A new Hundereise is on the cards. The Galgos, the Frenchie, Martina and I are heading together to the beautiful Salzkammergut. The Salzkammergut stretches across 3 Austrian federal states: Upper Austria, Salzburg and Styria. We're travelling from Friday to Monday with our 16 paws into the Gmunden district – Upper Austria – and exploring the area.
As some of you can imagine, finding accommodation for 4 dogs is no easy feat. Unless it's a dedicated dog-friendly hotel, 4 is usually 3 too many… This time I tried the platform airbnb and found a place in the Salzkammergut for all 6 of us.
Arriving at our little gingerbread cottage in the Salzkammergut
The most important filter in this case: "Pets allowed"! To be absolutely sure, I also send a message to our lovely host Karin to let her know we're coming with !FOUR! dogs. No problem at all for her – she's more concerned that the fence might not be entirely secure and that the little holiday cottage might be a bit cramped for us.
Those worries turn out to be unfounded. When we arrive on Friday afternoon after about 3 hours of driving, we're greeted warmly by Karin's neighbour, who explains everything we need to know. The holiday cottage is only 8 minutes by car from the centre of Bad Ischl – it's not huge, but has everything you need: an entrance hall, bathroom, toilet, bedroom and a spacious kitchen-living room with a seating corner and a sofa bed, which we put to good use.
Towels and bed linen are provided, as are all the basic cooking essentials (including spices and oil). A cosy wood-burning stove stands in the living area – and believe it or not :) we actually needed it at the end of July…
The terrace has seating, an awning and another access to the garden. The garden wraps around the house, with steps leading down to the adjacent stream, a children's swing and a barbecue. Since the wire mesh fence towards the neighbouring meadow is quite low and partly absent near the stream, Tiago and Neroli are simply kept on the lead in the garden. Atlas and Murphy are free to roam ;)
A short evening walk around the Nussensee
After unpacking and a quick shop at the nearby supermarket, we head to the little, romantic Nussensee. It's only 7 minutes from our home away from home, between Bad Ischl and St. Wolfgang. There's a car park where we start. A sign on a tree indicates about 1 hour's walking time – just the right amount of movement and relaxation to round off the arrival day.
We turn right onto a rather narrow forest path and soak in the unspoilt surroundings. A little uphill and downhill, and we soon take our first short break at a small cove. On this warm day, Murphy, Tiago and Atlas immediately plunge into the crystal-clear water. Neroli watches the commotion from a distance – ever since Italy he's no longer bothered by the cool water either ;)
We circle the eastern shore, where most of the little beach spots are taken. Though it's not really busy at all: a cheerful little hiking group, a Nordic walker, two couples with dogs and a few sun-seekers. The Nussensee (604 m) in the Salzkammergut can easily be walked in 40 minutes max if you want to keep moving.
On the northern shore we choose a secluded cove where we linger longer, watching the sun slowly disappear behind the trees. We drink, splash about and chat until we make our way back to the car along the now wider gravel path. The moo-cow wishes us a pleasant evening, which we spend over salad and a special mix for our 4 favourites.
Summary "Nussensee"
Tour details
- Pace: leisurely with 2 breaks
- Stated walking time: approx. 37 minutes
- Our actual time: approximately 45 minutes
- Distance: 2 km
- Ascent: 20 m
- Descent: 8 m
- Highest point: 623 m
- Lowest point: 603 m
Dog facts
- several coves perfect for cooling paws and swimming
- mostly dog-friendly hikers and very few other dogs that evening
- forest path at first, then gravel track, mostly shady even in sunshine
The two Langbathseen lakes
The lower Langbathsee
We're out and about fairly early on Saturday. At 9 o'clock we make a quick stop at the supermarket for a snack and then head on to the Langbathseen. A large, free car park is available. Atlas, Tiago, Neroli and Murphy are kitted out with harnesses and leads, ready to hike, and off we go. We set off along the southern shore, where a few scattered coves open up views of the dark-green lower Langbathsee.
At the end of the lower lake, the wide forest road continues through the woods past a small stream. After a gentle climb we stop to cool the paws there, and after about 25 minutes we reach the eastern shore of the upper Langbathsee. A few children are in the lake despite the cooler, misty weather; otherwise we've barely come across anyone so far.
The Upper Langbathsee
We cross a small bridge, spread out our Hundereise blankets for the furry ones and settle in for a nice long break. Atlas and Tiago, as always, make good use of the rest to recharge — Neroli follows their lead. Only little rascal Murphy has to get worked up over a single (equally cheeky) duck that keeps paddling over, clearly hoping for a piece of our packed sandwiches.
Martina and I debate whether to loop around the upper Langbathsee as well, but given the weather forecast we decide against it. We pack up our things and our 16 paws and head back towards the lower Langbathsee. By now there are noticeably more hikers and dogs out on the trail. We even pass 2 enormous Irish Wolfhounds coming the other way — impressive, Murphy agrees ;)
We are "shadowed" by 2 mothers with very energetic children who seem determined to test how steady-nerved our companions are. They keep starting little running games and then skidding to a halt right behind us. Our four favourites glance up occasionally, but honestly couldn't care less. Proud parents, we are!
One last group selfie of all six of us in front of the lower Langbathsee, and then it's back to our little holiday cottage. As the weather gods would have it, the classic Salzkammergut drizzle sets in the moment we arrive. Perfect timing — and a great excuse to spend the afternoon napping contentedly :)
Summary: "Langbathseen"
Tour Details
- Pace: leisurely, with one long and a few shorter breaks
- Stated walking time: 1:30 hours
- Our actual time: approximately 1:50 hours
- Distance: 5.7 km
- Ascent: 72 m
- Descent: 72 m
- Highest point: 735 m
- Lowest point: 664 m
Dog Facts
- several coves for cooling paws and swimming
- mostly dog-friendly hikers; very few dogs early in the morning, a few more later on
- wide gravel path throughout, mostly shaded, with some open sunny stretches
Saturday Night in St. Wolfgang am Wolfgangsee
St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut is probably best known for the hotel "Weisses Rössl". I actually saw the 1967 film adaptation with Peter Weck as a child, and the song has stuck in my head ever since:
Im Weißen Rössl am Wolfgangsee,
Dort steht das Glück vor der Tür
Und ruft dir zu: "Guten Morgen!
Tritt ein und vergiss deine Sorgen!"
Und musst du dann einmal fort von hier,
Tut dir der Abschied so weh.
Dein Herz, das hast du verloren
Im Weißen Rössl am See!Ralph Benatzky
Of course we had to go there, seeing as we were already in the Salzkammergut. We park in the paid car park number 2 and stroll with our 3 long-legged sighthounds and little Napoleon through the pedestrian zone. Alongside the gorgeous market town itself, we are clearly a highlight for many tourists :)
Most people smile at us warmly, some stop to chat, and a few shake their heads in bemusement. We take it all in our stride and amble along to the promenade. We give the famous "Weisse Rössl" a miss (they would have had a field day) and treat ourselves to tasty pita wraps at the SpeiseWagen.
In Part 2 more wonderful destinations await you
along with a little insider tip for a hike well off the beaten track.
