The Most Beautiful Lakes in Austria: A Road Trip from Zell am See
© Karl Egger Pixabay People always ask me which are the most beautiful lakes in Austria. My honest answer: you can reach many of them in a day from Zell am See. We live here, between a turquoise lake and the mountains, and every summer we drive out in a different direction. West to Tirol, north to the Salzkammergut, east over the border into Bavaria.
Every lake has its own colour, its own story and its own way to enjoy it. One you see best from a boat. One from a mountain top. One with your feet in the grass and a picnic next to you.
Here are the lakes I would never let you miss, with the boats, the views, the food and the small details that make each one special.
The lake where the mountains answer.
Just across the border in Bavaria lies one of the clearest lakes in the Alps. Since 1909 only electric boats glide over the Königssee, so the only sound is the water. Steep rock walls drop straight into emerald green.
Halfway across, the boat stops and the captain plays a trumpet. The rock walls send the melody back, again and again, sometimes up to seven times. Then the little church of St. Bartholomä appears on its peninsula, with its red onion domes and the Watzmann rising behind it. You can only reach it by boat or on foot.
Smoked char and trout, fresh from the lake, at St. Bartholomä. Sit outside, look at the water and take your time.
It is in Germany, but no vignette is needed for cars there. Take one of the first boats in summer: by late morning the queues at the pier get long.
St. Bartholomä · KönigsseeThe walk most visitors never take.
Stay on the boat to the very last stop, Salet. From here an easy, flat path takes you to the Obersee, a small, silent lake where the mountains reflect in the water like a mirror. Cows rest on the meadow of the Fischunkelalm, and at the end of the valley the Röthbach waterfall falls 470 metres, the highest in Germany.
This is the place to throw a blanket in the grass, unpack a picnic and simply stay. Or have a glass of fresh buttermilk at the little alpine hut, open from mid-May to mid-October.
Wait until the wind stops. When the water is still, the Obersee becomes a perfect mirror. And check the last boat back from Salet before you start walking.
Leave the car. Take the little red train.
In St. Wolfgang a little red cog railway has been climbing the Schafberg since 1893. It takes you up to 1,783 metres, and on a clear day you look down on several lakes of the Salzkammergut at once. At the top, the old hut sits on the edge of the cliff, with a view that makes everybody quiet for a moment.
Back down, take the boat across the Wolfgangsee. Legend says Bishop Wolfgang threw his axe from the mountain and built his church where it landed. That church still stands in St. Wolfgang, with a famous Gothic altar inside. On the other side of the lake, in St. Gilgen, Mozart’s mother was born.
The railway runs in the warmer months only. Check the timetable and tickets before you go, and choose a clear morning. The view is the whole point.
Schafberg summit
The quiet one, with a secret in the mountain.
Everybody goes to Hallstatt. Thirty minutes away, Altaussee waits in silence under the huge wall of the Trisselwand. James Bond came here for Spectre: the log cabin by the lake, the Jagdhaus Seewiese, is a real place, and today you can eat there.
Inside the mountain is a story few people know. During the Second World War, thousands of artworks were hidden in the Altaussee salt mine, among them Michelangelo’s Madonna of Bruges and the Ghent Altarpiece. Miners helped save them. Today the mine is open to visitors and tells the story where it happened.
For the big view, drive the Loser panorama road up to 1,600 metres and walk to the little Augstsee. If you want Hallstatt too, read my Hallstatt guide and go early.
The lake Klimt kept coming back to.
The Attersee is huge, and its water is a clear turquoise you have to see to believe. Gustav Klimt spent many summers here and painted this shore again and again. You can follow him today on the Klimt trail, visit the Klimt garden and look at the same views he loved.
This is the lake to swim in. In summer the water can reach 25 °C, and at midday the warm “Rosenwind” comes up and the sailing boats come out. When the sun goes down, it gets dark here in the best way: the area around the Attersee and Traunsee is Austria’s first Dark Sky Park.
Take a boat on the lake in the afternoon, then stay for sunset on a jetty. The water is so clear that divers see up to 25 metres deep.
AtterseeThe fjord of the Alps.
Locals call it the Tyrolean Sea or the fjord of the Alps. The Achensee is long and narrow, with steep mountains on both sides, and the water is close to drinking water quality. On a calm day you can see down to ten metres.
It never gets really warm, rarely more than 20 °C. On a hot summer day, that first jump into the water is the best feeling in the world. Take the boat from Pertisau along the shore and watch the colours change from blue to green to turquoise.
Tyrolean stone oil from Pertisau, made from rock in these mountains for generations. A little piece of the Achensee in your suitcase.
AchenseeTake the boat at least once.
From a boat every lake looks different. Königssee, Wolfgangsee, Attersee and Achensee all have scheduled boats. Sit outside, on the side facing the mountains.
Go up for the big picture.
The Schafberg by red train, the Loser by panorama road, and at home in Zell am See the Schmittenhöhe. From above you suddenly understand how the lakes and mountains fit together.
Slow down in the grass.
Salet to the Obersee, the Augstsee on the Loser, the shore paths of the Attersee. Bring a blanket, bread, cheese and fruit. The best lunch is often the simplest one.
One week, one base, five lakes.
Zell am See is the perfect base: you unpack once and drive out in a different direction every day. For the Salzkammergut I would sleep one night there, so you don’t drive back and forth twice. This is how I would plan it:
- Day 1Zell am SeeArrive, swim in the Zeller See, sunset from the Schmittenhöhe.
- Day 2Königssee & OberseeEarly boat, trumpet echo, picnic at the Obersee.
- Day 3WolfgangseeRed train up the Schafberg, boat to St. Gilgen. Sleep in the Salzkammergut.
- Day 4Altaussee & AtterseeMorning by the quiet lake, afternoon swim and sunset at the Attersee.
- Day 5Back home, slowlyA lazy day by the Zeller See, or up to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier.
- Day 6AchenseeThe fjord of the Alps, a boat trip and a cold, clear swim.
Five lakes, three regions, two countries.
On a map it all looks close. In real life the order decides if you enjoy the lakes or sit in the car. We live here and plan the details for you.
- The right order, so you never drive the same road twice
- Where to sleep: one base in Zell am See, plus one night in the Salzkammergut
- Car or train and bus, with honest advice for each lake
- Austrian vignette, toll roads and parking, all sorted
- Boat times, the Schafberg railway and the best time of day for each lake
- Huts, lunch spots and the quiet places most visitors miss
The most beautiful lakes in Austria FAQ
Which lakes can I visit as a day trip from Zell am See?
Königssee is about 1 h 20 away, Achensee about 1 h 50 and Wolfgangsee about 2 hours. Altaussee and Attersee are a little further, so I recommend one night in the Salzkammergut instead of driving back the same day.
Which lake is best for swimming?
The Attersee, with summer water up to 25 °C. The Zeller See is lovely too. The Achensee and Königssee stay cool, perfect on a hot day if you like a fresh jump.
Is the Königssee in Austria?
No, it is just across the border in Bavaria, Germany, in the Berchtesgaden National Park. From Zell am See it is one of the easiest day trips.
Can I do this without a car?
Partly. Many lakes have trains, buses and boats, but connections take longer. For several lakes in one week a car is much easier. We plan it either way.
When is the best time to go?
June to September, when all boats, railways and huts are open. September is my favourite: warm water, golden light and fewer people.
Where should I stay in Zell am See?
It depends on your style: on the lake, in town or up with a view. Read our Zell am See & Kaprun summer guide, or tell us what you love and we suggest the right place.
Five lakes. One base. No stress.
Tell us your dates and how you like to travel. We plan the order, the boats, the views and where to sleep. You just enjoy the lakes. And every evening, come home to the sunset over the Zeller See.
Plan my lakes tripEvery great journey starts somewhere. Let’s find yours.
Coffee in Vienna. A sunset over the Danube in Budapest. Wine in the Tuscan hills while the bells ring out across the valley. In Europe, two hours on a train changes the language, the food and the light. We live right in the middle of it. We know which trains to take, which squares to linger in and which tables are worth the wait. You bring the curiosity. We’ll connect the dots.
Rail · Alps to ItalyBreakfast in Bavaria. Dinner on a canal.
Over the Brenner Pass, through South Tyrol’s vineyards, and the light turns Italian. You just watch the Alps turn into Italy.
Night train · RomeFall asleep in Munich. Wake up in Rome.
A cabin with a real bed, the Alps in the dark, Tuscany at sunrise. One night saved, one day gained, one story for life.
Rail · 3 capitalsThree capitals, one window seat.
Palaces, coffee houses and music, each a few hours apart. Watch the Danube appear and Prague’s spires rise on the horizon.
7 nights · Italy to AustriaIt starts with Prada. It ends with cowbells.
Milan’s style, Lake Garda’s lemons, South Tyrol’s wine, then the Alps open up and everything becomes quiet.
5 nights · by seaYou came for Venice. The Adriatic kept you.
Water taxi into Venice, the bacaro trail, Murano glass, then the catamaran to Istria and Rovinj at sunset.
8 nights · one coastlineFive cities. Every version of Croatia.
Dubrovnik’s walls, Split’s fish market, Plitvice’s lakes and the sunset Hitchcock never forgot.