Salzkammergut Panoramas

Use the day of arrival to swim in the refreshing Traunsee.

Above the deepest of all the Salzkammergut lakes, the road leads you to the enchanting peninsula of
Traunkirchen is a landscaped jewel that has inspired many painters and artists. The trail climbs steeply from here to the first imposing peak, which looks like an eagle's nest, perched high above the water's surface. You continue on a mountain path over the Sonnstein to the salt village of Ebensee.

With the Feuerkogelbahn you float over the rocky karst desert of the Höllen Mountains. The area is a stark contrast to the valley's bright greenery and rocky footpaths. When you arrive at the rocky high plateau, you have the feeling that you have arrived in a lunar landscape. After a detour at the Rieder mountain hut, take the funicular back down and then continue by train to Imperial Bad Ischl, which beckons with a visit to the Imperial Villa and Hotel Austria, where the betrothal of Emperor Franz Josef and Elisabeth of Bavaria took place. Or a coffee break in Café Zauner with delicious cakes and pastries or a visit to the warm saltwater pools of the Salzkammergut-Therme.

Empress Sissi's favourite trail leads through meadows and fields to a small mountain lake, which is well hidden in the dense forest and lies beneath the steep flanks of the Katrin massif. You walk over the former border to the "Salzburger Salzkammergut" to the shore of the Wolfgangsee, where the beautiful promenade invites you for a long break. Through an idyllic nature reserve along the lake, you walk towards the famous Hotel Weissen Rössl and the striking Schafberg.

Today you will discover the unique mountain landscape of the Postalm region: through the gorge of the Zinkenbach, you climb up through the forest to the first alpine meadows and deeper and deeper into the mountains. Hike through the Niedergadenalm and the Thorhöhe over the vast mountain pastures past cows and horses to a rustic mountain hut where you spend the night under the twinkling starry sky.

An extensive alm tour through idyllic meadows takes you past the highest peaks of the Osterhorn. Over lush lawns to the Rinnbergalm, where the milkmaid awaits you with fresh dairy products from the grazing cattle. Listen to the cowbells concert with a short refreshment before heading to the pretty mountaineering village of Russbach and further into the beautiful Gosau Valley.

At the end of your walking holiday, several highlights await you. On the Herrenweg, you go up to the Zwieselalm, where the imposing ridge of the "Salzburger Dolomites" greets you with its pointed peaks and the white snow surface of the glacier, which seems close enough to the touch. Travel comfortably back into the valley by cable car, where you can enjoy the dreamy view of the glittering Gosau Lake, in whose water "King Dachstein" is reflected.