Hiking Austria's Lakes & Dachstein Alps

Fly to Vienna/Salzburg/Linz/Graz and take the airport shuttle buses, then trains to Bad Goisern. There are trains more or less hourly throughout the day. Settle into your hotel and maybe stretch your legs strolling along the riverside path.

There are different options today. If you are up for a bit of a challenge, take the train to the Spa town of Bad Ischl (15 minutes) and take the 15 km / 9.2 mile walk back to Bad Goisern involving a climb up to the craggy peak of Predigstuhl 1278m (some steps & cables to summit but you can bypass the summit). There are great vistas towards the Dachstein group, which still looks quite far off at this point and over the Halstattersee. A steep descent takes you along the Ewige Wand rock band before doubling back through some old salt workings bringing you out into the forest above Bad Goisern.

An alternative is a slightly shorter walk steeply up a forested rock ridge called the ‘The Jochwand,’ 9 km / 5.4 miles approx. There are great views over the region before the path drops downhill to Bad Goisern. For a more relaxing day, walk along both sides of the river bank and explore the coffee shops of Bad Goisern.

The path climbs past the Goiserer Hutte 1598m. Hardened walkers may wish to spend an extra half hour or so climbing up to the peak of Kalmberg 1833m. It is then downhill to Gosau heading steeply through attractive Alps and then through forests and walk into the spread out village of Gosau.

You have the choice of either a full day or half day walk.

Take the local postbus to Gosaursee and gain the ridge high above with a funicular car up to the ‘Gablonzer Hutte,’ 1522m (probably closed September / October) and then from there follow a pretty path back down again to Gosau called the ‘Herrenweg’ (The Man’s Walk). On this 10 km / 6.3 mile walk there are normally great views of the Gosaukamm Mountains.

You can also take the postbus up to the Gosausee and then walk the trail to the Hintere Gosausee, which is the smaller higher second lake, ascent and descent is about 300m. This trip takes about 4 hours and on a good day you will get some very dramatic reflections of the mountains in the waters.

From Gosau you can walk to Hallstatt (literally ‘Salt City’) maybe with the assistance of local transport to shorten routes. Walking, the route follows the valley before climbing up through forest and alpine pastures liberally watered by mountain streams reaching the flanks of Mount Plassen. Here is a short steep section to descend, before a more gentle undulating general descent via the mines of Salzburg where you will find a salt mine where guided visits are possible depending on when you arrive. Finally drop down to Hallstatt. If it is wet or if a storm beckons a little funicular will get you down.

Time is well spent utilizing cable cars and the Obertrauner Hohenweg to visit an ‘Ice cave,’ the ‘Mammoth cave’ and Mount Krippenstein, with more walking opportunities and views to the Dachsteins and their glaciers. Alternatively from the town a steep gradient leads you up to the salt mine, which originally gave the town its wealth. (If you have not visited this yesterday on the way down from the walk). You could avoid the climb by using the little funicular railway instead. High above there are great views of the Hallstattersee and the high peaks. You can walk back on the ‘Soleweg’ path. Spend some time in Hallstatt, looking around for instance, the old graveyard where bones and skulls have been piled up in the bone house, many painted with floral motifs. You could also take the ferry across the Hallstattersee for a mini cruise. Photographers will certainly appreciate the different vistas of the town from the water!

The walk leads off northerly from above Hallstatt along the ‘Solweg’ the path by which they have pumped brine (liquid salt) towards Bad Ischl for a few hundred years. Originally the brine was piped via a wooden piping and is claimed to be the oldest commercial pipeline. Hopefully if the weather is clear and still you will get some beautiful reflections in the waters. You can take a detour down to the lake at a place called Gosaumuhle where you may like to take a swim on a warm day. You then carry on into Bad Goisern and back to your first hotel. Alternatively you can catch the ferry across to the railway station in the morning and walk round the eastern side of the lake to Bad Goisern. For the most challenging walk of the week you can opt to cross the lake and walk via the summit of Sarstein back to Bad Goisern.

After breakfast make your way to the train station for your onward journey.