Demanding mountain hikes and an easy-going family holiday
Stay in one of the villages around Lake Traunsee (Gmunden, Altmünster, Ebensee and Traunkirchen). A pleasant family holiday or a long weekend awaits you in the beautiful countryside of the Salzkammergut.
Traunsee in winter: fairy-tale Gmunden and easy skiing
The spa town of Gmunden on the shore of Lake Traunsee comes alive with Advent markets in the weeks before Christmas. An evening walk through the winter town, with its lit-up landmarks and the distinctive little church standing above the water, is a delight. By day, head for the nearby ski resort of Traunkirchen and enjoy easy skiing with idyllic views of the lake and the mountains around it. Cross-country skiers are catered for around Traunsee as well (14 km of groomed tracks). There is also a natural toboggan run, winter walking trails and romantic horse-drawn carriage rides.
Traunsee in summer: hiking for every age group
Lake Traunsee invites you to swim in clear emerald water, which reaches around 20 degrees in summer. The town of Gmunden is an excellent starting point for walks. Gentler walkers will enjoy the barrier-free treetop trail. Take the cable car up the Grünberg, from where you can carry on to Laudachsee. Seasoned hikers can choose from the many trails with more ascent and enjoy the view from above of Lake Traunsee, the Höllengebirge range and the Traunstein, nicknamed the “guardians of the Salzkammergut”. Visit the lake castle Ort on its island, or the Gassel dripstone cave.
Accommodation in the area
In the Traunsee-Almtal region you can sleep on a farm, in a family-run Pension or in a hotel with a spa. The Almtaler Bauern partner group invites guests into the daily life of the farm – baking, milking and feeding. Some of them are organic farms.
The Salzkammergut SommerCard is free from three nights at participating properties and is collected at your accommodation. For a shorter stay it costs EUR 4.90 per person. It gives up to 25% off more than 120 attractions and facilities, and the summer version is valid from 1 May to 31 October.
Typical local cuisine
The fish almost every restaurant here serves is the Reinanke. A delicacy is the Riedling – it lives in Traunsee and in no other lake.
The local bread is the Zwieballen, a double roll of leavened rye and wheat flour with caraway, deliberately heavier than an ordinary roll. Kesslhoaß'n is served every Thursday from eight o'clock, traditionally with mustard, horseradish and a roll.
Smoked trout and char from local organic farms come out of the lake. All 78 lakes of the Salzkammergut have drinking-water quality, which is why the fish do well in them. Other dishes named are Apfelknödel, Almrundenpfandl and venison fillet with red cabbage and dumplings.