Traunsee () is a
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in the
Salzkammergut
The Salzkammergut (; ; bar, Soizkaumaguad, label=Central Austro-Bavarian) is a resort area in Austria, stretching from the city of Salzburg eastwards along the Alpine Foreland and the Northern Limestone Alps to the peaks of the Dachstein Mounta ...
,
Upper Austria
Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, a ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. Its surface is approximately 24.5 km
2 and its maximum depth of 191 metres makes it the deepest and by volume largest lake located entirely within Austrian territory; only
Lake Constance
Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...
on the border is deeper and bigger.
It is a popular tourist destination, and its attractions include
Schloss Ort
Schloss Ort (or ''Schloss Orth'') is an Austrian castle situated in the Traunsee lake, in Gmunden, from Vöcklabruck, the gate to Salzkammergut.
Early history
The castle was founded around 1080 by Hartnidus of Ort, and improvements continued ...
, a medieval castle.
At the North end of the lake is
Gmunden
Gmunden () is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden (district), Gmunden. It has 13,204 inhabitants (estimates 2016 ). It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of lake, brine, vegetable and pine-c ...
, at the south end is
Ebensee
Ebensee am Traunsee (Central Bavarian: ''Emsee'') is a market town in the Traunviertel region of the Austrian state of Upper Austria, located within the Salzkammergut Mountains at the southern end of the Traunsee. The regional capital Linz lies ...
. The lake is surrounded by mountains, including the
Traunstein
Traunstein (Central Bavarian: ''Traunstoa'') is a town in the south-eastern part of Bavaria, Germany, and is the administrative center of a much larger district of the same name. The town serves as a local government, retail, health services, ...
, and a number of other towns and villages surround the lake, including
Altmünster
Altmünster (Central Bavarian: ''Oidmünsta''), also known as Altmünster am Traunsee, is a market town located about 3 kilometres south of Gmunden in the Austrian state of Upper Austria, on the west shore of the Traunsee. Its economic base consis ...
and
Traunkirchen
Traunkirchen is a municipality on the Traunsee in the Austrian state of Upper Austria, Austria.
Tourism
The lake and the mountains provide opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking, sailing, diving, skiing, swimming, and surfing. The villag ...
.
There is a local legend that speaks of a Waterhorse that lives in the lake. Records mention a mermaid riding on the back of a creature who lives in the waters. Locals refer to it as "Lungy" and photographs have been taken of the creature
External links
*
Lakes of Upper Austria
Upper Austrian Prealps
{{UpperAustria-geo-stub