Beautiful scenery and epic hikes at Lake Gosau and Lake Hallstatt, Austria

With the distant clanging of cowbells on the pastures, a view across the glassy lake provided perfect reflections of pine trees, jagged mountains and a snow capped glacier high above. There’s nothing like exploring new mountain destinations, especially in the Alps. We visited Austria to explore the spectacular Lake Gosau and the picture perfect Lake Hallstatt, packed with beautiful scenery and some wonderful hikes.

I am often asked how I choose my holiday destinations. More often than not they are well known places, places found on blogs or through friends’ recommendations. Occasionally though,  I’ll just see a photo on social media that jumps out, do my research and figure out whether I can feasibly visit. For this reason alone, we planned a trip to Hallstatt, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and added on a side trip to Lake Gosau nearby.

Located in the Salzkammergut region of Austria and easily accessible from Salzburg, Lake Hallstatt and Lake Gosau are about an hour’s drive south east of Salzburg Airport. Surrounded by mountain peaks, with some additional attractions near Hallstatt, we spent four nights in the area which gave us plenty of time to explore. 

Updated April 2024

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BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AND EPIC HIKES AT LAKE GOSAU

Lake Gosau (Vorderer Gosausee) lies about half an hour west of Hallstatt and just over an hour from Salzburg airport. Taking a detour from the main 166 road that heads to Hallstatt, Lake Gosau can be reached by taking a right turn onto the Gosausee Bezirksstraße via the scenic valley town of Gosau. Heading along the valley road, the towering jagged mountains ahead are a clear indication of where you are headed.

HIKES AND WALKS FROM LAKE GOSAU

With a number of walking routes beginning from the lake side, as well as some further afield, there are hikes and walks from Lake Gosau that will suit all abilities. From a circular route on a relatively flat trail, to longer and more strenuous mountain hikes, this is a great base from which to explore. 

EXPLORING THE TRAILS OF ZWEISELALM

Predominantly a skiing destination in the winter, and a hiking destination in the summer, the Gosaukammbahn cable car located near the lake’s edge transports passengers to the alpine meadows of Zweiselalm, offering miles of hiking trails, 360 degree views and plenty of mountain huts for rest breaks. Experiencing fabulous views of Lake Gosau from the cable car, we then spent a few hours wandering the trails, stopping off every now and again for a break at the mountain huts. 

The nearest hut to the mountain cable car station, GABLONZER HUTTE offered great food, accommodation and most importantly, refreshing continental beers! After a few hours exploring Zweiselalm, it was a great spot to grab a drink before heading back down to the lake. There are also hiking trails from Zweiselalm down to the lake side, which take a couple of hours, through some relatively steep woodland areas.

AN EXTENDED LOOP AROUND LAKE GOSAU TO HINTERER GOSAUSEE

Another great hike along a relatively flat and well tended trail is a loop around Lake Gosau . This takes approximately an hour, is relatively flat and again offers fabulous views from pretty much any vantage point along the trail. The reflections on the lake are something else.

There is an extended hiking option which is definitely worth an extra couple of hours. At the very back of Vorderer Gosausee, another trail will lead you further into the woodland and to another lake called the Hinterer Gosausee. This hike takes roughly an extra hour each way, but the views that greet you along the way make it unmissable. It’s fairly hilly in sections, but nothing too taxing.

 

Arriving at the far end of the Hinterer Gosausee, you will be pleased to hear that there was another mountain hut, Hozmeisteralm, which was ideal for a lunch stop before the trek back to the hotel. This alpine hut sits right under the Dachstein Glacier and it was a great spot to look up and admire the dramatic scene.

The hike back had few welcome downhill sections. We returned around the opposite side of Lake Gosau to do a full loop, providing different views of the surrounding landscapes. Arriving back to the start, near our accommodation, we stopped off at Seeklausalm for a refreshing drink and arrived back at the hotel just before a thunderstorm hit, which was spectacular to watch from the safety and shelter of our room.

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WHERE TO STAY AT LAKE GOSAU

Arriving at the lake, there is only one accommodation option at lake level – GASTHOF GOSAUSEE. A family run hotel on the edge of Lake Gosau, surrounded by the towering Dachstein-West mountain range, it features a number of guest rooms, a lakeside patio, snack kiosk, gift shop and a wonderful restaurant offering great local dishes, with generous portions. 

With friendly and welcoming staff, it’s also an ideal base for day trippers visiting the lake. Whether it’s hikers starting on their treks or visitors heading to the gondola up the mountain, Gasthof Gosausee’s location provides the perfect lake views. Staying at the hotel for two nights, the first night we were the only guests in residence. It was so peaceful and serene, with only the relaxing sounds of cowbells from the nearby meadows.

It is fair to say that the main selling point for the hotel is the view of Lake Gosau. That spectacular view. I’d recommend booking a lake view room, as you will certainly not be disappointed. Looking out onto the crystal clear, calm water providing a mirrored view of the mountains and glacier was a beautiful thing.

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VISITING LAKE HALLSTATT – A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

After a couple of days at Lake Gosau, it was time to move on to Hallstatt – the main reason why we had originally travelled to Austria. Hallstatt is a spectacularly beautiful village on the shores of Lake Hallstatt. The traditional Austrian architecture set to a backdrop of towering mountains was so dramatic and left me lost for words. The centre of Hallstatt is a traffic free zone. If staying in the village, road signs direct you to a car park on the outskirts from where you are then shuttled into the village.

THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN HALLSTATT

The village of Hallstatt is perfect to explore on foot, along with a number of nearby attractions and scenic viewpoints. Set onto a steep hillside, the higher streets provided a great vantage point for views of the village and the lake beyond. From boat trips, funicular railways, a bone house and scenic viewpoints there’s plenty to keep visitors occupied for a couple of days.

TAKE A BOAT TRIP ON LAKE HALLSTATT

Whenever visiting a lakeside destination, it feels obligatory to take a boat trip. There are a number of trips available from Hallstatt from direct trips across the lake, southern loops and further trips north onto Lake Hallstatt. We found there was no need to book ahead, and took a wander to the pier to see what was available. 

We opted for a relatively short cruise doing a loop of the southern part of Lake Hallstatt, stopping off at a number of places along the route including the village of Obertraun directly across the lake. The cruise, on a modern vessel, provided some great views across to Hallstatt from the lake, despite the overcast weather.

RIDE THE FUNICULAR RAILWAY ONTO SALZBERG MOUNTAIN

For Hallstatt views from a completely different perspective, get up high and take a look at the village from above. The Salzbergen funicular from the centre of the village whisks passengers onto the Salzberg mountain, offering dramatic views along the way.  From the mountain station, there’s the opportunity to visit the Salzwelten salt mine or the Rudolfstrum restaurant, which has a panoramic terrace overlooking the lake. If you are feeling brave and have a head for heights, why not check out the ‘World Heritage Skywalk’ – a viewing platform that juts out from the mountain 350 metres above Hallstatt.

VISIT THE HALLSTATT CHARNEL HOUSE AND CEMETERY

Another point of interest in Hallstatt is the charnel house at St. Michael’s Chapel in the heart of the village. Dating back to the 12th century, the chapel is located next to a larger catholic church and set within a pretty cemetery. Entering the charnel house (or bone house), you’ll find a collection of over 600 ornately painted human skulls, many of which were decorated towards the end of the 18th century. 

HEAD TO THE FAMOUS HALLSTATT PHOTO POINT

One final stop that shouldn’t be missed on a visit to Hallstatt is the popular iconic photo point overlooking the village. Located to the northern end of the village, this lakeside location offers a picture perfect view of the village with a mountain backdrop. Be prepared to queue for your selfie though, as at peak times there are likely to be a lot of people in this location.

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WHERE TO STAY IN HALLSTATT

Our accommodation of choice in Hallstatt was the SEEWIRT ZAUNER hotel which was located in the main square. Looking very traditional on the outside, the hotel actually turned out to be very modern. We chose a room on the top floor with a balcony, offering a lovely, if slightly obstructed, view over the village and lake. The central location was perfect with plenty of restaurants and cafes nearby during the day.

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MY HONEST THOUGHTS ABOUT HALLSTATT

While Hallstatt is every bit as beautiful as photos depict, it suffers from a significant amount of daytime over tourism. Being so scenic, and having good road links to some of the popular Austrian cities and tourist spots, every hour between 9am and 5pm sees coaches and buses arrive, dropping off hundreds of people onto the narrow streets for short periods.

Whilst this is great for the local businesses, it does not make for a relaxing time exploring the village and I did find it overbearing at times. Then, come 6pm, when the last of the buses leave, the businesses including cafes and most restaurants close their doors, leaving overnight visitors with very limited dining and entertainment options outside of the hotels. 

In hindsight, if I were to return, I would likely stay across the lake in Obertraun and jump on the ferry to Hallstatt to visit. Most likely though, I would stay at Gasthof Gosausee and travel into Hallstatt for a few hours. Interestingly enough as we were checking out of Gasthof Gosausee the owner asked where we were going next. On mentioning Hallstatt, he knowingly smirked and nodded, saying ‘OK, well we may well be seeing you back here in the next few days if you need some peace and quiet.’ It honestly was quite tempting.

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GETTING TO LAKE GOSAU AND LAKE HALLSTATT

We flew into Salzburg which was a short flight of 1h 55m from London. Picking up a hire car from Sixt, it was then an hour’s scenic drive to Lake Gosau.

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