Camping at the lake in Austria

Austria not only has mountains, but also many beautiful lakes where you can spend a relaxing camping holiday in beautiful surroundings. Pincamp presents the best lakeside campsites in Austria and provides useful tips for your camping holiday.

The 5 best campsites by the lake in Austria

It's true, of course: Austria is the land of mountains. However, the Alpine republic not only boasts proud peaks, mountain massifs and glaciers, but is also home to fantastic lake landscapes. And of course there are also many great campsites by the lakes. 5 of them are presented here. The following campsites have all been tested by our ADAC testers and inspected on site. Factors such as facilities, location and value for money all play a role.

Alpine caravan park on Lake Achensee

If you spend your holiday at the** Alpen-Caravanpark am Achensee**, you get the best of Austria in one go: the mountain world with its wonderful panoramas and the fantastic location at the northern end of Tyrol's largest lake. The pitches and sanitary facilities are extremely modern, and there is also a children's playground, a sunbathing lawn with a beach and a wide range of leisure activities. Thanks to the location on the lake, water sports enthusiasts in particular get their money's worth, for example diving, surfing or sailing. However, the nearby mountains also mean plenty of hiking opportunities for those who prefer to stay on land.

Seecamping Appesbach in the Salzkammergut

Wake up in the middle of nature and refresh yourself in the morning with a dip in the cool water. At Seecamping Appesbach, you can live out** this dream every day**. The beautiful campsite is located directly on the shores of Lake Wolfgangsee and is highly recommended for owners of their own motorhome and glamping enthusiasts. If you don't own a caravan, you can stay in a rental caravan or in a comfortable Tinyhouse. These** rustic wooden cabins** are equipped with all the modern amenities you could wish for. The camping site on the lake is also an ideal starting point for tours to the nearby village of St. Wolfgang and numerous excursion destinations in the Salzkammergut.

Natterer See holiday paradise

The internationally award-winning holiday paradise on Lake Natterer See is one of the top campsites in Austria. The resort is situated in a beautiful location in the sunny low mountain range. In the middle of nature, far away from through roads - and yet only 7 kilometres from the cosmopolitan Alpine metropolis of Innsbruck. The facilities and leisure activities on offer at Ferienparadies Natterer See are of the highest standard. There is also an **indoor kids' club **with numerous playgrounds, a chic lakeside restaurant and a private swimming lake. Those travelling from Innsbruck can also take advantage of the resort's free transfer service.

Seecamping Berghof

This beautiful site is located in the heart of the Carinthia region on the sunny southern shore of Lake Ossiach. On the terraced grounds, camping holidaymakers can spend a wonderful holiday under shady trees with wonderful views of the lake. Guests can stay overnight in their own caravan - in addition to the pitches, there are also mobile homes, comfortable holiday homes, rooms and flats. Sports enthusiasts can let off steam with football, volleyball or table tennis - there is also a bike hire service and a leisure programme with guided hikes or wine tastings.

Camp Mondsee Land

Camp Mondsee Land looks back on a long tradition and has been a real favourite with camping holidaymakers in Austria since the 1970s. The campsite near Lake Mondsee is in a fantastic location in the Salzkammerland holiday paradise - far away from the noise and hustle and bustle of the big city, in the middle of nature. In addition to pitches for temporary holidaymakers, there are also a number of pitches for permanent campers and some rustic holiday cabins. Dog owners are expressly welcome - and those with the ADAC Campcard do not have to pay an additional fee. The camp at Mondsee is also a real paradise for children. In the "Robinsontal", children can let off steam and spend many wonderful hours in nature.

Even more destinations in Austria for camping holidays by the lake

Of course, the five campsites mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg - and there are many more facilities that are perfect for a dream holiday by the lake. Austria's southernmost province of Carinthia in particular is a hotspot for camping holidaymakers with its 1,270 standing bodies of water.

Lake Millstätter See is a particular favourite. Nestled between the 2,000 metre high peaks of the Tschiernock and Mirnock, **Lake Millstatt **is an Eldorado for hikers, mountain bikers and water sports enthusiasts, while cyclists can discover dreamy bays and historic villas in the towns of Millstatt and Döbriach on the 28 km long circular cycle path.

Families are particularly drawn to one of the 12 lidos when camping at Austria's lakes. One of the child-friendly campsites on Lake Millstatt is Camping Brunner am See. With its 100-metre-long and up to 4-metre-wide sandy beach, the campsite is a real favourite with visitors who want to combine camping with a beach holiday. Several playgrounds provide additional variety and dogs are also very welcome at the campsite.

** Salzburg** also has a popular holiday destination for camping holidaymakers in the form of Lake Wolfgangsee. Bathing holidaymakers feel particularly at home here at Romantik Camping Wolfgangsee near St. Gilgen. Those who enjoy spending time in the water can hire a kayak or canoe or let off steam on a water ski or wakeboard. Hikers climb the Zwölferhorn instead - as a reward for their exertions, a dream view of the 13 km² lake beckons at the end of the tour. A ride on the historic Schafbergbahn railway up the mountain of the same name is also unforgettable.

What you should bear in mind when on holiday at a campsite by the lake.

• If you're travelling to a lakeside campsite in Austria with your family and mainly want to go swimming, you should find out about the water temperatures in good time.
• While the shallow Lake Neusiedl in the east and the waters in sunny Carinthia can warm up to 20 degrees Celsius in May, the higher lakes are much cooler at this time of year.
• The weather generally plays a major role on a lake holiday. If you decide to holiday in the Salzkammergut with Lake Wolfgangsee, Lake Traunsee or Lake Attersee, you should bear in mind that showers can occur here even in summer. So you should always pack rainwear.

Which lake in Austria is the right one for my camping holiday?

Which body of water you choose also depends on what you want to do on your holiday - families love Lake Klopeiner See and Lake Ossiach because of the warm water temperatures of up to 28 degrees Celsius in summer. - Those who like to go on challenging mountain tours during their holidays will love the Tyrolean Achensee or the Carinthian Weißensee in the Gailtal Alps, for example - Podersdorf, Breitenbrunn and Weiden am Neusiedler See have established themselves as popular surfing spots in the Alpine republic due to the perfect wind conditions.

Are dogs allowed when camping by the lake in Austria?

Dog owners are best advised to find out about bathing facilities for their four-legged friends well in advance. The rules vary from campsite to campsite. In general, however, there are often bathing facilities for dogs at smaller lakes and streams near the campsites by the lake in Austria. Some campsites also have special dog meadows where four-legged friends can romp around with their mates.

Tips for activities and excursions

If you are camping at Lake Neusiedl, it is best to plan a visit to Austria's largest amusement park. The Familypark in Sankt Margarethen scores with countless rides on a 145,000 m² area, including the spectacular Götterblitz roller coaster.

Carinthia also has a fascinating adventure world to offer with Minimundus on Lake Wörthersee. Here you will find detailed models of famous buildings such as the Sydney Opera House, St Peter's Basilica in Rome and the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel.

There are numerous natural wonders to discover around Austria's lakes. In the south, the 750 km long Alps-Adriatic Trail leads from the Grossglockner to the sea past the Carinthian lakes. On the 12th stage, you hike a spectacular 21 km route through the green Nockberge mountains from Seeboden to the Tschiernock and enjoy a dream view of the Lieser and Malta valleys.

One of the most popular hiking regions in the Salzkammergut can be reached via the toll road to the Postalm near Abtenau. Well-maintained paths start from the Lienbachhof and lead across Carinthia's largest alpine pasture. Pass grazing cows on the way to one of the rustic huts, where homemade alpine cheese and fresh bread are served.

Events

Austria's lakes offer a colourful programme of events for sports enthusiasts and culture vultures.

April

At the end of April, the world's surfing elite gather for the Surf World Cup in Neusiedl am See. In addition to numerous competitions, guests can expect a diverse supporting programme with a live stage and a separate family area.

June - July

Every year at the end of June or beginning of July, ambitious athletes meet at the Ironman Austria-Kärnten in Klagenfurt. There is an excellent atmosphere not only among the athletes, but also among the spectators who cheer on the participants after 3.8 km of swimming and 180 km of cycling in the marathon in Klagenfurt city centre.

July - August

Clear the stage'' is the motto of the Attergau Summer of Culture from mid-July to mid-August. There are classical concerts, theatre and a colourful children's programme at venues such as the church in St. Georg am Attersee.