Walking in the Salzkammergut: the Austrian Lake District

Book excerpt: Guidebook of 30 stunning day walks in the beautiful Salzkammergut lake district of Austria. Easy to get to from Linz and Salzburg, the area is studded with lakes and bristling with mountain peaks, and has a great range of waymarked trails, from lakeside strolls to challenging mountain walks. The routes in this book are within the capabilities of any reasonably fit walker, many are suitable for family hiking, and cablecars and lifts can often be used to make walks shorter or easier. Walks range from 6 to 16km and a simple grading system makes it easy to choose the right one. Walks are centred around a number of bases, such as Bad Ischl, Fuschl am See, St Gilgen, Ebensee, Bad Aussee, Gößl, and Hallstatt, and explore the mountains of the famous Dachstein and Totes Gebirge, and many of the area's beautiful lakes, including the Fuschlsee, Mondsee and Traunsee.