Walking the Salzburg Lakes, Austria

Walking the Salzburg Lakes

8 Days & 7 Nights

Hike Austria's Salzburg Lakes, made famous by the 'Sound of Music'
Enjoy views of crystal-clear lakes and wild rivers surrounded by dramatic mountains
Discover the picture-book village of Hallstatt and the historical town of Bad Ischl
Walk through flower-filled meadows, along lake side paths and on well-built mountain trails
Indulge in typical Austrian delicacies like delicious Schnitzel and rich Apfelstrudel

Austria’s Salzburg Lakes region (Salzkammergut) boasts over 70 beautiful lakes, impressive Alpine backdrops and traditional towns and villages. Enjoy easy to moderate walks along the banks of the Fuschl, Wolfgang and Hallstätter Lakes. Discover world famous towns like the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hallstatt, a lake-side village brimming with pastel-coloured buildings, and St. Gilgen, a charming town on Wolfgangsee with a Mozart connection. Short hikes mean you can spend your afternoons soaking up the relaxed atmosphere while exploring the towns by way of their cafés, beer gardens and restaurants, sampling Austrian classics like Kasnocken (dumplings with cheese and onions) and of course, the ubiquitous apple strudel. This itinerary is the perfect balance of activity, discovery and relaxation, the best way to take in this beguiling region.

What To Expect

If you want to visit the most well-known towns, villages and lakes of the Salzkammergut, while exploring the local countryside on easy-going, well-built trails, then this is the itinerary for you. Stay in traditional and comfortable 3* hotels, offering the best of Austrian hospitality.

Tour Style:

Self Guided | Go at your own pace on an independent active trip.

Activity:

Multi Center Walking | You will spend multiple nights in one or more of the locations on this walking tour

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travelers, Families, Multi-Generational, Mixed Abilities, First Timers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 12 Years

Activity Level & Terrain

This trip is rated ‘easy -moderate’ overall. The longest day is 16km and the average daily distance is 11km. All walks follow well-built and well maintained paths and trails, which are also all very well waymarked and easy to follow.

Navigation

The walks are very well waymarked. We also provide you with detailed turn-by-turn route notes and maps. In addition, you will have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone's GPS so you will have no problems finding the way. You can simply download the GPX tracks to your phone for offline use and off you go!

Experience & Fitness

The walks on this itinerary do not pose any technical trails or difficult paths, and the ascent and descent is minimal. All trails are suitable for beginners.

Accommodations

You will spend 7 nights in comfortable 3 & 4* hotels and guesthouses. The hotels have been hand-picked and all offer a warm welcome to hikers. The accommodation we normally use is indicated in the itinerary, however is subject to availability. We will always try our best to accommodate you in the hotels and locations described, however, the Salzkammergut region is a very popular and it may not always be possible. In these cases we will accommodate you in nearby towns that can easily be reached by the region's excellent public transport network. You can add on extra nights in any of the overnight locations on this tour.

Single Rooms and Solo Walkers

This trip is available to solo walkers but a solo walker supplement is payable. Single rooms are also available should someone in your party prefer to have their own room. Again, a supplement is payable.

Meals

7 Breakfasts are included in the cost of your trip. Breakfast is always buffet-style with various options available. Expect a continental breakfast with bread, jams, pastries, yoghurt and muesli available. Usually there are also local meats and cheeses, eggs and fruit on offer. Dinners and lunches are not included so you have the freedom to choose from what’s on offer each day. You may be able to order a packed lunch at your accommodation for the following day, or you can find bakeries and shops in each town to stock up on food for your hikes. There are plenty of options for dinner each night, either at your hotel or in nearby restaurants. Food in Austria is hearty and traditional, with meat and cheese being some of the dominant ingredients! If you have any dietary requirements please let us know at the time of booking.

Included

7 Nights in 3 & 4* standard Hotels and Guesthouses
7 Breakfasts
Baggage transfers
Information Pack, maps, route notes, GPX tracks, access to our smartphone app
24-7 Emergency telephone support from our German and UK offices

Excluded

Travel insurance (required)
Travel to Fuschl am See and from Bad Goisern
Lunches & Dinners
Drinks and snacks
Ferries, buses and any other public transport
Personal equipment

Extras

Additional nights before, during or after the walk
Solo walker supplement
Single room supplement (s)

When To Go

For the 2020 season, this trip can be started anytime between the 1st of June and the end of October. For 2021 onwards, you can start this walking tour anytime between May and October. The Salzkammergut region is very popular so we recommend booking as soon as possible to ensure we can accommodate you in our preferred hotels and guesthouses.

Weather and Climate

The Alps have generally warm and sunny summers and cold and snowy winters. However, weather in the Alps can change very quickly, particularly at altitude. You should be prepared for all weather eventualities as even snow can fall in the summer in the mountains, regardless of the time of year.

Getting to the Start

The Salzkammergut region is centrally located in Europe and you can fly into Salzburg, Munich or Vienna airports to name just a few options. From Munich or Vienna it takes approx. 2.5 and 3 hours respectively to reach Salzburg. From Salzburg, take a bus to Fuschl am See; line 150 runs every hour and takes about 40 mins. Timetables and information can be found in English at the Salzburg Public Transport website. We can also organise private transfers from Salzburg airport to the starting point, and from the end point back to Salzburg or Salzburg airport. Please just ask us for more information.

Getting from the End

From Bad Goisern a bus or train brings you to Salzburg in about 2 hours. From Salzburg you can reach Munich as well as other large cities like Vienna quickly and easily. Information in English can be found at the Austrian Railways website.

Luggage Transfer

Bag transfer is included in this trip; your bags will be moved between hotels. We ask that you limit your baggage to one bag per person with a maximum weight of 25kg per person.

General Information

The distances and ascents/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example proper rain gear, sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has detailed advice and a kit list on what to take. This includes good waterproof gear, walking shoes/boots, and lots of other useful bits and bobs.

Equipment

Our pre-departure information pack has detailed advice and a kit list on what to take with you. This includes warm and cold weather gear, hiking boots, and lots of other useful bits and bobs.

When is the best time to go?

What personal equipment do I need?

How far in advance do I need to book?

How fit do I need to be?