Almsee

The Almsee is located at 589 m and is a mountain lake in the Upper Austrian part of the Salzkammergut in the municipality of Grünau im Almtal, at the northern foot of the Totes Gebirge. The nutrient-poor lake, with its largely natural shores and highly structured vegetation belt, offers habitats for many animal and plant species. It represents a relatively intact ecosystem. The area has been a nature reserve since 1965. The Almsee, which is owned by the Kremsmünster Abbey, is a popular tourist destination due to its idyllic location.

The lake, which stretches from north to south, is 2.3 km long and has a maximum width of 700 m. The surface area is about 85 hectares and the average depth is 2.5 m. The deepest point is a spring funnel, the so-called Seegrube, with a depth of 9 m.

The Almsee is a popular destination due to its beautiful location and offers a good view of the Almtal sundial. The Seehaus on the south bank is run as a catering business and operates a kiosk in the car park. The Deutsches Haus restaurant, a former hunting lodge, was closed in 2013. Boat trips of any kind are prohibited between October 1 and April 15. Paddling and rowing are only permitted outside of this period between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Fishing boats are exempt from this. Diving, sailing and surfing are prohibited all year round. Because of the low water temperature, there are few bathing activities. The Almsee is also suitable for ice skating or curling, as it often freezes over completely in winter.

The Almsee is also the starting point for several hiking trails:

• Path 404: It runs along the eastern shore of the lake and is part of the Alpine foothills path 04.
• Trail 420: The high trail connects the Almsee with the Offensee and is part of the Voralpenweg 04.
• Trail 213: The Grieskarsteig leads through the Röll to the plateau of the Totes Gebirge.
• Trail 214: The Sepp-Huber-Steig leads through the Röll to the plateau of the Totes Gebirge to the Pühringerhütte.

Paths 213 and 214 can also be used as access routes to the Northern Alpine Trail.

After a further hike of about 1 hour you reach the “Ameisstein”, which is not well signposted but is easy to walk and offers a fantastic view of the Almsee at several points along the way.