Austria - Carinthia

Weissensee

A Karen Brown Recommendation

The Weissensee, our favorite lake in Austria awaits you. From the town of Greifenburg where you leave the main highway and turn south, following signs to the Weissensee. This is a spectacularly beautiful drive: the road curves up through lush green meadows and over a small pass to a high Alpine lake, the Weissensee. The Weissensee is still “country”—the relatively few hotels are basically converted farmhouses nestled along the lake. Except for a small village at the end of the lake, the entire eastern half of the Weissensee is a nature preserve—off limits to any commercial development. Ferries circle the lake, but they are mostly for dropping off passengers who want to hike along the beautiful path that completely encircles the pristine water. The lake is an incredible emerald-green color and in the early morning and late evening mirrors the steep green hills that rise precipitously along its eastern half in a fjord-like beauty. The western half of the lake is surrounded by more gentle hills that melt down into green lawns extending to the shoreline. There is no beach, but lounge chairs dot the grass and piers extend through the reeds into the water. The activities along the Weissensee are simple—no great sites to visit, just the splendor of nature at its finest. Linger here and enjoy fishing, swimming, boating, and long walks. A reader wrote that one of the most spectacular hikes he has taken was from Neusach to the Domitenblick ferry stop. This is about a two-hour, challenging hike along the lake. When you reach Domitenblick, you can hop on a boat for the return journey.

Traveler Reviews:
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Nearby Hotels and Bed & Breakfasts:
Listed Alphabetically, Not By Distance.

• Hoteldorf Grüner Baum
• Valbruna Inn