Living in Valencia, Spain means that by the time July rolls around, a break from the summer heat and humidity is much needed for a cool-off and a change of scenery. Our main criteria when searching for our destination this time was cooler weather, beautiful lakes to swim in, delicious food, and gorgeous views but without the tourist crowds. Our top three picks narrowed down to Lake Annecy in France, Lake Garda in Italy, and a place we had never heard of with a funny name in Austria that we couldn’t pronounce – Salzkammergut. After a great deal of research, we chose the latter and it was the best decision we could have made (and now we know how to pronounce Salzkammergut!)

My husband and I had visited Vienna many years ago during our month-long honeymoon to five countries after marrying on the island of Crete in Greece, but this was our first time in the Alps region of Austria, and we were so excited to experience a new destination with our four-year-old!

In this blog post, I’ll cover the top things to see and do, lakes to swim in, villages to visit, and food to try in the lakes district of Austria with some bonus inclusions for family travelers. 

Before we jump in, let’s cover some basic geography: where is Salkammergut? Located in North-Central Austria, you can reach this region from Munich in around three hours by car, or from Salzburg in one hour by car (though Munich has more flight options). Because of its proximity to Bavaria, they share a similar culture, and of course a common language – German. 

Now, let’s break down this word, because understanding the meaning will make a lot more sense when visiting this region:

Salz = salt
Kammer = a royal chamber or administrative office
Gut = estate, property, or domain

Salzkammergut = salt domain, or estate of the salt chamber (let’s go with the second, because it sounds more poetic).

This word is pronounced zalts-kah-muh-goot.

This region became wealthy and well-known from its salt mining, which, at the time, was referred to as “white gold” because salt was so rare.

The unique aspect of the Salzkammergut region that made us grateful we selected it over other lake districts, is that there’s not only one lake, it’s an entire system of alpine lakes of varying colors and sizes, which feed from the mountain glaciers. What does this mean for travelers to this region? Few to no crowds! Single lake destinations such as Lake Annecy or Lake Bled, which we visited last year, can get extremely crowded during peak season, so instead of enjoying the lake, you’ll be sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic trying to find a place to park, and then fighting for a spot on said lake with thousands of other tourists. In Austria’s lake region, we never had to wait a single minute for a parking spot and never encountered traffic. 

What I love about this region is that the beauty of nature surrounds you at all times. Scenic backdrops of rugged mountains, pine forests, grazing sheep, and quaint villages in alpine architecture are a true treat for the eyes. This is nature at its finest.

We lived in Seattle and hiked all over the Pacific Northwest for ten years, and we’ve seen some truly incredible nature and vistas, but we usually had to work for it! Waking up at the light of dawn and hiking 10 – 15 kilometers up significant elevation gain to get to a crystal clear lake for swimming, and then carrying our wet swim suits back down the mountain, whereas Austria just lays it all right out for you. The villages are built around the lakes and integrated into the mountainsides, making nature accessible and part of the backdrop of daily life. 

Another aspect that surprised me, was how non crowded it was! We visited in July during peak season, and we saw so few tourists, which was a delight. I also loved to see that locals actually wear lederhosen as their daily dress! It was common to see men wearing leather shorts with a modern cotton shirt, so sometimes they just wore half the attire.

When we travel, we prefer to stay in local villages and towns that aren’t frequented by tourists so that we can get a better sense of what authentic local daily life is like. We stayed in a two-bedroom suite at Homebound Apartments in a lovely village called Bad Goisern, which was the perfect home base and close to everything. I highly recommend this accommodation if you prefer to have privacy and enjoy cooking some meals at home, as it’s fully self-catering with no restaurants on site. This is especially great if you have kids, as they’ve got a kid’s room and there is an open football field right outside the hotel. There are also 2 outstanding playgrounds within a ten-minute walk. Bad Goisern was just 15 minutes by car to Hallstatt, 15 minutes to Bad Ischl, 1 hour, 15 minutes to Salzburg, and walking distance to the local bakery and playgrounds. If you prefer a hotel stay, there are myriad options, from basic accommodation to a few luxury four and five-star properties on and near the lakes.

Before diving into to our top favorites, here are 8 of our observations about the Salzkammergut area:

1. Locals take pride in their homes, which is why most houses are freshly painted, pristinely landscaped, and decorated with flowers on the balconies. Planting the balcony flowers each spring is a tradition, much like decorating Christmas trees in December. Geraniums are the most common flower potted on balconies because they:
   1. Bloom continuously from late spring until autumn
   2. Thrive in mountain sunshine
   3. Tolerate cool nights
   4. Need relatively little care
   5. Produce the brilliant reds, pinks, and whites that stand out against dark wooden chalets
2. When ordering at a local cafe, you should be prepared and direct – when I decided to remove an order of gingerbread and then later add it back, the bakery clerk outwardly rolled her eyes and became exasperated because my order was disorganized 
3. You’ll see few trash cans in parks and hiking areas, and if so, they’re small. Austria doesn’t produce as much waste as other countries who rely heavily on plastic packaging. Here most food items are wrapped in paper instead of plastic or large cardboard, and you’re meant to pack your trash out 
4. It’s very quiet, especially in mountain villages – people follow rules of being respectful and considerate towards others and especially to your neighbors. In our apartment, it said, “please be mindful of keeping quiet out of respect for your neighbors” – it didn’t list quiet hours, the expectation is that one is always respectful – no loud music, shouting, or partying. We even noticed that children listen to shows on their phone or iPad at restaurants with headphones so as not to disturb other patrons
5. Because of the rule of the Austrian Hungarian empire and Austria’s border with Hungary, you’ll see some Hungarian influence in the cuisine here, such as goulash and paprikash
6. In many villages, old telephone booths have been converted into free little libraries filled with used books for people to take or leave!
7. Children seem active and capable when it comes to sports and hiking endurance. In places like the U.S. or Spain, often if someone sees a three or four year-old hiking or biking on their own, they will exclaim, “wow you’re doing so great, look at you!” Here it’s not impressive; it’s normal and expected for children to bike or hike on their own, and not as common to see children sitting in bike seats behind their parents because they learn at an early age to ride themselves
8. This area of Austria has some of the best playgrounds I’ve ever seen! Nearly everything, everywhere is made of wood, which is pleasant on the eyes. Children’s structures are thoughtfully designed, aesthetically beautiful, and provide a fun challenge

Now, let’s dissect what some of these names mean, which you’ll see all around this region:

Am See = by the lake or on the lake
See = lake
Bad (pronounced baht in German) = bath – if you see the word “Bad” precede the name of a town, it does not mean that it’s a naughty town, it simply means that it is recognized as a spa town
ß is pronounced like “ss”, so when you see a street name called straußer, it’s pronounced “strah-ser”.

Be sure to try a few locally made items, such as gingerbread, schnapps, trout, and Hungarian cuisine.

Below I will detail our favorite lakes, villages, and things to do in Salzkammergut.

FAVORITE LAKES FOR SWIMMING & VILLAGES FOR STROLLING

1. Wolfgangsee & St. Gilgen
2. Altausee 
3. Bad Ausee 
4. Grundlsee
5. Gosausee
6. Attersee
7. St. Wolfgang
8. Hallstatt 
9. Strobl 
10. Bad Ischl (the most important village in this region and where the treaty was signed that started WWI! Read on for more)

WOLFGANGSEE & ST. GILGEN

This was by far our favorite spot to frequent, both to swim and to wander, and we visited on multiple days. It’s got a great swimming beach (called Strandbad St. Gilgen) with a wooden platform and diving board with a restaurant right on the lake and a children’s climbing structure. You can also rent sun beds and umbrellas on the grass. Saint Gilgen is a town at the Western-most tip of Wolfgangsee, and the town from which Wolfgang Mozart’s mother was born. There is a statue of Mozart in the town’s main square.

St. Gilgen is where we rented e-bikes and biked all around the lake.

If you’re keen to take a relatively easy hike, (also kid-friendly) with some elevation gain, Plombergstein is around 4.5 kilometers and rewards with beautiful panoramic views of the turquoise lake below.

If you prefer a leisurely and scenic stroll, you can also walk the perimeter of the lake on a well-maintained gravel path (pram-friendly) – also a very nap-inducing spot for kiddos.

ALTAUSEE

Altausee is a smaller lake green in color with swimming beaches and a lovely dog-friendly walk around the perimeter with beautiful wooden sculptures of animals along the path. The beach has a great playground directly on the lake and a sand volleyball court. In town there is a no-frills family-run restaurant called Bosnabar-Imbiss selling various types of sausages, which taste delicious after a day of hiking and swimming! A “Bosna” in Austria is a popular spicy fast-food sausage sandwich, and a “Bosna bar” (or stand) is a small walk-up shop or kiosk that sells it.

BAD AUSEE

This town is characterized by intricate wooden architecture details on each of the homes. The name of this town made me giggle every time I saw it, as I always pictured a naughty Australian being chastised, “oh, you bad Aussie, you!” (different spelling, similar pronunciation)

Walking through Bad Ausee felt as though we had been transcended into the pages of a storybook in a made-up place that was so beautiful it didn’t feel real.

GRUNDLSEE

GOSAUSEE

This is a smaller lake, but a unique one as you can swim whilst looking up at a glacier and striking mountain peaks The water is quite a bit colder here because the lake is smaller and fed directly by the glacier above. 

ATTERSEE

ST. WOLFGANG

Not to be confused with Wolfgangsee; St. Wolfgang is a charming town located on Wolfgangsee (Lake Wolfgang).

This was one of my favorite villages to wander, though it did feel a bit more touristy than other lakes. Here you can also ride the Schafberg Railway, the steepest cogway rail in Austria. Because parking is very limited in this town, I recommend biking here from another nearby village (we biked here from St. Gilgen where we rented our e-bikes.) Be sure to try the delicious fish restaurant, Bratwurst Fischerei – a small footprint “quick food” run by a man from Slovakia who makes the best fish sandwiches!

HALLSTATT

This is the picture postcard lake that you’ve probably seen at least once in your life in a photo or on a calendar, and perhaps didn’t have a clue where it was. My tip for visiting is to come after 6PM when the day trippers and hoards of buses have left. The village is very small and easily walkable within less than one hour. Most shops and restaurants are closed by then, so it feels much quieter. Please keep in mind that people do live here, so keep your voices down and be respectful of the locals.

STROBL

We enjoyed coming to this village on several occasions for dinner and a sunset lakeside walk. You can participate in water sports such as wake boarding and water skiing, and if you have kids who love cable cars, they’ll enjoy the children’s play structure in town. We also happened upon an antique car show in August – a nice bonus!

Don’t miss the Strobl Farmer’s Market every Friday from 8AM – 11AM.

BAD ISCHL

Bad Ischl is the most historically significant town in this region, because this is the very place where WW1 started. The Emperor was spending the summer in his summer palace, and it was there where he signed the declaration to attack Serbia. This started the events of Russia declaring war on Austria, then Germany declaring war on Russia, which cascaded the declaration of war by France and England on Germany, triggering the start of World War I.

The summer palace grounds are beautiful, but we couldn’t help feeling a bit somber, knowing the history of what transpired here and how it shaped the world as we know it today.

After strolling through the grounds of the summer palace, you can enjoy a lovely walk along the esplanade following the river, lined with cafés, musicians performing, and a large park for both biking and walking. There are excellent playgrounds for children here as well, complete with ziplines!

TOP THINGS TO DO IN SALZKAMMERGUT

1. Rent e-bikes and create your own biking adventure around the lakes, through the mountains, and enjoy epic playgrounds along the way (if you have kids) on endless bike paths!
2. Visit Kleefeld Wildlife Park (located in Strobl)
3. Take a Mountain Cablecar for Incredible Panoramic Views
4. Take a day trip to Salzburg and do a Sound of Music Tour
5. Take a day trip to Berchtesgaden
6. Ride the Schafberg Railway

RENT E-BIKES

There are several bike rental shops, though I recommend calling in advance to reserve if you visit during summer, as they are very busy and don’t always have same-day rentals, especially if you are traveling with kids and require a bike seat on the back. There are hundreds of kilometers of trails which line the perimeters of the lake, weave through local neighborhoods and parks, and through the forest. It felt so magical! One of our favorite experiences was e-biking from Slovenia to Italy, and since then, we always love to rent bikes to explore nature. (You an read my blog post here on our Top 20 Things To Do In Slovenia.)

VISIT KLEEFELD WILDLIFE PARK

Whether you have kids or not, this is a lovely stop for some easy walking trails. There are a system of gentle hiking trails to see deer in the wild, as well as cute goats at the entrance which you can pet. There is a beautiful restaurant on site with a stunning interior serving delicious local fare. It rained the day we visited, and we were soaked after hiking in the downpour, so afterwards we stopped to warm up with a hot chocolate.

TAKE A MOUNTAIN CABLE CAR FOR PANORAMIC VIEWS

There are myriad options for cable cars all around this region. Admission is quite pricey (40 – 50+ euro per person), but worth it for views and access to several hikes that are at higher elevation. We took the Dachstein Krippenstein, which goes up to Five Fingers lookout at 2,100 meters above sea level. Most certainly not for the faint of heart! At the top there’s a really awesome giant wooden tunnel, large enough to fully stand up in.

TAKE A DAY TRIP TO SALZBURG AND DO A SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR

Salzburg is the closest big city to this region, only 1.5 hours by car, and is a great option for a day trip. If you’re a fan of the musical, The Sound of Music, you can even do a tour here which visits several of the filming sites and provides history on both the actors as well as the real people for whom the musical was modeled after.

The Sound of Music filmed for 11weeks, and only the outdoor scenes were filmed here in Salzburg; the rest was filmed in the United States. The movie aired in 1965.

TAKE A DAY TRIP TO BERCHTESGADEN

Berchtesgaden is a gorgeous Bavarian town characterized by a rugged mountain backdrop which looks as though a giant bite was taken out of the middle. This city is best visited on the day of your arrival if you’re flying into Munich earlier in the day, as it’s on the way from Munich to Salzkammergut around halfway between the two destinations. With stunning mountain backdrops and traditional Alpine vistas, this town is located in Germany and was one of the highlights of our trip, even though we only spent a few hours there to explore and have supper before heading onto our aparthotel.

RIDE THE SCHAFBERG RAILWAY

We didn’t have the opportunity to do this, but it’s Austria’s steepest steam cog railway, rewarding at the top with beautiful views.

Have you ever heard of the Salzkammergut region of Austria, and is it now on your travel wishlist?