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Day 1: Lakes Trumer Seen - Lake Mondsee
On a leisurely Sunday morning, after enjoying a delightful breakfast, we hopped on our bikes and made our way to the office to collect our bikes. With some minor preparations, we began our tour, the Ten Lakes & Sound of Music. Equipped with brand-new e-bikes, we had the opportunity to test them during our scouting expedition. After a quick trial run in the courtyard, we set off along the cycling path that led us from Lake Obertrumer Sees to Lake Mattsee.
Within just 30 minutes, we had already encountered two of the ten lakes on our route. The weather was perfect for cycling, with a mix of sunshine and clouds, and temperatures around 25 degrees. Guided by clear signage and the user-friendly Cycling-App, navigation was a breeze. We pedaled past the picturesque Egel lakes, cruising along dirt tracks that served as designated cycling paths, and eventually made our way to the mountains of the Salzkammergut region. Our destination for the day was the beautiful town of Mondsee, nestled by the lake with the imposing Mount Schafberg standing tall behind it. Throughout the day, we continued our journey, taking a refreshing break at the lesser-known Lake Irrsee to enjoy our packed lunch and soak in the breathtaking view.
Upon arriving at our accommodation, the charming 'Landhaus Meingast,' located just a short walk from the town center, we were greeted warmly by our host, Willi. After settling into our rooms, we ventured into town to explore and indulge in a delicious meal at the 'Wirtskultur' inn situated on the picturesque market square. We savoured an elderflower shandy and the highly recommended local speciality soup, 'Kaspressknödelsuppe,' before treating ourselves to a delightful ice cream from café 'Übleis,' as recommended by our colleague Lisa, who resides in Mondsee.
Day 2: Lake Mondsee – Lake Traunsee
Following a hearty breakfast, we prepared for the second leg of our journey from Lake Mondsee to Lake Traunsee. Before setting off, we visited our colleague Lisa and her young son for a pleasant catch-up. We then stocked up on provisions from the supermarket and embarked on our ride. Although the weather wasn't as favourable as the previous day, with dark clouds looming in the sky, we were well-prepared with our waterproof gear.
We cycled along the lakeside, admiring the shimmering lake that displayed captivating colours despite the inclement weather. There were several inviting spots to dip our feet into the water, but considering the long tour ahead, we decided to save that for later in our cycling holiday. We pedalled from Lake Mondsee to the southern shore of Lake Attersee, passing through Unterrach where we took a brief break at the Lake Attersee shipping pier. While it was too early for the ships to operate, we enjoyed a moment of sunshine and made the most of it. Instead of taking the boat from Unterrach to Weyregg, we chose to follow the lake's eastern shore like other pre-season guests, adding another twenty kilometres to our route.
Just before reaching the northern end of Lake Attersee, bidding farewell to the 18.9-kilometre-long lake, we ventured onto dirt tracks, traversing uphill and downhill as we made our way to Gmunden on Lake Traunsee. Another pleasant break awaited us at the lake promenade, where we relished a snack and admired the view of Orth Palace situated on a small island. While the majority of today's journey was behind us, we still had a fair distance to cover before reaching our partner hotel, the 'Post,' located in the village of Traunkirchen.
We cycled along two-thirds of the lake's circumference, immersing ourselves in the tranquillity of the surroundings. In the evening, we treated ourselves to a delightful five-course dinner as part of our half-board package and had some time to explore the serene village of Traunkirchen, located on a peninsula. It was the perfect end to a day blessed with nearly rain-free conditions.
Day 3: Lake Traunsee – Lake Wolfgangsee
Fuelling ourselves with a sumptuous breakfast, we retrieved our bikes from the secure bicycle shelter and continued along the southern shore towards Ebensee. I was particularly impressed by the transformation of the old lakeside road, which has now been converted into a comfortable, spacious cycling path. In Ebensee, where our usual guests would take the train to Obertraun, we opted to cycle directly along the Traun River to Bad Ischl, as we had done previously during the Alternative Ten Lakes & Sound of Music tour. After a brief rest, we continued our journey along delightful paths by the river Ischl, leading us to Lake Wolfgangsee. Naturally, we couldn't resist visiting the charming village of St. Wolfgang.
Taking a break by the lake, we revelled in the captivating view of the village against the backdrop of the deep blue lake and majestic mountains, all under perfect summer weather. After enjoying this leisurely break, we faced a choice: either take a short boat ride from St. Wolfgang to Lake Abersee, our intended destination for the day or cycle nearly halfway around the lake. We decided to embrace the biking adventure and pedalled through Strobl, following a disused railway track that led us to the peninsula of Abersee.
Along the way, we marvelled at the new perspective of St. Wolfgang. Finding our partner hotel, the 'Aberseehof,' was effortless, thanks to the convenient Cycling app, which stored all our booked accommodations. Since we arrived earlier than our luggage transport, we took advantage of the time and visited the hotel's private bathing area on Lake Wolfgangsee. This turned out to be an excellent decision as we relished the panoramic views and the stunning colours of the lake. We dipped our feet into the water and even went for a swim, despite the slightly cooler temperature. The beauty of the lake made up for it. Time passed quickly, and we returned to the hotel just in time for dinner.
Our meal was served in a lovely garden behind the hotel, which had undergone renovations in 2014 and was truly splendid. However, our fascination with the lake drew us back, and we spent the remainder of the evening by the water until sundown.
Day 4: Lake Wolfgangsee – Trumer Seen Lakes
After a fulfilling breakfast, we headed straight to the lakeside bathing area, savouring the peaceful ambience. Later in the morning, we cycled towards St. Gilgen, a stage where our usual guests embark on a hike up to 'Kühleitenalp' before continuing towards Salzburg. However, having explored this route a few weeks prior, we decided to cycle back towards Mondsee. To avoid retracing our steps, we opted for a return route that took us past Mount Drachenwand and the town of Thalgau, eventually leading us to Lake Wallersee.
Once again, we were blessed with splendid weather and took a well-deserved break by the lake. In the afternoon, we pedalled back via Seekirchen to Obertrum. There, we only had a short wait for our luggage, which did not dampen our spirits. To conclude our four-day expedition, we treated ourselves to a delicious pizza at our partner hotel, the 'Entenwirt,' in Seeham. It was a bittersweet moment, as we realized that our cycling adventure had come to an end.
In summary, I am thrilled to have discovered one of the most beautiful regions in Europe through cycling. I eagerly look forward to many more cycling adventures in the coming years.
