Dirndl expert Gerhard Gössl presents his most famous spots surrounding Salzburg

The whole city of Salzburg is in a state of emergency these days: the world famous Salzburger Festspiele (classical music festivals) are dominating life in this Austrian city. Anyone who wants to escape the cultural hype for a little while rents a car and gets out of the city into the Salzkammergut (“salt chamber“), the countryside surrounding Salzburg. But where to go? Exclusively for MyStylery Salzburgs traditional costume and Dirndl expert Gerhard Gössl presents his most famous spots – a jaunt with lots of insider tipps.

Off we go: boat launch by the hotel Schloss (castle) Fuschl at lake Fuschl

76 lakes shape the landscape of the Salzkammergut, which is surrounded by the impressing mountain tops of Dachstein („Stone Roof“), Totes Gebirge („Dead Mountains“), Osterhorngruppe („Eastern horn group“) Traunstein and Höllengebirge („Hell Mountain“). It once was an independent state. A long time ago though the meaning of producing salt was overcome by tourism thanks to Kaiser (Emperor) Franz Josef I., who had his summer residence in Bad Ischl and therewith turned the region into a heaven for visitors.

Gerhard Gössl is mooring the boat

“The ‘Lateiner’ (Latin) is a 5 meter long rowing and sailing boat made of local oak, spruce and larch wood,” explains Gössl, who regularly organizes regattas on the Mattsee with the traditional boats

Our tour starts in the Salzburger part of the Salzkammergut at Lake Fuschl, where Gerhard Gössl lives and where he picks me up with his electric boat for a little ride across the turquoise colored water at the extravagant Hotel Schloss Fuschl, a historic castle from the 15th century.

View from the car to the beautiful Mondsee

We continue our trip by car along the Mondsee („Lake Moon“) and Wolfgangsee to the Attersee („Lake Atter“). „With a length of 19 kilometers the Attersee is not only Austrias largest lake, it is also different because of its color, due to the many inflows“, Gössl explains the rather grey-blue water of the Attersee with its many fish.

The Wolfgangsee glows in turquoise colors. Who would have thought that Austria is a sailing paradise?

„Did you know that – despite its many lakes – is a paradise for sailing“, Gössl asks me. No, I didn’t know that, being a captain’s daughter I expected sailing only by the coast. Before I can get deeper into that we reach Gmunden town, located by the beautiful lake Traunsee.

„The late Hildegard Knef (a famous german actress) once owned an old mill at lake Traunsee, where I once visited her“, Gerhard Gössl says

Gmunden is known for its ceramics manufacture. Today it’s Dirndl flying day and the whole town is
absolutely excited about this event. Flying Dirndl? Yes, for four years Gössl organizes at various locations these „Flying days“, where brave men and women dressed in Dirndls throw themselves off a three and half meters high springboard into the lake. More than 40 contestants will jump today, carefully supervised by a jury and thousands of onlookers cheering them on. The best performers win, first prize is – of course – a beautiful Dirndl de luxe.

Flying Dirndl – Gössl had the idea when an corpulent friend complained about her weight and went swimming fully dressed in her Dirndl (the traditional garps). A genius marketing trick!

After this we urgently need some refreshments. On the terrace of castle Schloss Orth – known by tv viewers from the series „Schlosshotel Orth“ – chef Johann Parzer pampers us with a local delicacy called „Steckerl vom Riedling“, a sweetwater fish that exists only in lake Traunsee.

The ‘Ort’ castle

The three angled inner courtyard of the castle with its fabulous hallways and the outer steps deeply impressed me

„The Riedling fish is caught in a depth of 60 meters and absolutely rare“, Gössl explains. And it’s delicious!

After this short break we take the motorboat to the other side of lake Traunsee, and visit Mariä Krönung (Mary’s Coronation), a baroque church in the small town of Traunkirchen. Beautiful and really impressing! My personal recommendation: if you love meat have a steak at a restaurant called „Klosterstube“ (Convent Room), which serves only the best from the region. I loved it!

The Traunsee lake – amazing!

Gerhard Gössl and I: Crossing lake Traunsee on board a ‘Fauscher’ motor yacht …

… an Austrian factory that builds boats like the famous Italian Riva

Across the street we have a little drink at the „Traunkirchner Greisslerei“, a cute little shop with a small bar. Here you can find anything from cashmere jackets, scented candles, and fashion jewelry to culinary specialties from the region. And with a drink in your hand shopping is so much easier, isn’t it..? BvH

Church Mariä Krönung (Mary’s coronation) from the 17th century – a must see for every fan of the baroque

Impressive, not just because of the view: the small cemetery by the church ‘Mariä Krönung’

Address and Contacts:

www.goessl.com

Orther Stub’n:
www.schlossorth.com

Klosterstube:
www.klosterstube-traunkirchen.at

Die Greisslerei:
www.greisslerei.com

My favorite shopping-address at the lake Traunsee: The ‘Traunkirchner Greisslerei’

More Tips:
Restaurant ‚Haus am Hang‘ in St. Gilgen, Wolfgangsee
www.haus-am-hang.at

For a view over Salzburg:
Hotel-Restaurant ‚Schöne Aussicht‘
www.salzburgpanorama.at

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