The 8 Best Things To Do around Salzburg Austria

What are the best things to do in Salzburg Austria and its surroundings? Well, actually there are so many beautiful corners in Salzburg Region that 8 sights are far too few. Around every corner the next beautiful mountain lake or the next gigantic gorge between the lush green alpine meadows is waiting. Unfortunately, we have not been able to visit all the sights of the Salzburger Land or Salzkammergut during our vacation.

Reason enough to travel again to this beautiful area in Austria at the next opportunity. In our listing of things to do in Salzburg, we have included destinations from neighboring regions such as the Salzkammergut and Berchtesgadener Land, as these destinations can be reached very quickly from Salzburg Land and should not be missed on a round trip through Austria. Austria is a perfect place for a family holiday, so you should definitely plan a summer holiday with kids in Austria.

Hotel Recommendation

By the way, our starting point was the beautiful little town of Golling, which is also directly home to some of the listed sights. There was also the hotel where we stayed together with our dog Schoko. The family-run Pension Pass Lueg* has cute double rooms with breakfast from 80 Euro and offers you a fantastic mountain scenery directly from your balcony or terrace in front of the hotel.

We had originally planned to stay for 3 nights in the Hotel Pass Lueg*, then it became 5. We have simply felt so good in the small hotel. The hotel is located directly in the mountains and is the starting point for various hikes. Also, the entrance to the gorge of the Salzachöfen is right next door.

While you can strengthen yourself in the morning with a delicious breakfast with many homemade treats, you can relax after the hikes in the free wellness area in the sauna or steam sauna.

The cozy Hotel Pass Lueg at Booking*

The Best Things To Do close to Salzburg Austria

#1 Bluntau Lake

The hike to the Bluntau lake in the Bluntautal valley in Austria is a bit reminiscent of an idyllic fairy tale. You walk along the babbling brook with its light blue glacial water, look at the moss-covered stones between the trees and eventually come to the emerald green lake, in which the surrounding mountains are reflected and here and there a fish likes to jump out of the water. And the best thing is that this hike is in no way crowded and you can enjoy the tranquility of nature to the fullest.

The hike around the Bluntau lake was the first excursion on our round trip through the Salzburger Land and it was really the perfect start. How to get to the Bluntauseen, where you can do the Kneipp cure for the forearms and whether you can swim in the lakes we tell you in our travel report:

#2 Salzachöfen

The imposing natural monument “Salzachöfen” is a gorge between the Tennen and Hagen mountains and allows you to explore the power of the elements in a spectacular way. This excursion destination is ideal for the whole family – and not only on hot summer days.

The Salzachöfen in Salzburgerland are considered a secret spot among Austrian gorges. The gorge, which is up to an incredible 90 meters deep, is only a few meters wide at its narrowest point.

The path to the gorge is quite easy to walk, but still unsuitable for people with limited mobility, strollers or flip-flops. You should already wear good walking shoes and also a flashlight can be very helpful – especially if you are walking in the late afternoon. What makes this gorge so special and what you can discover here we tell you in our travel report:

#3 Golling Waterfall

In the Golling district of Torren, near the late Gothic pilgrimage church of St. Nicholas, the Golling Waterfall plunges an impressive 75 meters in two stages. The waterfall is a particularly popular destination for excursions and is probably one of the most attractive and romantic natural monuments in Salzburger Land.

A forest path leads directly to the waterfall. Steep steps take you up to the source of the waterfall. The popular natural spectacle is a great tip for a family excursion!

What you can experience at this attraction, where the parking lots are located and how much the entrance fees are, you can find out in the following travel report:

Our Video with Impressions of the Salzburg Region

From our round trip through the Salzburger Land, the Salzkammergut and parts of the Berchtesgadener Land Andreas has edited a video, which also contains beautiful drone footage. You can watch it here on Youtube:

#4 Liechtensteinklamm

The Liechtensteinklamm is one of the longest, deepest and most impressive gorges in the Alps. At the end of the gorge, the mighty roar of a waterfall awaits you and, with a little luck, rays of sunlight that create a beautiful rainbow in the fine water dust.

The raging masses of water have cut themselves deeper and deeper into the mountain at this top sight in Salzburg Land over thousands of years and have created a long and imposing gorge. The rocks are so narrow and high in places that the blue of the sky can hardly be seen from below.

Within 45 minutes you can get on the secured boardwalks to a waterfall that marks the end of the hike. On the same way you have to walk back to the exit. The Liechtensteinklamm is not a circular route. We’ll tell you where to park, when it’s best to arrive and other tips in our travel report.

#5 Lake Wolfgang and St. Wolfgang

The following sights are not located in Salzburger Land, but in the neighboring vacation region of Salzkammergut or Berchtesgadener Land. However, since these destinations can still be reached within an hour (or less) from Salzburg Land, we don’t want to deprive you of these wonderful Alpine highlights. 

#6 Lake Gosau in Salzkammergut

From the parking lot, you can’t even imagine how beautiful the hike at Lake Gosau in Austria will be. After the first small climb from the parking lot, the sun glistens off the water towards us and we take in the clear, green-blue water. Surrounded by mountains with the Dachstein glacier in the distance, we already know that this is going to be a wonderful day.

The Gosau lakes are three mountain lakes (Lower Gosausee, Gosaulacke, Upper Gosausee) in the Gosau Valley in Upper Austria and, along with Hallstatt, are among the top excursion destinations in the Salzkammergut region of Austria. The lakes themselves have no connection to each other, but are all fed by the glacial water of the imposing Dachstein.

This sight in the Salzkammergut region can be reached in less than an hour from Salzburger Land and is definitely worth a trip. Read more in our travel report:

#7 Lake Nussen in the Salzkammergut Region

Lake Nussen in Salzkammergut in Upper Austria is a beautiful, small mountain lake near Bad Ischl and is wonderful for swimming and relaxing. The Nussen lake is rarely crowded and you can spend a relaxing afternoon here undisturbed by crowds.

Lake Nussen is about 15 meters deep, about 600 meters long, up to 250 meters wide and is located in a nature reserve near Bad Ischl in Upper Austria directly on the border between Upper Austria and Salzburg Land. The area around the Nussen lake is known as a beautiful recreational area and is located between the famous sights of Hallstatt and Lake Wolfgang.

Lake Nussensee is designated as a bathing lake and therefore you can swim in it. Theoretically, you can also take your dog into the lake or go by canoe or rubber dinghy across the lake. If you want to learn more about this nature highlight in the Salzkammergut, which is about 1 hour drive from the Salzachöfen and only 20 minutes from Lake Wolfgang, then we can recommend our blog article about Lake Nussen:

#8 Königssee Lake in the Berchtesgadener Land Region

The Königssee is the highlight in the neighboring Berchtesgadener Land in Germany, offers you emerald green, clear water and is nestled like a fjord in the surrounding mountain landscape. The Königssee is one of the top sights in Germany and the idyllic alpine lake is visited by many hundreds of thousands of guests every year.

Königssee in Berchtesgaden is listed as the most beautiful lake in Germany for good reasons and really offers you a dreamlike backdrop and beautiful natural highlights. From Salzburg you can reach the Königssee within 30-40 minutes.

We will gladly tell you everything you need to know and important tips for your day trip to the Königssee and the wonderful Malerwinkel Hike where you should park, where the best viewpoints are and what the ominous Inifinity Pool at Königssee is all about.