Lunzer See
A small mountain lake in the Ybbstal Alps with a century-old limnological station and Europe's first natural swimming pool.
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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 of Lunz built what is described as the first public natural swimming pool in Europe, filtered through planted beds rather than chlorinated. A path runs right around the shore in about an hour.
What you actually see
- A warm mountain lake - shallow and sheltered, swimmable in summer.
- A century of research - the 1905 biological station on the shore.
- A natural swimming pool - filtered through planted reed beds, not chlorine.
- A shore path - the circuit round the lake in about an hour.
When to go
June to September for swimming. Half a day.
Honest expectations
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.
What to pack for Lunzer See
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
