An Alpine peek
THE first thing you notice about Austria is the mountains. Great big ones, snow-capped through the summer, with glaciers alive with skiers forming a glistening panorama. What you don’t see until you’re among the mountains are lakes, serene and beautiful, curving around the base of vast valleys – and reflecting the grandeur of those huge peaks.
Each lake has a different character with very different towns and villages in which to enjoy the warmth of summer while offering up delights such as walks in the high pastures and steamboat rides amid astonishing scenery.
Thomson Lakes & Mountains, leader in holidays to the region, offers four of the most spectacular:
ZELL AM SEE
Cobbled streets head to Lake Zell, this sophisticated town a glorious contrast to the grand scenery.
Here cosmopolitan shops and cafes meet the great outdoors. Take a cruise, swim from one of the lakeside lidos or explore 83 walking trails. The eight-mile amble around the lake is a good starting point – or hop on a ferry home.
Mountain lifts take you higher, on the Schmittenhöhe, where easy trails are dotted with huts serving exceptional food. You can also take the bus to Kaprun, following riverside paths with views of jagged Hohe Tauern National Park.
New for 2017, the Kitzsteinhorn Explorer tour, led by a park ranger, visits four climate zones, including a glacier walk at almost 10,000ft.
ST WOLFGANG
This rustic market town on Wolfgangsee in the Salzkammergut region has a landmark waterfront church. With eighty miles of walking trails, head to beauty spots such as the town of Strobl with its views over the lake back to St Wolfgang. The steam-driven SchafbergBahn, Austria’s steepest cog-wheel mountain railway, reaches the mountain’s peak, a sheer drop on one side, where you can stop at Hotel Schafbergspitze (from 1862, Austria’s oldest mountain inn) for a coffee before taking a stroll.
From here you can look down as paddle steamers cruise across the lake visiting pretty villages, each with their own picturesque walks.
ACHENSEE
The Tyrol’s largest lake, six miles long, is bordered by Karwendel Naturpark, which has 280 miles of gentle walking paths. A steamboat heads to the north shore and southern meadows, with the cog railway climbing above the village of Maurach, with its bathing beach.
Thomson Lakes & Mountains has (new for 2017) two hotels here, as well as two in Pertisau.
FUSCHL AM SEE
A village that sits at the heart of a nature reserve on idyllic Lake Fuschl, only a few miles from Wolfgangsee. Take a stroll along the promenade or do the seven-mile lake loop on gentle, pine-shaded paths. Also explore on steamers, hydrofoils and electric boats.
Visit 13th-century Wartenfels Castle and a mill that still operates after 150 years. Head to iconic Hallstatt, a waterside village with 16th-century houses and Gothic church, while a funicular railway will ride you up the mountain that holds the world’s oldest salt mine and a subterranean salt lake. INFORMATION: Thomson Lakes & Mountains (020 8234 6546/ thomsonlakes.co.uk) offers holidays in the Austrian lakes from £555pp (two sharing) for seven nights, Hotel Seehof, Zell am See, departing July 19, with flights from Manchester to Salzburg.
Each lake has a different character with very different villages and towns in which to enjoy the warmth of summer