Austria,  Kayaking

Our Day in Gmunden, Austria

Updated June 12th, 2019

This post contains affiliate links. That means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, if you buy through my site. I appreciate your support of my site.

The first stop on our Austrian itinerary was Gmunden, Austria, a small town between Vienna and Salzburg within the Salzkammergut region. The region is full of small towns surrounded by lakes and mountains. One of the reasons we decided to visit Gmunden was because of its location on Lake Traunsee.  

20180430_074825

Kayaking on Lake Traunsee

With all the lakes in Austria I thought it would be easy to find kayaking options. It was a little more difficult than anticipated, but I was happy that we ended up renting a kayak on Lake Traunsee.

20180430_064030.jpg

We set out in a double kayak for a paddle around the upper portion of the lake. I’m used to kayaking in a single kayak and my mom is used to, well not doing much paddling, so it took us awhile to get the hang of paddling together!

20180430_045212.jpg

We did a little half circle around the upper portion of the lake and then decided to paddle across it to head back to shore. The water seemed pretty calm and the lake wasn’t that wide so we thought we could do it. Once we accepted that we would do about five strokes and then end up spinning in a circle before giving it a go again, we started to make slow progress. It took us at least 10 or 15 tries but we proudly made it back to our starting point.

20180430_053944

I loved the snow covered mountains and the charming village that provided the backdrop to our kayaking experience.

20180430_09271520180430_095425

When we were finished, just as we were instructed beforehand, we went back to the kayaking shop to get the owner to help us put the kayak away and return our gear. The shop was locked up and he was nowhere in sight. This was our first of many experiences that showed what a safe, trusting country Austria is. Other than an email address the owner had no information on us and we had his kayak and equipment with no way to return it.

20180430_065937
Watching a string of boats being towed out onto the lake as we waited to return our kayak.

The owner did eventually return and we were able to give back everything safe and sound.

Walking around Lake Traunsee

There are a lot of pathways around the lake. We didn’t have a lot of time after kayaking to explore, but we got in a little time on foot. It was much sunnier during our walking time so it was even more beautiful. Nearby Toscana Park with Schloss Ort, a castle, would have been nice to visit if we had more time.

20180430_074155

Gmunden Town Center

Before and after eating lunch we wandered around the main square in Gmunden and the surrounding streets. The streets had a familiar European village feel with the added bonus of the mountains peaking out.

20180430_143408

20180430_091007.jpg

There is a little walking path around the village that you can follow with signs in German and English describing each spot’s historical significance.

20180430_091407.jpg
The fountain has a figure of a salt carrier because Gmunden was once a very important salt trading town.

Our Hotel: Hotel Magerl

We both really enjoyed our stay at Hotel Magerl. The hotel is a great combination of old world charm in the public areas and modern convenience in the rooms.

20180430_103106

20180429_21441920180430_104200
From our room’s balcony we had a lovely view of the lake and the Grunberg cable car. At the top of the mountain there are supposedly great hiking trails. This was another activity I wished we had time for, this was a theme throughout the trip!  

20180430_034620

Gmunden Visiting Information

Where

Kayak: Traunsteinstrasse 13, 4810 Gmunden, Austria   

Hotel Magerl: Ackerweg 18, 4810 Gmunden, Austria                                                        

How to get there

By train

We stayed walking distance from the kayaking place and the main part of town. To get to and from the train station we took taxis. Make sure to pre-book taxis ahead of time. 

Company

Kajak – Kanu

Toilets

There were toilets right next to the starting place for kayaking.

More about Austria


Pin It!!!


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *