A day out at the Traunsee Lake more than makes up for the lack of a seaside in Austria!
Film and narration by Deanna Allison.
From the video:
You know, it’s not hard to see why people come here, to spend a day relaxing at this lake in Austria’s Salzkammergut region, with the magnificent Traunstein mountain right opposite.
I’ve spent hours here just staring at the mountains on the other side of Traunsee, watching haw the shadows change during the day.
And listening to the water lapping lazily against the shore of the lake is a sure way to unwind from stress.
For me, this is an inland trip to the seaside!
Here, we’re on the western shore of the Traunsee lake, on the northern side of Traunkirchen.
The lakeside town of Gmunden is just a few kilometres away to the north.
The place we decided to stop is called Bräuwiese, and it has a café and changing facilities.
And that’s where this video was shot.
As the sign says, this is a public swimming and recreation facility of the State of Upper Austria.
Parking here costs 4€ for the day and the car park fills up in the afternoon when the weather’s hot.
There are other places to park for free by the lake but with a café on site and a brilliant view across the water - well, in my opinion it’s worth making this your base for the day.
However, do bear in mind that dogs are not allowed here, as advised by prominent signs at the car park entrance.
And if you’re arriving by car, be prepared for a lot of traffic.
The lakeside road can get very busy, but at least the traffic jams here have good views!
In fact, this area’s busy enough to justify some aerial advertising!
So how about a few Traunsee facts?
Well, the lake is 423 metres above sea level, 12 km long and has a maximum width of 3 kilometres.
Traunsee isn’t the largest lake in Austria, but it is the deepest in the Salzkammergut region.
And the Traunstein mountain plunges from 1691 metres above sea level and it doesn’t stop at the water’s edge. It keeps on going down, and Traunsee is 191 meters deep.
So, what about swimming?
Well, as you can see it’s popular with families.
There’s a shelf of shallow water here for less confident swimmers, but the water gets rapidly deeper and colder as you head further out.
There’s a jetty here too, which is a popular place for jumping into the lake.
The water in the lake is straight off the mountains, but after a long hot summer the water temperature is unusually warm here, with up to 24 degrees centigrade in August, according to the blackboard next to the café.
A nearby information board also has updates on the water conditions.
One thing I noticed here is how different it feels walking across soft grass to get to the water, instead of the seaside beach sand that I’m used to.
And there is plenty of grass here. This lawn, the lakeside equivalent of the seaside beach, is well looked after and there’s plenty of room, although there is a bit of a rush for the natural shade of the trees on a hot day.
On the lake, you’ll be sharing the water with various boats.
But the larger ones, including the passenger boats that carry people between lakeside towns, are well away from the bathing area, towards the opposite shore.
You’ll be sharing the water with a lot of fish, too. Even in the shallows they swim around you and between your legs!
And they’re perfectly harmless.
In fact, you can buy cooked lake fish at roadside stalls.
And you’ll also be sharing the lake with the local water fowl, including these mallards.
Mallards are common around the world.
They’re omnivorous and very flexible in their choice of food.
But you’re not allowed to feed them here.
Sorry Mrs Mallard. Füttern ist verboten.
But, happily, food and drink, including draught or bottled beer, is freely available here for humans.
The Bräuwiese café is just a 30 second walk from the lakeside jetty.
It’s reasonably priced, too.
It’s not haute cuisine but who cares.
I think it’s fair to say that in Austria you’re never far away from a sausage, and sausages loom large on the café menu here, alongside chips and pizza.
Unfortunately, options are limited for vegetarians.
This “happy meal” included sauerkraut and a fresh crusty Semmerl bread roll alongside two Bratwurst.
And one of my favourite snacks here is this: two Bratwurst in a bun with curry sauce and chopped onions. Yummy!
With so many families here, it‘s great to see that there’s a playground right next to the café, where the kids can burn off all those carbs.
And who needs a sandy beach anyway? If you’re about four years old, you can build stuff and knock stuff down to your heart’s content in this well-provisioned little sand pit.
But that‘s enough about the sandpit.
Let‘s face it, this place is stunningly beautiful, and I reckon it’s well worth a day of your time if you’re touring the Salzkammergut region of Austria in summer.
So that’s it. I hope you can see why I like Traunsee and the Austrian lakes.
Негізгі бет Traunsee - A Day at the Lake in Austria's Salzkammergut
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