Lunzer See

The Lunzer See is a small lake, well under a square kilometre, in a bowl of the Ybbstal Alps below the Dürrenstein massif, and it is the warmest of the Lower Austrian mountain lakes because it is shallow and sheltered - which is why the village built bathing facilities on it. It has a scientific history out of proportion to its size: a biological station was founded on the shore in 1905 and ran for a century as one of the earliest freshwater research institutes in Europe, and the lake is among the best-studied small water bodies anywhere. The village runs a lido on the shore, with a lawn, a diving tower and a lake stage used for summer performances since 2004. A path runs right around the shore in about an hour.

The landscape

• A warm mountain lake - shallow and sheltered, swimmable in summer.
• A century of research - the 1905 biological station on the shore.
• A lido - lawn, diving tower and lake stage on the shore.
• A shore path - the circuit round the lake in about an hour.

When to go

June to September for swimming. Half a day.

Before you go

It is small - the circuit takes an hour. Summer weekends fill the bathing area. Outside the season the village is very quiet and facilities close.

Nearby

The Dürrenstein wilderness area is above; Mariazell is south-west.

Key facts