Getty Images/Moment RM

The Salzkammergut

The Salzkammergut is a dramatic region of alpine and subalpine lakes, deeply carved valleys, rolling hills and rugged, steep mountain ranges rising to almost 3000m. Much of the region is remote wilderness, and even in the heavily visited parts, such as the Wolfgangsee and Mondsee, you’ll always find isolated areas where still, glassy waters provide limitless opportunities for boating, swimming, fishing or just sitting on the shore and skimming stones. The popular Hallstätter See, flanked by soaring mountains that offer great hiking, is arguably the most spectacular of the lakes.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Seeschloss Ort
The Salzkammergut
This castle, set just beyond the lake's edge and reached by a walkway, is believed to have been built on the ruins of a Roman fortress. It dates from 909…
Dachstein Caves
The Salzkammergut
Climb to the Dachstein caves (Dachsteinhöhlen) and you’ll find yourself in a strange world of ice and subterranean hollows, extending 80km in some places…
K-Hof
The Salzkammergut
A double act that combines with one of Austria’s most unusual and refreshing museums, the Museum for Sanitary Objects (Klo & So), the K-Hof museum complex…
Salzwelten
Hallstatt
The fascinating Salzbergwerk (salt mine) is situated high above Hallstatt on Salzberg (Salt Mountain) and is the lake's major cultural attraction. The…
Gustav Klimt Zentrum
The Salzkammergut
High-tech multimedia exhibits provide an overview of symbolist painter Gustav Klimt's life and works on the Attersee, which for Klimt fans is comparable…
Gustav Klimt-Themenweg
The Salzkammergut
This 2km-long lakeside trail has information boards with prints of works by Gustav Klimt. The Vienna Secessionist painter spent regular spells on the…
Fischerkanzel
The Salzkammergut
Carved in 1753 as part of the Pfarrkirche, this pulpit depicts the miracle of the fishes from the New Testament. It's a rather glam and glowing baroque…
Kaiservilla
The Salzkammergut
Franz Josef’s sprawling summer residence, the Italianate-style Kaiservilla, was an engagement present for him and his princess-to-be, Elisabeth of Bavaria…