful too. You drive around it, close to the water and the high mountains. In Göbl, we had dinner in a typical and simple restaurant with a great food: Fresh trout from the lake and fried camembert with raspberry sauce…Delicious, with the local weiss beer.

This was the end of our day. We had planned to have dinner over there, following the recommendation of Klaus, our host at Sarstein Pension. It was very helpful to have a rented car in order to stay flexible and be able to enjoy this kind of last minute tour.

5) WOLFGANGSEE – ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

– STROBL VILLAGE:

Strobl – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

The Strobl Village is also very small. If that was a sunny day, the beach of Strobl was the place we were planning to swim on the lake. The infrastructure to enjoy the Wolfgangsee Lake is very good, with small boats, floaters and rental boats. However, everything was closed…we didn’t understand exactly why. Maybe the rain, or the end of the summer peak season.

TIP OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT: STROBL IS THE BEST VILLAGE FOR A SWIM ADVENTURE IN THE LAKE!

Strobl – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

I wasn’t depressed, but I need to say that the cemetery there is beautiful. It is located right beside the small church and the tombs are covered with colorful natural flowers and iron decoration.

-ST. GILGEN VILLAGE:

Unmissable for several reasons. Start with the cable car and  ascend the mountain. From the top, you will have a great view of the region. The water of Wolfgangsee Lake is greenish, difficult to describe and unforgettable.

Wolfgangsee from the top of St Gilgen Mountain – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

If you like adrenaline, book with some anticipation, a paragliding double flight, known as tandem flight. We tried to book it, but it was the first sunny day after many cloudy/rainy days, and they were fully booked. That is all right. We will go back there. After the initial frustration, we sat at the lawn, and like many other people, watched several paragliders coloring the sky. Very cool! Even in the summer, it was breeze on the top. Take a jacket with you.

Wolfgangsee from the top of St Gilgen Mountain – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

The small downtown in St. Gilgen is lovely. The Central Square, where the city hall is located, is surrounded by patisseries and small stores. Walk to the lake and enjoy the landscape. If you are hungry, you can have dinner in one of the restaurants close to the water. The food is very good, large portions and you can admire the boats coming and going. Nice place to appreciate the sunset.

St. Gilgen at Wolfgangsee – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

7) GROTTENSEE LAKE – ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

Grottensee – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

We loved it. Another unplanned stop. It is on the road between St. Gilgen and Mondsee. You park your car and enjoy. It was like being in a Monet painting, with water plants and the amazing reflections of the mountains and the sky on the lake.

The Grottensee is a very small lake, but it has a magic environment. It is not famous and there was nobody there, making it even more peaceful!

7) MONDSEE LAKE – ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

– MONDSEE VILLAGE:

Mondsee – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

The Mondsee Village has some colorful mansions, very well preserved, a large church, an esplanade and a boardwalk beside the lake. Really beautiful.

Mondsee – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

We bought 02 funny magnetic pins at a store: “A home without a dog is just a house” and “Nothing can be considered lost until mommy didn’t find it”. Wise ones…If you are going from Salzburg to Vienna, you will have a great view of Mondsee Lake. It was this way that I discovered this lake on my previous visit to Austria.

8) FUSCHLSEE – ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKES OF SALZKAMMERGUT

– FUSCHL VILLAGE:

Fuschl – One of the most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

The village in nice and the color of the water is spectacular. It is difficult to access the lake and parking is also very scarce. We just had the view from the road, but it was wonderful.

9) TRAUNSEE LAKE IN SALZKAMMERGUT

– TRAUNKIRCHEN VILLAGE:

Traunkirchen in Salzkammergut

The Traunkirchen Village, is located between the Traunsee Lake and a large road, so it doesn’t have the same charm of other villages. The main attraction is the Traunkirchen Church. If you don’t have time, skip Traunkirchen.

10) HINTERSEE LAKE IN SALZKAMMERGUT

It is small and not special…don’t invest your time here.

HARD TO CHOSE THE BEST ATTRACTIONS IN SALZKAMMERGUT?

Gosau Lake – The most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

We know that time is usually a limitation when deciding and planning your trip, forcing you to make some choices. If you don’t have a lot of time, make sure you visit Hallstatt (check our specific post Best things to do in Hallstatt – A dream destination , the Gosau Lake and St. Gilgen. We also loved Bad Ischl  Very cozy and historic.

WHERE TO STAY IN SALZKAMMERGUT

We recommend staying at Hallstatt.  Check  our post with details of Sarstein Pension.

If you are based in Hallstatt, you can also do daily trips to Salzburg in Austria, or cross the border with Germany and visit the amazing Königsee and Berchtesgaden, with the salt mine and Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.

In our case, we arrived in Munich, travelled to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and, from there, went to the Zugspitze and Neuschwanstein Castle. 

After that, we stayed one week in Hallstatt, from where we visited all Salzkammergut region, including Bad Ischl and the border region between Germany and Austria. 

Bad Ischl – The most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

Then we went to Vienna and its sensational attractions such as Hofburg and the Schonbrunn, to say the least.

This was a dream trip, really unmissable destinations!. 

In all these regions you can try the famous and delicious Wiener Schnitzel . A typical dish which the recipe you will find in one of our posts.

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St. Gilgen – The most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

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Altausee – The most beautiful lakes of Salzkammergut

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