Austria - A Few Gems Of The Alps

I don’t think there’s anything more magical, than spending a weekend away in the Alps & more specifically the Austrian Alps. When I think of Austria though, I usually associate it with snow and winter sports so I have always been super curious what there is to do in the land of “Sound of Music” when the snow has all melted.

Hallstatt being lit up by the morning sun

Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find out there are over 300 lakes in Austria- many of which turn a rich turquoise colour in summer! Also the numerous mountains which have loads of hiking trails! My usual summer destinations always have sand and sea, but I’m so happy I traded them in for the crisp alpine air and lakes for my final European summer destination before heading back over to Asia

Moody but beautiful views in the Radstadt Area

After we picked up our car we headed into the mountains to a place called Radstadt. We headed in this general direction because our end goal was to visit Hallstatt (to get to Hallstatt from here took about an hour by car) so we booked our Airbnb/ guesthouse for the night! What a decision - this place was super ideal! There were loads of hiking trails and viewpoints around so we ventured out that evening and also for sunrise to see the amazing mountain views that surrounded us! The place we spent the night was just a family run guest house and it was exactly what you would expect from an alpine style guesthouse – super cozy!

Sunrise Views at the top of a mountain with incredible views

Almsee Lake: This gorgeous lake has the water from the Bischofsmütze Mountain flowing into it. It’s situated not too far from the town of Filzmoos and is known for its beautiful reflections. I first saw a picture of it on one of my friends Instagram page a couple of months ago and I just knew I had to see it for myself, so I asked them for their advice on the best way to get there etc. Thanks to social media for taking me to this beauty of a place! It’s crazy how social media can link up like minded people and lead you to stunning places like this!

Almsee reflections on fleeeeeek

Anyway, it was a bit of an adventure - we were under the impression you could drive the entire way and walk a short 20 minutes to access the lake- which in turn is actually true! Unfortunately in our case, google took us the wrong way and we ended up hiking an hour and a half each way on short time (Note to self - don’t always trust google maps!) But, it was totally worth it! The mountains around the lake and reflecting off the lake- basically a photographers dream!

Here you go! Don't make the same mistake as us if you're in a hurry haha!

Mondsee Lake: Never in my life have I seen a fresh water lake so blue! We were driving to Salzburg from Hallstatt and noticed the bright blue colour beaming through the trees on the side of the road. Obviously we stopped to admire just how beautiful it was- I could not believe my eyes! The shades of blue were just so dreamy - I don’t even know what shade of blue I would classify this as!? Mondsee is quite popular for water sports too – it is the warmest lake in the Salzkammergut region and folks from nearby towns flock this little village during the summer months so it was quite busy.

On a moody rainy day en route back to Salzburg - we came across Mondsee which looked like Gatorade

Well, this place basically sums up so many reasons why I love what I do! Why I love travelling, why I love taking photos and why I love finding new amazing places to explore. I’ve been so excited for so long to visit Austria, to just hire a car and drive through the alps, admiring the amazing views & scenery and I can’t recommend it enough - this country is just so full of life!