Hallstattersee: Everything You Can Do at Hallstatt Lake

TLDR

Hallstattersee is the 8.5 kilometre alpine lake that Bad Goisern sits at the north end of. It is 125 metres deep, drinkable in the centre, and ringed by a 20 kilometre hiking and cycling path. From Bad Goisern you can swim at the Untersee lido, rent kayaks, SUPs and electric boats, take the lakeside train between Bad Goisern, Obertraun and Hallstatt, or simply walk the shore. Best months are mid-June to early September for swimming, and April to October for everything else.

Swimming, Beaches and the Lido

The Hallstattersee is drinking-water clean in the centre and swimmable everywhere the shore is not private. The main public swimming spot on the Bad Goisern side is the Untersee Bad, a proper Austrian lido with wooden jetties, a grass sunbathing meadow, a shallow area for kids, lifeguards from mid-June to early September, and changing rooms. Entry is 5 euros for adults, 3 euros for children 6 to 15, free under 6. Open 9am to 7pm daily in season. A weekly pass is 22 euros and pays for itself in 5 days.

Water temperature peaks at 20 to 22 Celsius in late July to mid-August. In June it is 15 to 18 Celsius, swimmable but bracing. By mid-September it drops below 17 and casual swimmers stop. The lake is a true alpine coldwater system: it turns over only once a year in spring, which is why the deep water stays at 4 Celsius. If you swim out more than 20 metres in May you will hit the cold layer and should not stay long. Cold shock below 15 Celsius is a real risk.

Other public swimming spots include Hallstatt Bad am See at the village’s north edge (smaller, free, no lifeguards), and Obertraun Koppenrast (a pebble beach near the train station, free, quieter than both). The Gosaumuehle area between Hallstatt and Obertraun has informal shoreline swimming with some of the clearest water in the lake. For a paid beach day with facilities the Untersee Bad is the clear winner. See our local guide for more outdoor recommendations.

Boats, Kayaks, SUPs and the Stefanie Ferry

The ferry culture on Hallstattersee is mostly about the Stefanie, the little boat that connects Hallstatt Bahnhof (train station on the east shore) to Hallstatt village (pedestrian west shore). It runs on OBB train schedule, takes 5 minutes, costs 4 euros one way unless your train ticket includes it, and is one of the most photographed short ferry rides in Europe. The operator is Hallstattschifffahrt Stefanie. They also run a scheduled tourist boat around the lake in summer at 14 euros.

For self-powered boats, kayak and SUP rentals operate from the Untersee Bad in Bad Goisern at 15 euros per hour for a SUP and 12 euros for a single kayak. Rental runs from mid-May to mid-September. No licence required. You do need to wear a buoyancy aid if you cannot swim 100 metres, which the operator will insist on. Electric motorboats (the lake has banned petrol engines since 2006) rent for 30 euros per hour from the Obertraun pier and Hallstatt Gosaumuehle. They seat up to four and are the relaxing way to see the steep east shore that has no road access.

Wind is the main planning factor. Mornings are usually glass calm. Afternoons from 2pm often bring a valley wind, the foehn, that funnels down from the Gosau direction and kicks up whitecaps on the southern half of the lake. If you are kayaking, do the longer paddle before lunch and keep the return close to shore. The wind dies back after 6pm. Electric boats have no range issues because batteries cover 3 to 4 hours of normal use. Rowing boats are cheaper at 18 euros per hour but are work against a stiff breeze.

Walking, Cycling and the Lakeside Train

The Hallstattersee lakeside trail (the Salzkammergut cycle route E6 section) runs around the entire lake at 20 kilometres total, mostly car-free. From Bad Goisern Untersee you can walk or ride the east shore through Steeg to Gosaumuehle (7 km), cross at the Hallstatt Bahnhof ferry point, ride through Obertraun back to Bad Goisern via the valley road (13 km). Total loop 2 hours 30 minutes by bike, 5 to 6 hours walking. The east shore section between Obertraun and Hallstatt is the most scenic because you are close to the water with the cliffs above you.

If walking the full loop is too much, pick a section. The Bad Goisern to Steeg stretch along the north shore is 3.5 kilometres of easy level path, 45 minutes, and passes the Untersee Bad and a couple of decent cafes. The Hallstatt to Obertraun lakeside path is 4 kilometres, an hour at an easy pace, with the best views of the Dachstein massif on the return leg. Both are flat, well surfaced and safe in all weather except heavy snow.

The OBB Salzkammergut line runs hugging the east shore between Bad Goisern, Hallstatt Bahnhof and Obertraun, and every seat has lake views. Trains run hourly from roughly 6am to 10pm. Single fare from Bad Goisern to Obertraun is 4.80 euros, day pass 10 euros. If you have a bike, throw it in the last carriage for 3 euros extra, ride one way and train back. The OBB journey planner has live times. See our walking tours guide for route details.

Fishing, Diving and Winter on the Lake

Fishing is allowed with a permit. The Hallstattersee fishing association (Fischereiverein Hallstattersee) issues day permits at 35 euros from the Untersee harbour office and Gosaumuehle kiosk. The lake holds lake trout (Saibling), arctic char, whitefish (Renke) and large pike in the weed beds near Steeg. Boats must be rowing or electric, no petrol engines. The rule book in English is on the association noticeboard and the kiosk staff speak enough English to explain. Fly fishing from the Traun river outlet at Steeg is particularly productive in May.

Diving is a surprise pull. The Hallstattersee has a prehistoric boat find from 200 BC, visible to divers at 20 metres depth off the Steeg end, and a roadbed from an old 19th century lakeside road that now runs under 30 metres of water near Obertraun. Two dive shops operate: Dive Dachstein in Obertraun and the occasional club outings from Bad Ischl. Water is clear (visibility 10 to 15 metres) and cold (4 to 10 Celsius at depth year round). A drysuit is strongly advised. Full day 2-dive outings with gear rental run 110 to 140 euros.

In winter the lake occasionally freezes over, though not every year. The last full freeze-over suitable for ice skating was January 2017. Shore ice forms most years along the shallower north end near Bad Goisern and is never safe to walk on without local guidance. What does run every winter is ice diving, organised out of Obertraun, and lakeside winter hiking on the cleared paths around Bad Goisern. See our month-by-month guide for winter specifics.

You might also find these useful: Hallstatt Visitor Guide, Bad Goisern Neighbourhood Guide, Best Restaurants in Bad Goisern.

See Hallstattersee in Person

Frequently Asked Questions