Ödensee and Gosausee

The second week flew by, and it was quite short anyway since Thursday was a public holiday. The usual treatments took place. As the weather was glorious, I spent most of the breaks between treatments at the pool.

Then finally came the long-awaited Thursday. I was finished with my treatments by 11:00, and not much later Gerhard arrived – this time on his scooter.

We had lunch together first, then we set off to explore the area.

Our first destination by scooter was Lake Ödensee, which an elderly lady at the hotel had highly recommended to me.

After just 15 minutes of driving, we reached the lake, which lies beautifully nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains. Its dark water gives it an almost mystical atmosphere.

On its shore, there is a huge restaurant. But since we had just eaten, we didn’t stop in this time. The restaurant also had an attached shop selling regional specialties, where we bought some pesto.

We strolled a bit along the lakeshore.

As it was a public holiday, the lake was very busy. Many people were enjoying the wonderful summer weather, children played in the water, and some were out on the lake in boats.

From several wooden jetties that lead into the lake, you can even jump straight into the water.

There was even a large playground so the little ones wouldn’t get bored.

This lake truly offers something for everyone – whether nature lovers, hikers, swimmers or families with kids.

However, it was a bit too crowded for my taste. So we soon decided to move on.

Our next destination was Lake Gosausee, which we reached after about 30 minutes. Although there were quite a few people there as well, I liked it much more.

It lies romantically at almost 1,000 meters above sea level at the foot of the Dachstein, which rises majestically above it. The mountains reflect in the crystal-clear water, and the peaks glowed in the warm light of the afternoon sun.

The lake feels very peaceful and romantic, almost calming.

We wandered along the shore, treated ourselves to a delicious ice cream, and savored the moment to the fullest.

Countless boats gently rocked on the water, people were lying along the shore enjoying the sunshine – everything radiated pure idyll.

In a souvenir shop, I bought a pair of sunglasses – a practical souvenir. Gerhard once again pressed a coin for his collection from one of those typical machines where you insert a one-euro coin and a five-cent coin and turn the handle to emboss a design onto the five-cent piece.

We sat on a bench for a short break and let our eyes wander over this beautiful lake.

Then it was time to move on.

A short time later, we reached the small village of Gosau, which exudes a unique charm with its typical wooden houses.

There, we visited the pretty church, which sits on a hill overlooking the surroundings.

Our journey continued along a river whose gentle babbling we could hear from the road. We took another short break by the riverbank.

Soon after, we arrived at Lake Hallstatt. I was surprised by how many free swimming spots there were along the lake – I had expected there would be entrance fees, especially at such a famous lake.

We took a few photos of the beautiful lake in the light of the now very low sun.

By now it was quite late, and we were getting hungry. So, we kept our eyes open for a restaurant while continuing on.

Along the way, we made one more stop at the river Traun, which has accompanied us again and again through the Salzkammergut over the years.

A bit later, we spotted a charming restaurant at a bend in the road, nestled romantically right by the river.

Luckily, there was still a table available. I ordered tagliatelle with asparagus and pesto, while Gerhard went for a charfish with potatoes.

The food wasn’t exactly cheap, but it was absolutely delicious.

We thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful meal, then headed back to the hotel, where we soon fell fast asleep.