Traunsee
Austria's deepest lake, under the wall of the Traunstein, with a castle on an island at Gmunden.
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The Traunsee is about twelve kilometres long and a hundred and ninety metres deep, which makes it the deepest lake in Austria, held in a steep trough at the northern edge of the limestone Alps with the Traunstein rising seventeen hundred metres straight off the eastern shore - a wall that has a long and grim history in Austrian climbing. Gmunden at the north end is a ceramics town, known for the green-striped Gmundner pottery, with Schloss Ort standing on a small island connected by a wooden footbridge, which is the picture everyone takes. Lake steamers have run since 1839 and one paddle steamer from 1871 still operates. Traunkirchen on the western shore has a baroque church with a pulpit carved as a fishing boat and net.
What you actually see
- Austria's deepest lake - 190 metres, under the wall of the Traunstein.
- Schloss Ort - the island castle at Gmunden reached by a wooden footbridge.
- Gmundner ceramics - the green-striped pottery made in the town.
- Historic lake steamers - services since 1839, including an 1871 paddle steamer.
When to go
May to September. A day.
Honest expectations
The lake is deep and cold; swimming is bracing even in August. The eastern shore road is narrow and busy. Weather here is wet - this is the northern edge of the Alps.
Nearby
Bad Ischl and the Salzkammergut lakes are south; Linz is north.
What to pack for Traunsee
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.
