Forget Italy, These are The Best ALPINE LAKES TO VISIT IN AUSTRIA
PC: @biancabiancak
Lake Como who? Sorry, I don’t know her — was all I could say while arriving at Wolfgang see, Austria for a wedding ceremony. Being Austrian myself, I always knew my country held countless of gems throughout the land. The culturally rich and historic city of Vienna, the jaw-dropping ski resorts in Lech, and the never ending rows of Alps, soaring sky-high to the left and right of you. They were a point of pride for me. I also loved that only the seasoned Europe-goers ever thought to go to Austria. It’s the place you go after you’ve done Paris, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and so on, allowing us to keep our country authentic and gatekeep the treasure to ourselves.
But gatekeep I cannot no more!
“Austria is like the Italian version Germany” joked the sister of the groom in the after hours of the celebration. While us Austrians are too prideful to claim we’re any country’s anything, I have to admit there’s a lot of truth in that statement. After having spent the day boating on the lake, drinking Aperol spritz, and gazing at the protective mountains (the same ones my boyfriend, the groom, and some other guests went paragliding off of), it’s hard to disagree. It’s not just the natural scenery, but our lifestyles too. We’re much more laid back and relaxed than the Germans (I said what I said), but not quite as free-spirited as the Italians. We’re a balanced in between.
I honestly could go on, but rather than bore you with my love for Austria, I figured I would just show you instead. These are some of the best lakes you can visit in Austria, for a breathtaking, soft girl vacation.
I used to go to school a mere 25 minute drive from here, which meant we spent a good amount of days sunbathing by the lake. Seemed so normal back then…
Little towns and villages surround the great Wolfgangsee. The architecture, the people, the churches… it’s as if time stopped here, and those that get to live in it are protected from the harsh realities of the world.
Just slightly northeast of Wolfgangsee is the famous Attersee. Bigger in size (and more frequently visited), but the waters remain crystal clear, and is a favorite vacation spot for Bavarians and Austrians alike.
And directly north of Wolfgangsee is Mondsee, as sort of a trifecta of lakes. This one has a gorgeous town right by it, with a castle refurbished into a hotel.
Oh how I wish these photos did their locations justice. But here we are, Traunsee, yet another gorgeous lake nestled between the alps, with surrounding villages for a calming vacation.
Nestled in Tirol is Achensee, a popular spot for locals to go hiking, paragliding, and swimming. It also happened to be the largest and deepest lake in Austria.
Okay, to be fair, this lake (Constance Lake in english) is located in Germany, but parts of it enter Austria and Switzerland so I’m counting it here. Constance is a beautiful town to visit, giving you more than just pretty lakes but a whole town to visit as well.
