Part 3: What else is there to see in the area?
In Part 1 we introduced you to the perfect accommodation for a dog holiday in the Salzkammergut. You'll find some activities to do in the area in Part 2 — and that's exactly where we're picking up today!
Day trips.
The 3 Lakes Tour.
On day 4 of our Hundereise we have quite a lot on the agenda. So there's no lingering in bed (unlike the lakeside yoga from Part 1) and no dragging out breakfast either.
Mum, Che and I drive to the boat jetty at the Seehotel on Grundlsee. The journey takes all of 12 minutes, and once again we lucky ones quickly find a parking spot.
We board at 11:30 a.m. Tickets for the 3 Lakes Tour can be bought directly on the boat. Dogs pay extra, but only €3 for the whole tour; we pay €25 per person. Dogs must be kept on a lead and wear a muzzle — though I have to confess that the muzzle was left at home. That Che stays on his lead goes without saying, and since our Frenchie behaves impeccably, nobody says a word about the muzzle.
First we cross Grundlsee by motor boat towards Gößl; from there, Toplitzsee can only be reached on foot. The legendary lake takes about half an hour to reach — we of course take a little longer, as Che wants to test the water of the Toplitzbach at every possible spot.
Exactly the kind of walk he loves ;)
Once at Toplitzsee, the three of us wait for a flat-bottomed boat and are ferried across (complete with the boatman's stories about treasure hunting in the lake) towards the crossing to Kammersee. The backdrop of mountains, waterfalls and lake is absolutely breathtaking.
The final part of the 3 Lakes Tour is Kammersee. You reach the lake via some fairly daring staircases — this is where the source of the Traun river lies. We linger for a while and soak up the silence before heading back to the boat. As we disembark, the boatman points us towards the delicious Fischerhütte, but since it's absolutely packed, we walk back to Gößl and refresh ourselves there instead. Then it's back on the motor boat across Grundlsee to our starting point, and we return to the car.
Up the mountain.
The Loser.
Since the summer days are long and Mum and Che aren't ready to head back to the hotel yet, we decide to enjoy the view over the region a little longer. We set off along the 9 km toll road towards the summit of the Loser. We stop at 1,600 m at the Loser-Alm Restaurant and its enormous car park — the Loser itself reaches 1,837 m.
The Augstsee is signposted, and a short path leads us to this beautiful mountain lake. From here you could set off on several hiking routes, but since we've been on the go all day, we're quite worn out.
We treat ourselves to a mountain spring water with a view at the mountain restaurant — though goosebumps start creeping up our arms and Che shivers slightly. We hurry up and dash back to the car.
It really is noticeably cooler up here than in the valley!
Sightseeing, round two.
Gmunden.
On our departure day we leave the Styrian part of the Salzkammergut behind and head into Upper Austria.
Gmunden wouldn't exactly be on our way home, but since a very dear friend of mine lives nearby, we decide to take the motorway west and stop in to see her.
And to get to her place, we pass right through the beautiful town on Traunsee — Gmunden.
A day like this is simply too good to waste! So of course we stop and visit Seeschloss Ort, which is reached via a 123-metre-long bridge.
The castle became famous through the German-Austrian TV series "Schlosshotel Orth", which ran for eight years. These days the building is used mainly for events, seminars, weddings and cultural occasions.
After our castle stroll we wander along the lakeside promenade to Konditorei Baumgartner, where we treat ourselves to something sweet and a coffee with a direct view of the water.
The town centre would certainly be worth exploring, and a little browse of Gmunden ceramics (or buying...) wouldn't go amiss either — but I still have my reunion with my long-time friend ahead of me, and I'm already missing my favourite person, so we get moving.
A fitting end to a wonderful Hundereise to the Salzkammergut!
