Grundlsee Lake

Also known as Grundlsee

Grundlsee is the largest lake in Styria and the entry point to a chain of three lakes that becomes increasingly wild as you move inland. The Toplitzsee, reachable by foot from the Grundlsee's eastern shore, is the second lake, and the small Kammersee beyond it is the third. Boat tours cross the Grundlsee; then you walk.

Grundlsee is Styria’s largest lake and the starting point for the three-lake excursion: Grundlsee, then a boat across to the eastern shore, then a 45-minute walk through forest to the Toplitzsee, and if you continue, the small Kammersee behind it. The Toplitzsee is dark, shadowed, and carries a wartime backstory: Nazi Germany dumped crates of forged British currency, documents, and other materials into it during the final weeks of the war. Some have been recovered by divers; others are believed to remain on the lakebed. The three-lake route takes 3 to 4 hours. Start from Grundlsee village, reached by bus from Bad Aussee. Combine with the nearby Altausseer See for a full lake-district day.