There are many beautiful lakes in Austria. One of the most special lakes in my opinion is the Gosausee in the state of Salzburg. What makes the Gosausee so unique is the view of the Dachstein Glacier, in other words, a glacier. The Gosaukam, which covers the entire right side of the water, is also very beautiful to see. The Gosausee consists of the Vorderer See and the Hinterer See. These are 2 separate waters that can both be visited. In this article I will tell you everything about this unique piece of nature in Austria.
How to get to the Gosausee
If you navigate to the Gosausee you will arrive at the Vorderer See. This is the front part of the Gosausee and from here you can do all kinds of activities. There are no fewer than 500 parking spaces along the last stretch of the road and parking is free. Just keep in mind that on a busy day you’ll need to park far back, which means you’ll have to make another climb along the uphill road to get to the Gosausee. If you are early you can park almost at the lake. From Salzburg you can drive to the Gosausee in about one and a half hours, which makes it a nice day trip.
Terrace with a view
When you arrive at the Gosausee, red umbrellas are the first thing you see. These umbrellas belong to the only restaurant on the lake. If you look a little further, you will immediately be treated to the most spectacular view of the entire area. The temptation to have a drink here was too great for us, but it’s actually more fun to take a nice walk first and then have something to eat and drink here. If you prefer not to sit on the terrace, but do feel like a drink or an ice cream, you can buy it at a separate kiosk.
Hiking at the Gosausee
As is the case almost everywhere in Austria, you can take several walks at the Gosausee. The easiest route is the walk around the Vorderer See. This one is definitely not heavy, because you don’t climb or descend anywhere. This makes this a walk that is very doable for most people. It will take you 1 to 1.5 hours in total. I advise you to walk clockwise: on the left bank you often walk unprotected and by the time it starts to get really hot, you arrive in the wooded part of the right bank. A lovely round that could have lasted a little longer in my opinion!
If you have plenty of time, it’s great to walk a longer route to the Hinterer See. You start at the Vorderer Gosausee, but instead of starting at the furthest point on the way back, you now walk behind the lake into the forest. This road leads you on mainly flat paths to the Hinterer See, a smaller lake with at least as deep a blue color as its big brother. After you take the path from the Gosausee, you walk to the Hinterer See in about an hour. At the lake there is a restaurant where they serve simple but good dishes. Great for lunch, for example! After your stop you walk back the same route as you came. You can now complete the round around the Gosausee by walking back to the parking lot via the right bank.
Swimming, SUP’ping and sailing
Of course, the Gosausee is also ideal for a few jobs on a hot summer day. You can simply swim in the lake and there is a lovely sunbathing lawn on the right bank. Towels, cool box, sunscreen and a good book and you are guaranteed to enjoy yourself here all day long.
If you prefer to be more active, the Gosausee is also a great place to paddle. You can of course bring your own SUP, but it is also possible to rent one at the lake. You can do this at Boat Rental Lichtenegger, right in front of the lake. As in most places in Austria you can only pay cash here. Please contact the Boat Rental in advance for information about the price. In addition to SUPs, they also rent boats here, of course. Personally, I think it is more fun to explore the Gosausee with a SUP or on foot. It is not the case that you see something different from the water than from the shore. But if you still like to go out on the water, that is certainly possible.
Combine the Gosausee with Hallstatt
The fairytale village of Hallstatt is only half an hour’s drive from the Gosausee. It is rumored that the central place in the movie Frozen is based on this and since then it has been very busy with tourists, especially people from Asia. Because not all countries travel to Austria at the moment, it was not too bad for us with the crowds. Yes, it is full, but not too much. Hallstatt itself is very small and I recommend renting a boat and seeing the town from the water. Wonderfully relaxing and so beautiful!
The Gosausee is a wonderful destination in Austria for a summer day at the water. Whether you like to relax or rather be active, it’s all possible here.
