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4 beautiful lakes you can easily reach from Vienna by public transport

Spring is here and summer is on its way. It is the perfect time of the year for visiting some of Austria's most beautiful lakes.

Published: 20 March 2024 17:12 CET
Updated: 26 April 2024 09:01 CEST
4 beautiful lakes you can easily reach from Vienna by public transport
Attersee in Salzkammergut is one of Austria's most beautiful lakes. The country is full of spectacular scenery and experiences for potential retirees. Photo by A Fox on Unsplash

The days are getting longer and sunnier, and going to a beautiful lake on a day off is a great idea.

But if you live in Vienna, you do not have many options within the city if you do not want to go to Donauinsel or Alte Donau. However, just by catching a train, you can reach beautiful or even breath-taking lake locations in other parts of the country.

Here we list four lakes that you should definitely visit. 

Neusiedlersee 

Neusiedlersee or Lake Neusiedl is located in Burgenland, only about one hour away by train from Vienna, depending on where exactly on the lake you want to spend your time. The lake is the largest one in Austria and is famous for being very shallow, making it a great place for swimming, especially for families with kids.

The lake is a perfect spot for swimming, relaxing, or doing sports. Windsurfing and sailing are popular activities on the lake since it is often quite windy. Another good idea is to bike along the lake or visit some of the cute towns around, such as Podersdorf am See.

There are nice beaches around the lake where you can relax and enjoy the beautiful surrounding and if you want to camp in the area, there are also camping places available close to the water, such as Camping Podersdorf. 

A part of the lake area belongs to the UNESCO heritage (Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park) and is home to many different birds, making it a popular spot for birdwatching. 

You can take a train from Vienna Central Station to different areas of the lake. For example, you can take the train to Neusiedl am See, which takes around 40 minutes, and from there you can easily walk a few minutes to the nearest beach.

Evening at Neusiedlersee in Burgenland. Photo by Christian Holzinger on Unsplash

Neufelder See

Neufelder See is only a 40-minute train ride away from Vienna, making it a convenient spot for people living in the capital.

It is a beautiful and popular lake to visit during the warmer months and it has nice sandy beaches where you can spread out your blanket or towel. The lake is also surrounded by many areas with tables and benches where you can have a picnic with friends and family, and if you instead want to eat in a restaurant, you have many places to choose from in the area.

At and around the lake you can enjoy swimming, biking and walking, all meanwhile surrounded by beautiful nature.  

To get to the lake you can take a train from Vienna central station to Neufeld/Leita and then you just need ten minutes by walk to reach the water.

 
 
 
 
 
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READ ALSO: MAP: Austria’s 12 World Heritage sites you have to visit at least once

Attersee

Attersee is seen as one of Austria’s most beautiful lakes and is located in the famous area of Salzkammergut, around 2-3 hours away from Vienna by train.

Even though getting there from Vienna requires a little more time, it is still doable for a day trip and definitely worth it due to the crystal clear water, the mountains surrounding the lake, the charming towns, and the possibility to go biking or hiking in amazing nature.

At the lake, you can enjoy swimming, relaxing, or going on a boat ride. The mountains surrounding it also offer many different hiking routes, and if you do not want to walk, biking around the lake is also a popular activity.

If you have time, you can also visit all the other lakes and cities in the area of Salzkammergut, such as Mondsee, which is really near to Attersee.

There are different ways of getting to Attersee by train from Vienna. One of the fastest ways involves taking a train from Vienna’s central station to Vöcklabruck and there change trains to Kammer-Schörfling Bahnhof, where you get off. The trip takes 2.5 hours in total.

Beautiful Attersee is well worth a visit from Vienna. Photo by Thomas Gabernig on Unsplash

Erlaufsee

Erlaufsee is a beautiful lake with crystal clear water surrounded by mountains. It is located near Mariazell in Styria and is a great place to go for a longer day trip or maybe even a weekend getaway. Even though it’s a bit of a longer journey, taking around 3 hours, many people from Vienna still tend to go there because of its beauty.

Here you can enjoy beautiful nature and a variety of activities. You can walk or bike around the lake and explore the great views and in the summer, you can enjoy swimming or rent a paddleboat to go out on the water. If you want to explore the mountains around, there are many different hiking trails to choose from.

The lake also offers various picnic areas with tables and benches where you can enjoy some food. If you prefer to eat at a restaurant, there are also different options available around the lake.

You can get to Erlaufsee from Vienna Central Station in around 3 to 3.5 hours, depending on which connections you choose. One comfortable option where you do not have to change trains so many times is to take the train from Vienna central station to Murzzuschlag and then take bus 189 to Erlaufsee Herrenhaus. 

 
 
 
 
 
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You can plan and book your lake trips on ÖBB’s website. 

READ NEXT: 6 great alternatives to Austria’s overcrowded tourists hotspots

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Will Austria’s Hallstatt restrict tourism this season?

One of Austria's most beautiful and crowded villages is looking for ways to curb overtourism. Here are the restrictions that could be coming - and those that won't be implemented - for those wanting to visit the Disney-like jewel.

Published: 8 May 2024 15:16 CEST
Will Austria's Hallstatt restrict tourism this season?

The photo went all over the world: a makeshift wall was erected in Hallstatt’s top “selfie” spot, a raised section of the main road where people would squish together for the perfect photo overlooking the quaint church by the lake. 

The residents of the small Salzburg town decided to strike back against overtourism in the region—a hotspot due to its charming vibes, which are said to have inspired the Disney movie Frozen. After a social media backlash, the village—which is also a UNESCO heritage site—removed the fence, but signs remind visitors to enjoy the site quietly.

Since then, some of Hallstatt’s 750 residents have protested in favour of tourism curbs in the village – which gets as many as 10,000 visitors a day in high season. 

The Italian solution

One of the possibilities floated in Austria was to adopt the “Venetian model”, with every visitor simply having to buy an entrance ticket. However, Mayor Alexander Scheutz (SPÖ) said he was against an entrance fee for the jewel of the Salzkammergut.

“Charging an admission fee would lead to guests taking away even more rights, which would create even more of a museum aura,” said Scheutz. “There are also complicated legal aspects: How are we supposed to charge a penalty fee for guests from all over the world if they don’t have a ticket? The effort would simply be too great.”

However, the region is still looking for ways to curb overtourism. Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) recently went to Venice with a delegation to exchange ideas on the topic with the President of the Regional Council of Veneto, Roberto Ciambetti. 

READ ALSO: Four of the best hidden villages in Austria’s Salzkammergut region

What is Hallstatt doing?

Even if entry fees are not planned, the village wants to “guide and regulate” visitors and create guidelines for when the area is “full” and no more tourists are allowed. 

A working group has been set up, and the first step will be to introduce precise measurements of visitor flows – something that had yet to be done until the local tourism association started carrying out counts at several checkpoints just last year. The results of these counts have yet to be made available.

One thing that is already in place is time slots for coaches. Hallstatt has strictly limited time slots for coaches that determine how long they and their passengers can stay. “This is already working very well. In terms of overnight stays and day visitors, we are back to pre-pandemic levels—however, the number of coaches per day has halved, and we have not yet reached the maximum of 54 coaches per day,” said Mayor Scheutz.

READ ALSO: 6 great alternatives to Austria’s overcrowded tourists hotspots

Still, he admitted, Hallstatt’s busiest times are the summer months and around Christmas, so things are about to pick up there. So far, there have been no particular restrictions or extra payments for tourists travelling without bus companies.

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