Insider tip: Dog holiday at die Wasnerin in Bad Aussee

Part 2: What? & Where?

Dog holiday in Bad Aussee & surroundings.

In Part 1 we introduced you to the "G'sund und Natur Hotel" die Wasnerin in Bad Aussee. Now that you know where to find particularly good accommodation and care with your dog, we'll reveal in this part what you can get up to in the Salzkammergut.

Sightseeing.

Bad Aussee and Altaussee.

Since we still want to stretch our legs on arrival day, we head off to Altaussee. We skip the town centre of Bad Aussee, the folk costume capital, but for no particular reason — which at least gives us a reason to come back for another holiday. My mum, Che and I head straight to the Altausseer See and walk halfway around it. Why didn't we finish the full loop? Don't ask! I honestly have no idea...
The views and the surrounding nature are both spectacular and breathtaking at the same time. A region full of charm!

The Narzissenfest, which takes place every year between mid-May and mid-June, has been drawing countless visitors to the region since 1960!! and is now considered the largest flower festival in Central Europe.
Highlights include the car parade in Bad Aussee and the boat parade on the Grundlsee, where you can admire many creative, hand-crafted narcissus figures.

Hallstatt & Bad Ischl.

The following day we visited the Dachstein & Bad Ischl regions.
After a leisurely breakfast, the three of us set off for Hallstatt. The UNESCO World Heritage site is well visited, but not as overcrowded as you sometimes see on television or in photos. Since the weather isn't typically summery, we actually find it just right for a bit of sightseeing with a dog. The large car parks are quite full, but once again we're lucky and find a spot without driving around in circles forever.

Hallstatt is beautifully situated on the Hallstätter See, which is 8 km long and 2 km wide. We stroll along the lakeside promenade, which is guarded by many swans. Che is of the opinion that he could keep a much better eye on the lakeside road himself and would very much like to chase away the feathered creatures. It takes a little persuasion on my part to stop him from causing a scene, but it works, and we get to enjoy the charming little houses, some of which are built right into the rock face. We climb the church steps up to the ossuary and head back through the market square.

Dog Tip Hallstatt

Dogs should have no problem with people, as it can get quite narrow in places and I think there's always something going on. Che has absolutely no problem with that — quite the opposite: he was able to live out his model qualities once again and was even photographed several times by tourists from China ;)

The oldest salt mine would certainly be worth a visit, but since dogs aren't allowed inside, we make our way to Bad Ischl.

It's raining quite heavily there, so our sightseeing is cut short and we manage to snag a table at the former Imperial and Royal Court confectionery "Konditorei Zauner" and treat ourselves to the world-famous Zaunerstollen.
Mmmm, absolutely delicious, I tell you!
To make sure those at home don't miss out on the treat, we take a few packages along as souvenirs!

A Short Hike.

The Ödensee.

Since the following day is "unfortunately" rather grey and slightly rainy, we don't want to venture too far and so we ask at the reception desk where we can go for a nice little walk with a dog. The Ödensee is the recommendation!
In our case: a hidden gem. Why?

From the hotel we drive only about 15 minutes towards Pichl-Kainisch, where the lake is located.
The misty atmosphere that day was perfectly suited to walking around this woodland bog lake. There was something almost mystical about it!
We had the lake almost entirely to ourselves (one brief encounter with another dog, a small group of hikers and 2 mountain bikers don't really count).
At a brisk pace you can walk around the lake in about 35 minutes. We needed, I'd estimate, more than twice that time, because the surrounding forest and the power spots captivated us so much and invited us to linger.
There is a place to stop for refreshments right on the lake: the Kohlrösserlhütte. It's said to be an absolute insider tip for food lovers! The setting and the hut are delightful, and the menu makes your mouth water. Mum and I were, however, still so full from the Wasnerin's breakfast buffet that we unfortunately didn't stop in here.