Attersee★★
The Attersee is Austria's largest inland lake (46 km², up to 20 km long) and has the best water quality — drinking water quality, visibility up to 25 m, and up to 25°C warm in summer. While Hallstatt and Lake Wolfgang attract tourists, Attersee is more the domain of locals and connoisseurs: summer houses, sailboats, quiet bays.
Gustav Klimt spent almost every summer between 1900 and 1916 at Attersee and painted some of his most famous landscapes here — including "Attersee," "Schloss Kammer am Attersee," and "Litzlberg am Attersee." A Klimt theme trail leads to 14 locations where the painter set up his easel.
The main places are Attersee am Attersee (yes, the place is named after the lake), Nußdorf, Weyregg, Unterach, and Schörfling.
💡 Tipp
Lake Attersee is a paradise for divers — the extreme visibility (up to 25 m) and submerged pile dwellings (UNESCO World Heritage!) make it one of the best diving spots in the Alps. Diving bases are available in Attersee and Unterach.
Attractions & Activities
★★ Klimt Theme Trail
14 stations around Lake Attersee where Gustav Klimt painted between 1900 and 1916. Reproductions of the paintings are displayed at the original locations — allowing you to compare the motif with the picture. Highlights: Schloss Kammer, Litzlbergkeller, Weißenbach. The entire trail (about 50 km) can be easily cycled — or you can choose individual stations.
Free access. Info card at the tourist information.
★★ Boat Trip on Lake Attersee
The Attersee Shipping offers round trips and individual routes with historic steamers. The grand round trip (3 hours) shows the entire lake. On board, there is coffee, cake, and small dishes.
Grand round trip: €25 (adults), €12.50 (children). Individual routes from €8. May–September, several times daily.
★ Pile Dwellings Seewalchen (UNESCO)
On the north shore of Lake Attersee near Seewalchen lie prehistoric pile dwellings underwater — part of the UNESCO World Heritage "Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps." The settlements date from the Neolithic (circa 4,000 BC). They are only visible when diving, but the Pile Dwelling Pavilion in Seewalchen provides information with models and finds.
Pavilion freely accessible.
★★ Swimming & Water Sports
The best swimming spots: Strandbad Attersee (lawn, jetty, beach volleyball, €6.50/day), Alexenau Beach near Nußdorf (free, natural), Strandbad Unterach (family-friendly, €5.50). Sailing courses from €250/week at the Attersee Sailing School. SUP rental: €15/hour.
