The Erlaufsee is a small swimming lake 3 km from Mariazell with beach, rental boats, and a 3 km walking circuit. Warm enough for summer swimming; small admission fee in season. Free and accessible outside the beach season. Mariazell is the largest pilgrimage site in Austria (1.5 million visitors annually); the Erlaufsee is the outdoor complement for visitors extending beyond the Baroque basilica. The Mariazellerbahn narrow-gauge railway from St. Pölten takes about 2.5 hours and is itself the scenic highlight of arriving here.
lake in Mariazell
Erlaufsee
The Erlaufsee is a small alpine lake about 3 kilometers from Mariazell, the major pilgrimage town in Styria's Hochsteiermark region. The lake sits in a forested basin below the Ötscher massif at around 880 meters and is warm enough for swimming in summer, with a beach area and rental boats.
- Type
- lake
- Destination
- Mariazell
- Cost
- Free to visit
- Address
- 8630 Mariazell
- Coordinates
- 47.8358, 15.2565
- Official website
- Visit website