[Travel] Almsee, Upper Austria, Austria || The perfect location for the family. Outdoor activities and picnic by the lake which is surrounding by mountains

 

[Travel] Almsee, Upper Austria, Austria || 

The perfect location for the family. 

Outdoor activities and picnic by the lake which is surrounding by mountains

• 📍Location

"Almsee" is a lake which is located in Upper Austria. The lake is surrounding by mountains. It is about 2.3 kilometers long and 0.7 kilometers wide. Not a really huge one. The picture is taken during the winter. If you are planning to visit Almsee during winter or early spring. The top of the mountain is still covered by snow. Some period of time during winter, it might be freezing cold that the surface of the lake is frozen. 

During summertime, the color of the lake becomes aqua. It is also clear and fascinating. The land around is covered by grass. It is the perfect timing and location to have a family picnic and have some water activities. 

There is an exit from the lake. The water which comes out from the exit formed into a river. And the name of the river is called "Alm". Follow the river to the north, the first village, and the first train station is 13 kilometers away from Almsee. The village is named "Grünau im Almtal".

• How to get there? Public Transportation 🚆/ Car 🚗/ Bicycle🚲

Public Transportation 🚆:

If you are planning to visit Almsee by public transportation. The first step is to arrive "Grünau im Almtal Bahnhof". Then you got two options. One is to follow the river Alm to the south approximately 13 kilometers then lake Almsee will be right in front of you. The second is to call the local taxi, asking them for the ride. For more information about the taxi. Once you arrive at the train station. There will be a poster with all the information you need to call the taxi. A one-way ticket is around 7.5 euro per adult. Remind that if you're planning to take the taxi. Although you can find the schedule of the taxi on the poster, you still need to call for the ride. Do not just wait. They will never notice if you ever called. 

Car 🚗:

Driving to move around in Austria is the most common and easy way. If you have a car and want to visit Almsee. Search "Parkplatz Almsee" on Google Maps and that is it!! It will guide you to a parking lot which is right next to lake Almsee. 

Bicycle 🚲:

Austria is a bicycle-friendly country. The drivers are super polite to the riders. To bike in Austria may be one of your best and most unforgettable memories. So, if you're arranging your plan to visit Almsee by bicycle. Also, search "Parkplatz Almsee" on Google Maps, and the GPS gonna guide you there. Another situation might be the place where you from is quite impossible to bike to. However, you still wanted to. Do not be disappointed. There is a solution. The first is to bring your bike with you and hop on the train to the station Grünau im Almtal. The second is to enjoy your way biking to the destination, Almsee. 

What is around Almsee | The activities you can do

1. Besides the lake, there is a parking lot for all of you who drive here. And there is a local restaurant called "Gasthof Seehaus Geishüttner KG". Although the time I visit the place is not open, through the photos on the internet, the environment in the store looks nice. Guess the food may also be nice and tasty. Besides that, there is a shop which only serves drinks across the road named "Kiosk Almsee". 

2. Except for what I have mentioned above, you can find a public area with wooden tables and chairs under a gigantic tree. This is a place called "Spielplatz Almsee" that you can find on Google Maps. This public area is friendly for all kinds of people. And next to this area, you can find a public toilet within 10 meters. 

3. To go furder, there is a wooden walkway by the lake. It is not all the way around the lake. But at least more than a few hundred meters. What is so special about this wooden walkway is that it is a barrier-free walkway. Having a wheelchair or a baby carriage is not a problem. Highly recommended to slow down and take some deep breaths. If you are lucky enough, swans might appear right next to you. 

4. Looking for a hike or mountain climbing around Almsee? You are at the right place. As you can tell in the cover photo, Almsee is surrounded by mountains. However, I was never planning to hike around here. So I do not have much information about hiking or mountain climbing in this region. The only information I know is the wall next to the restaurant. There is a map on it with the name and the altitude of the mountains around. For more detailed information as to how long the hike takes, the difficulty of the hike...etc. I suggest searching on the internet. 

|| Own experience ||

I visited Almsee in February 2020. The temperature during the daytime is around 5-7 degrees. Luckily, it is a sunny day. Because I just arrived in Austria less than two weeks. I do not have any vehicles or even bicycles with me. How do I get there? I took the train and walk there. City Wels is where I stay in Austria. It is pretty close to Almsee. As I have mentioned earlier. I took the train and hop off at the station "Grünau im Almtal" and follow the sign and Google Maps to approach my destination. 

The destination is 13 kilometers away from the train station. 

The view along the path is stunning. Due to the weather, the pictures are fantastic. On your way, you can find out the water in the river is crystal clear that you can easily find the fish in it and also discover the stone at the bottom. But a fly in the ointment is that the road I am walking on does not have a sidewalk for the passenger. It might be quite dangerous. However, to be honest, although there is no sidewalk, the traffic is not busy. Just keep it in mind and you will be fine. 

After walking along the river for a while. Started to enter the forest. More and more trees are around. Suddenly, feeling chill. The sunshine is blocked from the tress. However, on the other hand. After entering the forest, there is a pathway. Kind of like a hiking trail. Now, you do not have to worried about the traffic. I and my friends started to sing along the way. And we had a pleasant time. 

The view by the river, stunning !! 

The road and the river. 

Started to enter the forest, you can still see the river.

Not sure if it is a park. We saw two alpacas.

After a while, suddenly the mountains are in front of our sight. Which means we are closer to our destination. The top of the mountains is covered by very thick snow. How amazing and exciting is that. Walking through the forest, you can relax both your physical and psychological bodies. Having some fresh air and the best part is you can absorb the phytoncide in the forest. It is good for your health.

We are getting closer.

A straight road with mountains in the back. 

Finally, it is the lake. The destination is right around the corner.

It is the parking lot under the mountains and next to Almsee. 

13 kilometers is really not a short distance. It took us around 3 hours to get there. After arriving, it is time for lunch. Because we are all poor students, a picnic is the best option for us. To save up some money. What I have is a sandwich with jam and butter. And another sandwich with cheese and ham that I made and brought it out from the cafeteria in the dorm. It is free. And two apples. We sing and chat and play board games under the tree.  

Later on, we spend some time walking down the wooden walkway around the lake. Having a walk after lunch is great. Although the view is stunning there are not many vibes around. I guess it is because it is winter now. The birds are not around. The trees look dead. Not much color around. Anyways, we still had a good time. 

Check out how clear the water is.

The path around the lake. Quite chill.

Not much color in the picture. 

Few ducks in the lake. Look how empty is that.

A wooden cabin in the middle of the lake. Guess it is for fishing.

After having a complete exploration by the lake. It is time to head back. Due to the time, if we didn't head back to the dorm before 6:30 pm. We will not catch up on dinner that the cafeteria offer. For the dinner, we decided to take a taxi. After calling the company, what they respond is the car will pick us up around 4:30 pm. Again, you can find the schedule on the board. However, don't expect the taxi will come on schedule unless you have called. They are different from buses. Although it cost us 7.5 euros per person, 15 mins for 3 hours is totally worth it. 

Concussion, Almsee is a small and clear lake which is surrounded by mountains. And I know not many people walk there. But if you ask me if it is worth it? I will say yes, it is totally worth it. Although walking there takes lots of time and it is slow, you have more time to explore what is around you. The environment or your friends. You might be ending up knowing your friends better. Or not friends anymore. The point I am trying to make is no matter how you get there. Enjoy your time and spend quality time with your friends and family around you. 

I guess only people who walk there have this angle of the photo.

Overall

• The View: ★★★★☆
• Transportation; ★★★☆☆
• The food: unknown

Recommended Stay Time: 3-4 hours

Me taking a photo on the way to Almsee. PEACE