There are many reasons to visit the lake district of Austria’s Salzkammergut region, but there is one lake — or rather a series of lakes — that often gets overlooked. The stunning Gosau Lakes (Gausauseen) are located a short 20 km hop west of Hallstatt (or 70km southeast of Salzburg). Lush forests and the imposing Dachstein mountains surround these beautiful alpine lakes. The area was definitely one of the most beautiful we visited in Austria (Österreich), which is filled with scenic alpine landscapes as far as the eyes can see. To help you plan the perfect visit, we put together this Gosau Lakes Hiking Guide, where we will present several trail options that exist for easy to moderate hiking along these stunningly beautiful alpine lakes.
Disclosure: This page (Gosauseen (Gosau Lakes): Travel Hiking Guide to Austria’s Stunning Alpine Lakes near Hallstatt) may contain product affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. More details can be found on our disclosure and policies page.
You might also be interested in these pages:
Best Things to See and Do in the Salzkammergut
Perfect Road Trip Itinerary in the Salzkammergut
Best Things to See and Do in Salzburg
Best Things to See and Do in Hallstatt
Orientation – Gosau Lakes Location
The Gosau Lakes are located near the southern end of Austria’s Salzkammergut region, in between Salzburg and Hallstatt, but significantly closer to the latter. You will often see the Gosau Lakes written in Austria as Gosauseen, which refers to the three lakes at the end of the Gosau Valley.
By Car: The simplest way to get to the Gosau Lakes is definitely by car. From Hallstatt, it will take about 30 minutes. From Salzburg, it will take about 70 minutes.
If you need to book a rental vehicle for your travels, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Austria.
We also highly recommend Airalo (eSIM card) for your connectivity needs when travelling abroad. Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide.
Important: All Austrian motorways (“Autobahn”) and expressways (“S” roads) are subject to tolls. All cars, motorbikes and camper vans must either properly display a toll sticker or have purchased online a digital vignette when they plan to drive onto a motorway or expressway. Vignettes with periods of validity of 10 days, 2 months or 1 year are available from more than 6,000 outlets in Austria and neighbouring countries, and digital vignettes can be purchased from the ASFINAG website. They are not prohibitively expensive — for instance, the 10-day vignette for cars costs €11.50.
Parking: There is a large car park by the first and the largest of the three lakes. Parking is free (2024).
By Bus: The Gosau Lakes can be reached by bus from Hallstatt by taking bus 544 followed by bus 541; the route should take you about 55-60 minutes. From Salzburg, you’ll need to take at least three buses and the route will take over two hours. Check the OBB website for timetables and tickets.
Near the parking lot, there are several facilities including a hotel, restaurant, washrooms, boat rental service and a souvenir shop. There is also the Gosaukammbahn cable car base station that takes you every 15 minutes up to the Zwieselalm mountain in the Dachstein West region, west of the Gosauseen Lakes.
About the Gosau Lakes (Gosauseen)
The Gosau Lakes area includes three different lakes that are all within walking distance from one another: Vorderer Gosausee (Lower Lake Gosau), Gosaulake, and Hinterer Gosausee (Upper Lake Gosau).
The first and largest of the lakes is the stunning Vorderer Gosause (Lower Lake Gosau), which is roughly 2km in length and 600m wide and sits at an altitude of just over 900 m. If you are not keen on walking or hiking, worry not, as you can enjoy sublime views of the lake and the surrounding mountains without wandering far (see the pictures immediately below, all taken near the edge of the lake closest to the parking lot). For those of you who would love to stroll around the lake, there’s a fantastic trail that will allow you to do just that (more on the trail below).
Note that swimming and boat or paddle board rentals are only possible here in the first lake, Vorderer Gosause (more on these activities further below).
Gosaulake is the smallest of the three lakes and, in fact, is often not even visible. This is because the water levels vary across the seasons with higher water levels after snowmelt in the spring or heavy rains. It often completely dries up during the summer, as was the case during our visit during the month of September. The area just looked like a dried-up marsh.
Hinterer Gosausee (Upper Lake Gosau), the third and final lake, although significantly smaller than the first lake, Vorderer Gosausee, is equally stunning. It’s approximately the same width as Vorderer Gosausee, but is only 800m long and sits at an altitude of 1100 m (3600 feet) above sea level. The almost circular Hinterer Gosausee appears beautifully nestled below the towering Dachstein Mountains in the background.
Gosau Lakes Hiking trails
The lakes are interconnected and partially surrounded by several hiking trails of varying difficulty levels, ranging from easy walks to moderate trails with some elevation gain. We will focus on two options in the present guide: The circular loop trail around Vorderer Gosausee (Lower Lake Gosau) and the out-and-back trail that takes you to the hut at the end of Hinterer Gosausee (Upper Lake Gosau) and then back to your starting point. Note that both hiking trails are closed in winter.
1. The most popular and frequented trail is the Vorderer Gosausee circular loop trail. The trail is mostly flat and well-manicured, making it accessible to strollers and pushchairs, especially along the northern lake coastline (the southern coast of the lake is slightly more hilly with some light up and downs).
Distance: 4.7 km
Route Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 43 m (cumulative gain of 70 m)
Start point: Gosauseen Car Park
AllTrails rating: (4.7, 167 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 1h15-1h30
Access Fees: Free
To follow the Vorderer Gosausee circular trail on AllTrails, you can follow this trail while ignoring the suggested additional detour. It’s honestly somewhat of a pointless addition to the trail unless you continue further to Hinterer Gosausee (Upper Lake Gosau), which is the next reward after Vorderer Gosausee.
Not an AllTrails member yet? We highly recommend signing up for either their free or paid membership plans. The free plan allows you to find new trails and plan routes but it can only be used while hiking if you have access to mobile data. The paid membership plan (AllTrails+) allows you to download trail maps for offline use and provides live progress updates and off-route notifications.
If you are still uncertain – you should know that the All Trails mobile application was voted the 2023 iPhone App of the Year by Apple.
The views are stunning from all around the lake, particularly along the northern coastline (first half of the trail).
You will also notice some ladders along the cliff face that are part of the Lake Gosau “Laserer Alpin” Via Ferrata.
2. The Vorderer and Hinterer Gosausee Trail, a longer and somewhat more challenging route is the trail that allows you to see all the Gosau Lakes.
Distance: 13.8 km
Route Type: Out & Back
Elevation gain: 250 m (cumulative elevation gain of 415 m)
Start point: Gosauseen Car Park
AllTrails rating: (4.7, 131 ratings (2024))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in about 3h-3h30
Access Fees: Free
The first part of this trail is identical to the previous one. Once you reach the eastern end of the first lake, instead of looping around it you continue south towards the second lake (which as we mentioned earlier might be dried up). You will also come across a small restaurant/lodge near where the second lake should be.
Otherwise, the middle section of the trail mostly goes through forests, at a moderately steep but constant incline. The ascent is made easier by how flat and well-manicured the trail is. Most of the trail’s elevation gain will occur between the location of the second lake and the third and final lake, Hinterer Gosausee. You will also cross a small waterfall shortly after where the second lake would be.
Finally, As you emerge from the forest you will be amazed by the stunning alpine lake views of Hinterer Gosausee.
At the very southern end of the lake, you will find the Holzmeister Alm am Hinteren Gosausee, a mountain hut that serves delicious local food and drinks.
Once you’ve enjoyed your time at Hinterer Gosausee you can either return to the trailhead the same way you came, or you can take a small detour to follow Vorderer Gosausee’s southern coastline to enjoy a different perspective on the surrounding scenery.
If you follow the southern coastline you will also come across a few quirky sights such as this listening device that amplifies the sound of the water trickingly down the mountainside.
Finally, as you near the end of the trail, you can enjoy one final spectacular view of Vorderer Gosausee.
Gosauseen Cows
As if the area wasn’t idyllic enough, during your time at the Gosau Lakes you are very likely to come across beautiful cows that are either grazing in the fields and forests around the lakes, or that will be sharing the hiking trails with you! If you don’t see them during your visit, you will no doubt hear their cowbells ringing in the distance. The cows belong to farmers who own land around the lakes.
Gosau Lakes Visiting and Hiking Tips
– If you just want to loop around the first and largest of the lakes, Vorderer Gosausee, you should plan to spend about 2 hours here. Although the walk around the lake won’t take that long, you want to leave yourself some time to get your bearings when you arrive and some time to enjoy some of that beautiful scenery!
-If you want to make it all the way to the other end of the third lake, Hinterer Gosausee (Upper Lake Gosau), you should plan to spend about 4-5 hours here.
-Vising the Gosau Lakes can easily be combined with either a visit to Hallstatt or to Dachstein Krippenstein (to view the Giant Ice Cave or see the 5 Fingers viewing platform).
Hiking Packing List
All Trails subscription – This comes in really handy for areas with little or no cell reception, as the annual subscription allows you to download trail maps for offline use.
External Battery – If you are using your phone to track your progress along the trail or to help with navigation, you certainly don’t want your phone to die on you. That’s especially true in the unlikely event that you might get hurt or need assistance.
Hiking poles – These can be particularly useful in steep trails or muddy/boggy trail conditions.
Other Things to Do at the Gosau Lakes
Go swimming
It’s hard to go for a swim with a better view than those at Vorderer Gosausee. Although there are no designated swimming areas, it’s free and permitted anywhere around the lake (but only in Vorderer Gosausee).
Vorderer Gosausee is also a popular diving destination. If you have your own equipment, you can fill your cylinder at the filling station near the large hotel by the Gosauseen parking lot, Gosausee Gasthof, where you can also buy a dive card for €20 per year. Diving equipment will have to be rented elsewhere, unfortunately. The closet shop, Tuachcenter, is near Wolfgangsee, just under an hour away.
Rent e-boats, pedal boats, or stand-up paddle (SUP) boards
If you would like to spend some time enjoying the beautiful Gosau scenery from the water, there are several options that you can choose from. SUPs go for €15/h, pedal boats go for €21/h and e-boats go for €24/h (2024 prices). Rentals are available from mid-June to mid-September. More information regarding the rentals can be found here.
Discover additional hiking trails in the alpine meadows of Zwieselalm
Predominantly a skiing destination in the winter, Zwieselalm is a 1500m high plateau that makes for great hiking through beautiful alpine meadows in the summer (many of the trails are easy and suitable for pushchairs & strollers). To reach the plateau for some hiking, the cable car runs from May to October (round trip costs €21.30/person with reduced rates for children (2024 prices)). Dogs can go with you for €6.60 but must be kept on a lead and wear a muzzle in the cable car. Tickets can be purchased online in advance here.
Spend the night to enjoy the scenery for longer
Gasthof Gosause – a beautiful hotel right next to Vorderer Gosausee that offers comfortable rooms with amazing lake or mountain views. Great restaurant on-site.
Gablonzer hütte – a great alpine hut near the top of the cable car to Zwieselalm for those who want to wake up in nature in a more rustic setting.
What to Do Near the Gosau Lakes
Visit Gosau Village
Either on your way in or out from visiting Gosauseen, be sure to check out some of the beautiful Gosau Valley scenery from the Gosau Village Calvary Chapel, roughly halfway between the Gosauseen parking lot and Hallstatt. If you make the short ascent up the hill to the chapel, you will be rewarded with stunning views of the Gosau Valley and Gosau village.
Visit Hallstatt
The picture-perfect postcard village of Hallstatt is only a 7km drive away. Although it can get overcrowded at times, it remains nonetheless a must-visit destination in our opinion. Fortunately, early mornings and evenings can be quieter making it more likely that you will enjoy a fun stroll through this historic small town. And even if it does get too crowded, there are activities where you can somewhat escape the crowds, such as visiting the world’s oldest salt mine and spending some time on Hallstatt’s impressive Skydeck. You can also easily combine Hallstatt (early morning) with a visit to Dachstein (late morning and afternoon) within the same day.
For more information and tips on visiting Hallstatt, check out our travel guide on the Best Things to See and Do in Hallstatt.
Visit the Dachstein Giant Ice Cave
The Dachstein Giant Ice Cave are one of the few places on Earth where tourists can easily access giant-sized ice caves. Located in the Krippenstein Mountain Range, the first sections of the Dachstein Ice Cave were discovered in 1910 and tourist access began only 2 years later. The ice in the cave is formed by water seeping from the Dachstein plateau down into the cave through various small cracks. When outside temperatures are above freezing the caves still contain really cold air, so the penetrating water freezes and forms rather splendid ice shapes. Although some water flow in the summer is warm enough to produce slight melting, it actually balances the winter growth, enabling a cycle of slight melting with growth that guarantees the survival of this magnificent natural phenomenon.
Contrary to the 5 Fingers Platform, which you can visit at your own pace, the Giant Ice Gave can only be visited as part of a group tour. For more information on this attraction, check our Travel Guide on visiting the Dachstein Giant Ice Cave.
Visit the 5 Fingers Platform
Taking the cable car from the Giant Ice Cave (Mittelstation station) up to the next station (Bergstation; the second of three mountain cable car stations) brings you close to Krippenstein’s summit (2100m) where you will find a series of hiking trails, including a few short ones taking you to the World Heritage Spiral and the 5 Fingers viewing platform.
The 5 Fingers viewing platform offers an incredible adrenaline rush as you lean over a 500m drop below you. Built in 2006, this platform, as its name suggests, is shaped like a hand with 5 fingers and protrudes from a sheer rock face at an altitude of 2108 meters above sea level. It offers breathtaking views of the Salzkammergut region from above Lake Hallstatt and the Krippenstein Mountain Range.
For more information on this attraction, check our Travel Guide for Visiting the 5 Fingers Viewing Platform.
Visit the charming town of St Wolfgang and the Steepest Cog Railway Train
Located along the shores of Lake Wolfgangsee in the heart of the Salzkammergut, Austria’s beautiful lake district, the small town of St Wolfgang deserves to be discovered. Though many come to town to experience the unique cog train (Austria’s steepest cog railway–the SchafbergBahn) that whisks passengers to the summit of Schafberg Mountain, there’s so much more to experience in St Wolfgang. In particular, it has a beautiful, colorful and lively town center filled with cafés, shops and restaurants, but without the crowds of Hallstatt, and has several beautiful lakeside walking trails.
For more information and tips on visiting St Wolfgang, check out our travel guide on the Best Things to See and Do in St Wolfgang.
Planning a Trip to Austria?
You might be interested in these pages (coming soon):
Best Things to See and Do in the Salzkammergut
Perfect Road Trip Itinerary in the Salzkammergut
Best Things to See and Do in Salzburg
Best Things to See and Do in Hallstatt
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Rick Steves Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol
Lonely Planet Austria
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
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e-Sim cards
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eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Travel Guide to Gosauseen (Gosau Lakes) Hiking Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your hiking trip.
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