Activities & experiences

From the Rathlucka hut the "Figuren- und Sagenweg" begins at the Ewige Wand. It runs through a lovely forest, through two cave passages blasted into the rock, and then opens up to a beautiful view over Bad Goisern. The walk to the Ewige Wand takes about half an hour and is stroller-friendly.

The Goisern Predigtstuhl is probably the locals' favourite "summit" when it comes to a short hike with a spectacular view. Most hikers start either on the "Höhenweg" from the Rathlucka hut or directly at the Predigtstuhl parking lot. From there it takes about 1–1.5 h to the summit.

Sturdy shoes, a head for heights and a sure step are essential to tackle this beautiful hike.

The salt mine in Hallstatt is the world's oldest known salt mine. As early as 7,000 years ago, people began to use the salt of the mountain. In the Bronze Age the place experienced its first great economic boom. With a funicular you can visit the freely suspended Skywalk with the "World Heritage View", the burial ground and the show mine.

At the foot of the burial ground on the salt mountain and 360 metres above the rooftops of the small town of Hallstatt stands the imposing Rudolf tower. From there, the Hallstatt Skywalk extends 12 metres beyond the edge of the cliff. From the platform you have a spectacular view over the UNESCO World Heritage region, which has significance as the cradle of the Hallstatt era. The platform is easily reached via the funicular — or on foot, for those who like to walk.

Hallstatt's old town is probably unique worldwide in its architecture of ancient buildings, packed tightly on a slope between mountain and lake. It's no wonder that hundreds of thousands of tourists come every year to this place with its history-rich buildings, alleyways and beautiful photo spots.

Like the fingers of a hand, the imposing platform extends over a 400-metre-deep drop at the Krippenstein. From here you have impressive views of the deep, dark Hallstättersee and the landscape of the inner Salzkammergut. The platform is reachable in 20–30 minutes from the cable-car top station. Another, smaller platform on the way to the Five Fingers offers a good view of the Dachstein. The trail is also suitable for children.

The Dachstein cave worlds in Obertraun await you with three caves you can visit. The Giant Ice Cave and the Mammoth Cave can be reached by cable car and visited on a guided tour. With the cable car you can also go all the way up to the "Five Fingers", from which a vast panoramic view opens up. The Koppenbrüller cave can be reached without the cable car and visited during the summer months.

Thanks to the film "The Sound of Music", the Schafberg has become world-famous. With the Schafbergbahn cog railway you can ride to the summit of the 1,783 m high Schafberg and enjoy the vast view over the lakes of the Salzkammergut. The historic cog steam locomotive is one of the oldest working locomotives in the world.

The traditional Wolfgangsee fleet of the Wolfgangsee Schifffahrt with its venerable paddle steamer "Kaiser Franz Josef" and five further motor ships romantically connects the three Wolfgangsee villages of Strobl – St. Wolfgang – St. Gilgen.

On board the solar catamaran "Altaussee" you cross this beautiful lake at the foot of the Loser in an eco-friendly way. This trip will definitely stay in your memory. On the way you can also visit the "Seewiese", which served as a filming location for James Bond Spectre.

Across the "Styrian Sea" with the Grundlsee Schifffahrt. It has existed for 140 years and also offers a 3-lake tour with a ride across the Grundlsee — a 20-minute walk to the Toplitzsee with a following flat-bottom boat ride — and a walk to the source of the Traun: the Kammersee.

From the Gosausee a cable car leads up to the Zwieselalm, which offers many hiking trails for seasoned mountaineers or easy strolling paths. There are also many huts to stop at to satisfy your hunger.

The view across the Front Gosausee towards the Dachstein glacier has been immortalised on hundreds of paintings and is still a very popular photo motif. Around the lake you can take a relaxed walk of about an hour (the trail is also stroller-friendly).