Our co-founder, Peter Duncan, ventured to the Salzkammergut Lake District in Austria to celebrate a big birthday. He shared his stories of salt, strudel and the Sound of Music while on a walking holiday in this stunning part of Austria.
What made you choose the Salzkammergut for a walking holiday?
After a few days in Vienna celebrating my 70th birthday, we wanted to go somewhere where there was ‘a drop of golden sun’, to quote a lyric from The Sound of Music. Salzkammergut, or the Lake District, seemed the perfect place, where I hoped for gentle strolls along shimmering lakes and a calm introduction to my next decade of travel. And it certainly ticked all these boxes, and more.
Did you know a lot about the Salzkammergut before you went?
I have been to Austria before to ski so I knew it was a mountainous, landlocked country. Its history and the empire it formed with Hungary has also always intrigued me, but I knew nothing of its Lake District where, in contrast to the great buildings of its capital Vienna, the countryside is calm, peaceful and quite humble.
When did you travel to Salzkammergut?
We travelled in early May and, as it was spring, there weren’t a huge number of other tourists on the trails or in the villages. It felt as if the holiday season was just starting and that nature was just starting to come to life too. Being a great fan of the rewilding movement, it felt a lot of effort has gone into creating walking trails that surround local farms and riverways, in a way that they blended together very naturally with the wildlife. And of course, being spring, we also saw plenty of calves, ponies and lambs along our walking trails. The temperatures hit around 12C during the day, but dipped down to single figures at night, so all in all, it was refreshing and invigorating.
Did you get much rain?
Like most of Europe the weather is now less predictable so we did have a stormy night followed by a cloudy day. We took a cable car called Katrin close to the town of Bad Ishl up to the top of Mount Katrin (1,542m), where we could see nothing in the mist from our high vantage point. The atmosphere was quite spooky as we disappeared into the pine-clad forest where we could barely see in front of our eyes. It was quite an adventure though. Apart from that, it was pretty dry really, with the odd shower now and again.
How did you travel to and from the Salzkammergut?
We flew to Austria, paying €20 to offset our carbon emissions, however we did get the train back home again, as I’m very pro train travel when possible. On the way back we took the train from Bad Ischl into Germany, then through France on the TGV to Paris, where we took the Eurostar back to England. There is growing enthusiasm for the slow travel movement, as you see so many fantastic landscapes while you travel, meet more people and, if you spread out your train times, you have a chance to break up the journey by visiting other towns or cities. This is why we provide lots of information on train travel throughout our website.
How was your first night and day in the Salzkammergut? Did it set the tone for a good trip?
Our first night and day was at a lovely hotel by Wolfgangsee called Seehotel Huber where the mother of the family-run hotel greeted the guests, her son cooked the meals and her daughter, who was wearing traditional Austrian clothing, served our delicious dinner. A quick ferry across the lake took us to St. Gilgen where there is a brand new sparkly train to take tourists up the hillside. We walked around Wolfgangsee on a glorious sunlit day, taking time to dangle our feet in the cool waters. So yes, it did set the mood for the rest of the tour perfectly.
And how was the walking on this tour generally?
The terrain is pretty flat if you just walk around the edge of the lakes. But on our third day we trekked up to Lake Schwarzensee, and then followed a more challenging route back down a steep valley to the village of Strobl. We hopped on another ferry to Schiffstation and then found a pop-up cafe serving home-cooked apple strudel. We had maps and guides provided by our local partner on the ground, and so there was no chance of getting lost.
I think our favourite trek was the one already mentioned around one side of Wolfgangsee on the second day, as there were some superb views. The lakeside trails have excellent signage, with plenty of details of both the natural heritage and history of the region. I’m always interested in how people from previous generations walked these trails and how industrious they were with the land. On this walk, and many others, there was always a calmness being close to water, which is just what we needed.
Were there any of the hotels that stood out for you?
In Bad Ischl we stayed and dined at Hotel Goldener Ochs, a rather grand old establishment with a modern spa. Our dinner was attended by a few local people who dressed up in lederhosen, and so it felt like we were on a film set. Near the hotel, the River Traun rushes by at great speed and almost in a straight line. There was also an excellent exhibition in the town all about the methods of mining salt over the last 7000 years – the name Salzkammergut includes the word for salt, as this was historically a big salt mining region. It was also a great prelude to our visit to Salzwelten, a working salt mine, on our last day.
Any highly recommended restaurants in Salzkammergut?
I think that Hotel Moserwirt in Bad Goisern at Hallstättersee was one of my favourites. That was on day five, and we walked there from Bad Ischl through woods where wild garlic grew in profusion, and chickens roamed freely. The owners of the hotel were really friendly and offered us the final two tickets to a hog roast and schnapps evening, where there was also a local family singing and playing traditional songs. My vegetarian instincts were crumbling as it was so tasty and not expensive at all. I tried to tempt Annie with a veal lung ragout starter (called Beuschel in Austria) but she resisted and stuck to the pasta.
How were our representatives on the ground?
They were excellent and provided lots of good information and maps when we got to our first hotel. They also helped us to reach Hallstatt where the salt mine is, because unfortunately the ferry was cancelled that day due a landslide. We thought about hiring bikes to get around the lake but the rep said it was better to take a bus, and gave us all the instructions we needed, so we did that. Many people hire e-bikes nowadays in this region which looks like a fantastic way to explore even more of the lakelands.
What was the salt mine like when you got there?
It was really exciting actually. It was like a high tech theme park-like experience in some ways, with wooden slides (that’s how the miners got to the rock salt face), 3D films, an insightful history from a brilliant guide and a train ride through the tiny tunnels. And we had to dress up! This one is not to be missed.
Is there a smell that you will keep as a sense memory of your walks in the Salzkammergut?
It’s definitely the smell of the forest. There’s a particularly lovely forested path heading towards Schwarzenesee. And also the smell of coffee of course. Austria’s coffee and cake really lived up to expectations.
Had you packed the right gear? Did you go for boots, trainers or hiking sandals?
We didn’t need big boots, just sturdy trainers and I always take two pairs – one lighter than the other – just in case one pair gets wet. I also always take my light Berghaus rain jacket which is easy to carry. Some folks prefer boots of course if the ground is uneven, which can give their ankles support but I’m fine with waterproof trainers.
Did you do any swimming in the Salzkammergut’s lakes?
No, although I brought my swimming gear we didn’t do any swimming as it was a bit early in the season, and we would have been the only ones too, but the water looked pristine. We did however dangle our tootsies in the water whenever we could. Something of a secret pleasure after a long walk.
What would be your main tips for someone thinking of doing this walking holiday?
I would definitely make a side trip to Vienna or Salzburg before enjoying the gentle stress-busting pleasures of the countryside. Salzburg is just 50km from Salzkammergut, so it’s really easy to combine the two. And Vienna is just 2.5h by train from Salzburg, so you can combine both cities without any hassle.
Finally, if you close your eyes and try to recall one favourite image from the trip, what would it be?
It was seeing and understanding how the salt deposits ended up in the middle of a mountain during great climate changes of the distant past. Like many people, I have become rather worried about our planet’s state of decline, both in biodiversity and our ability to adapt to the climate crisis. So this salt mine is a good reminder perhaps that all is transient. In addition, a trip to places like Salzkammergut in Austria shows how beautiful and sustainable places can be if they are nurtured.
If you enjoyed reading about Peter’s travels in Austria, you may also enjoy his tales of walking in Cilento National Park in Italy in this blog, as well as a general chat about his other life adventures in this blog. Read more here about all our Salzkammergut holidays as well as all our hiking and cycling holidays in Austria.
