Gosau between Gosausee and Zwieselalm
Accommodation in Gosau
If you’re looking for a hotel in Gosau, your planned itinerary can be a good starting point: Gosau combines lakeside trails and water activities with alpine hikes, a guided moorland walk and a historic ensemble. This way, you can choose the activities you want to shape your stay.
Gosau between lake and mountain
Gosausee lies at the end of the Gosau Valley in the Upper Austrian Salzkammergut, nestled between the Gosaukamm and Dachstein. Vorderer Gosausee is a mountain lake with views of the Dachstein, located close to the Gosaukamm. The landscapes around Gosau also include green alpine meadows and views of the Dachstein Glacier and the Gosaukamm massif.
Circular trails and activities at Gosausee
Allow about 1 to 1.5 hours for a circular walk around Gosausee. The trail is mostly flat and is also suitable for strollers. Another route leads from Vorderer Gosausee via Gosaulacke to Hinterer Gosausee and takes about 1.5 hours. The estimated times are similar, but the destinations differ: one route goes around the lake, while the other continues as far as Hinterer Gosausee.
You can rent electric boats and stand-up paddleboards at Gosausee. The lake also offers good conditions for diving; ice diving is possible in winter, too. There are swimming areas at Vorderer Gosausee for bathing and swimming, although local swimming conditions may vary. A day at the lake can therefore include both lakeside walks and activities on and in the water.
Löckenmoos and Zwieselalm
The guided hike near the Löckenmoos high moor in Gosau follows historic trails through the raised bog. Along the way, you’ll pass a small moor lake, karst caves, rare plants and still-active whetstone quarries. This makes the tour a distinct way to experience the landscape: the focus is on the moor, geological formations and plants rather than a walk around the lake.
From Gosausee, the Gosaukammbahn cable car takes you to Zwieselalm in four minutes. There, well-marked trails suitable for strollers lead across lush alpine meadows and through green mountain forests. The Donnerkogel via ferrata offers a different kind of mountain tour: it is suitable for experienced climbers and is not a beginner’s route. The trails on Zwieselalm and the via ferrata therefore differ significantly in their focus and suitability.
A historic ensemble in Gosau
The Gosau open-air museum includes the Schmiedbauer ensemble. It comprises a farmhouse dating from the transition between the 16th and 17th centuries, a stable and various outbuildings. The farmhouse’s date gives the site a specific historical context; at the same time, the ensemble includes several buildings. For your trip planning, it offers a cultural addition to activities at the lake and in the mountains.
Getting there and planning your stay
After arriving by train at Steeg/Gosau, you can continue towards Gosausee by bus 542. Bus route 470 connects Abtenau and Gosau; route 542 also runs between Bad Ischl and Gosausee. If you’re planning your trip using these connections, check the timetable for your travel dates.
When choosing activities for your trip, it helps to compare their different durations and focuses: the circular walk around the lake takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, while the route via Gosaulacke to Hinterer Gosausee takes about 1.5 hours. Other options include the guided moorland hike, trails on Zwieselalm and the challenging Donnerkogel via ferrata. This lets you plan your stay around landscapes, culture and activities without trying to fit everything into a single day.
Discover more destinations: Mittertal, Bad Ischl, Gschwandt, Kirchham Bei Vorchdorf, Hallstatt, Traunkirchen, AltmĂĽnster am Traunsee, Laakirchen.
Return to the main travel overview: Gmunden.
