Austria is full of mountains with beautiful hikes. We spent two weeks in the center of Austria, a part that is called “Salzkammergut”, which partly overlaps with the Austiran state Styria (Steiermark). Here are our top hikes in Salzkammergut (Central Austria).
Accommodation & Transportation
We were based in Bad Aussee, a picturesque Austrian village crossed by multiple rivers. There are several other villages around that are worth visiting and are also good bases for these hikes, e.g., Bad Ischl or Hallstatt (the latter is very famous; expect many tourists and more expensive accommodation rates).
We went in the end of September and had mostly good hiking weather: Cool but sunny with pretty, colorful leaves. Most huts and accommodations are still open in September but not super busy anymore. However, some of the higher peaks were already covered in snow and unaccessible (e.g., the “Loser” mountain, which we would have hiked otherwise).
We reached parts of the hikes by car and others by public transport as indicated for each hike individually below. The closest car rental we found was in Salzburg, which is a bit farther away but quite well connected by public transport. However, even without a car, there are multiple top hikes in reach via public transport. The ÖBB Scotty webpage is helpful for checking connections: https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp
Mountain Hikes
Ahornkogel & Trisselwand or Tressenstein
4h, 5km, 1500m total elevation gain, intermediate difficulty, out and back
This hike starts in the col Tressensattel (970m) between multiple mountain peaks and goes straight up to one of the peaks with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains and lakes. Starting point is this parking lot. Mapy.cz also mentions a bus stop “Tressensattel” nearby, but we came by car.
From the starting point, the hike goes up to Ahornkogel (1687m) and Trisselwand (1754m) towards north east along a well marked route. It is a quite steep ascend with some very nice viewpoints onto the two lakes Altausseer See and Grundlsee. We had to stop shortly before the Ahornkogel peak because there was too much snow. Still, this was one of our favorite hikes.
A shorter and easier alternative is to walk the opposite direction towards the south west from the starting point. In this case, the hike goes up to Tressenstein (1201m), which has a nice observation deck (Tressensteinwarte) at lower altitude.
Predigstuhl & Ewige Wand
3h, 5km, 1000m total elevation gain, intermediate difficulty, loop
Starting at this parking lot, the hike first goes up to the Predigstuhl mountain peak (1278m) with amazing views over the surrounding mountains and the lake Halstätter See. On the way to the top, there is a short climbing passage. While it is steep, it is not too difficult thanks to metal ropes that you can hold on to.
From the Predigstuhl peak, the route continues towards Ewige Wand, an impressive walk built into the mountain wall with great views. Note that you do not need to climb down the climbing passage but take the other route right before climbing down (the signs pointing towards the railway/Bahnhof). From the Ewige Wand backwards, the route is quite easy and not too steep.
If you are looking for food, we can recommend Rathlucken Hütte. Try traditional Austrian Kaiserschmarn, Wiener Schnitzel or a local sweet dish “Pofesen”. The hut is reachable by car or by foot from the hike.
Gössler Alm & Zimitz Waterfall
3:30h, 12km, 1700m total elevation gain, intermediate difficulty, loop
This loop hike starts at lake Grundlsee and goes up to Gössler Alm, where you are rewarded with views over the lake, and then returns via Zimitz Alm and Zimitz waterfall following the river back to the starting point at the lake.
You can reach this hike by bus (bus stop Gößl Schachen) or by car (paid parking lot next to the bus stop), right next to lake Grundlsee. From there, follow the wide gravel road starting in Schachenweg II. Follow the gravel road and the signs up to Gössler Alm, where you can find a collection of wooden huts (maybe they can be rented; but there is no food) and amazing views. Make sure to walk up around the first hut to reach the best viewpoint overlooking the lake.
Afterwards, walk back down the same way until you find signs pointing towards Zimitz Alm, which is the next waypoint. Similar to Gössler Alm, Zimitz Alm has a collection of wooden huts (no food/drinks). In this case, without views onto the lake but instead next to a river (Zimitzbach). Follow the route along the river to reach Zimitz waterfall. From there, it is not far back down to the starting point.
A nice way to enjoy the scenery of lake Grundlsee is to cross it by boat. Here is the current time table.
Lake Hikes
Gosauseen
4h, 13.5km, 500m total elevation gain, easy hike, loop
This was our favorite lake hike. Gosauseen are two lakes, where the hike starts at the larger lake, walks along the lake towards the smaller lake. Surrounding the lake are tall, majestic mountains (Dachstuhl). Bring swim wear to go for a dip into the clear, blue water.
Starting point is this paid parking lot (or this bus stop). From there, walk around the larger lake and towards the smaller lake. At the end, there is a hut, Holzmeister Alm, wich serves drinks and food (check their opening hours). Returning from the hut, you can walk along the other side of the large lake. The hike is quite long but technically rather easy as it always follows wide gravel roads without steep ascents.
Lake Altaussee
2h, 7km, 0m total elevation gain, easy hike, loop
This hike is easy and flat yet beautiful as you walk around lake Altausseer See (the town is called Altaussee and the lake Altausseer See). Starting in Altaussee village, the walk follows the path around the lake. You can reach the lake by car (parking lot) or by bus (bus stop). There are several restaurants and huts to stop, eat, and enjoy the view over the lake and the mountains around it. Also great for jogging or swimming.
Refugium am See, a tiny restaurant run by a local couple, serves high-end food with nice views onto the lake.
Ödensee
1h, 4km, 50m total elevation gain, easy hike, loop
The hike around the small but pictoresque lake Ödensee is the easiest of our recommended hikes. You can drive all the way until the lake (parking lot) and walk around. It’s flat and easy. You can also extend the hike along the paths nearby or go for a swim. There is a restaurant, Gasthaus Kohlröslerhütte, next to the lake.
River Hikes
Waldbachursprung
3h, 9km, 1000m total elevation gain, easy hike, loop
Starting in the popular town of Hallstatt, this hike escapes the tourist crowds in the center of the town and follows the river up to its fountainhead. On the way, there are multiple nice waterfalls and viewpoints overlooking lake Hallstätter See and the town of Hallstatt.
Hallstatt is easily accessible by public transport. Take the train to station Hallstatt, which is on the other side of the lake. To cross the lake over to the village of Hallstatt, there are boats scheduled according to arriving and departing trains. When you visit Hallstatt, make sure to stop by this viewpoint looking onto the small village.
If you want to shorten the hike, you can easily return from the waterfalls, Waldbachstrub and Gletschergarten, skipping the exhausting hike up all the way to the rivers fountainhead (Waldbachursprung).
Koppental
2h, 12km, 100m total elevation gain, easy hike, one way
The Koppental hike starts at the train station Obertraun Koppenbrüllerhöhle and follows the river Traun towards the town of Bad Aussee. Most of the hike is flat and right next to the river with plenty of benches for a rest. There is only a short section that leads up the hill away from the river through a village and then eventually back to the river.
The full hike is available on Mapy: https://en.mapy.cz/s/fozetebece
Note that this is a one-way-hike, so you need to either walk the same way back or take the train to the starting point. Of course, you can also complete it in the opposite direction from train station Bad Aussee towards Obertraun Koppenbrüllerhöhle.
Close to the train station Obertraun Koppenbrüllerhöhle, there are caves that you might want to visit and a restaurant, Gasthaus Koppenrast, that was recommended to us.
Those are our top hikes in Salzkammergut (Central Austria). We hope you enjoy these hikes as much as we did! Feel free to check out our other hiking itineraries on this blog.
Here are some cows to wish you a good day:
