Sailing To Salzburg: Exploring Austria's Lake District

Salzburg, Austria, is known for its Baroque culture, festivals, and musical heritage, but it also offers plenty of outdoor sports activities. While Austria is a landlocked country, it has many lakes that provide perfect sailing conditions for beginners and experts alike. Salzburg itself has two sailing areas: The Salzkammergut and the Salzburger Seenland (Salzburg Lakes). The lakes in these areas are the remains of glaciers that once spread out from the Alps towards the north of Salzburg and into Bavaria and Upper Austria. The lakes are now part of one of Austria's most charming landscapes and a great place for sailing.

Sailing in Salzburg

While Austria is a landlocked country, it is still possible to sail in Salzburg. There are two main sailing areas in and near Salzburg: The Salzkammergut and the Salzburger Seenland (Salzburg Lakes). These lakes are the remains of glaciers that once spread out from the Alps towards the north of Salzburg and into Bavaria and Upper Austria.

Sailing Schools and Boat Rental Services

There are several sailing schools and boat rental services near Salzburg. Most of them offer courses and beginner's training that can be completed with an exam for freshwater sailing in as little as one week. The closest lakes with sailing schools near Salzburg are Wallersee, the Trumer Lakes, and Mattsee.

In the town of Mattsee, there is a yacht port, and Seekirchen by Lake Wallersee is only about 20 minutes by train from Salzburg's main station and has a sailing school. Specialist stores selling sailing gear, equipment, and clothing can be found in Salzburg and in several communities in the Lake District.

Boat Rides and Cruises in Salzburg

There are several options for boat rides and cruises in Salzburg, including:

• A 40-minute river cruise on the Salzach River, offering panoramic views of the city's medieval riverbanks and the surrounding mountains.
• The "Amphibious Splash Tour", a unique experience in Salzburg that combines a bus tour and a boat tour. The amphibious bus takes passengers across the river Salzach and then onto a road tour, covering sights such as Mirabell Palace, Mozart's Residence, and Leopoldskron Palace.
• The "Salzburg Panorama Cruise", a 1.5-hour tour of the city's landmarks, including the enchanting area around Mirabell Palace and the old parts of the city.
• The "River Cruise and Hellbrunn Palace Tour", a 2.5-hour tour that includes a visit to the famous Hellbrunn Palace and its world-renowned trick fountains.

So, while you can't sail directly to Salzburg, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy sailing and boating once you're there!

Boat tours and water sports

Salzburg is a landlocked city, but its lakes and rivers offer plenty of opportunities for boat tours and water sports. The closest sailing areas to Salzburg are the Salzkammergut and the Salzburger Seenland (Salzburg Lakes). The Salzkammergut region is home to 67 stunningly blue lakes, surrounded by fantastic natural scenery. The lakes here offer ideal conditions for sailing, with sailing schools and boat rental services catering to both beginners and experienced sailors.

The city of Salzburg itself offers several boat tour options. The Amadeus Salzburg panoramic speedboat offers a cruise along the Salzach River, with exceptional views of the city and its surroundings. The eight-kilometre route takes passengers towards Hellbrunn, with sights of the Old Town and the mountain ranges. The cruise has three tour options, with the third one including a visit to the Hellbrunn Palace and its world-famous trick fountains, as well as a shuttle service on a historic London Double Decker bus.

For those seeking water sports beyond sailing, the Salzkammergut region offers a wide range of activities. You can try your hand at kayaking and canoeing on Lake Hallstatt, or explore the wild water adventures in the mountain rivers of the region, including rafting, canyoning, and fishing. The rivers and lakes of Upper Austria are also ideal for action-packed sports such as rafting, canyoning, kayaking, canoeing, and white-water paddling.

Additionally, the lakes in the region provide excellent conditions for rowing. With the picturesque Danube and Inn rivers, as well as lakes like Attersee and Mondsee, you can enjoy the elegant sport of rowing while immersing yourself in pristine nature.

The Salzkammergut and the Salzburger Seenland

The Salzkammergut, on the other hand, is a resort area stretching from Salzburg eastwards along the Alpine Foreland and the Northern Limestone Alps to the Dachstein Mountains. The region is named after its historical salt mines, which were once a significant source of prosperity. Today, the forest industry is more important to the local economy. The Salzkammergut also includes numerous glacial lakes, raised bogs, and mountains, offering recreational activities such as swimming, water sports, mountaineering, cycling, and horse riding.

Both the Salzkammergut and the Salzburger Seenland provide excellent opportunities for sailing and boating. The lakes in these areas offer perfect sailing conditions for beginners and experienced sailors alike. The closest lakes with sailing schools near Salzburg are Wallersee, the Trumer Lakes, and Mattsee. These lakes are easily accessible from the city and provide a great opportunity to add a unique theme to your vacation in Salzburg.

Sailing schools and boat rental services

Although Austria is a landlocked country, it has a high density of beautiful lakes that offer perfect sailing conditions for beginners and experts. There are more than 25,000 lakes in Austria, with 62 of them considered "big lakes" of more than 50 acres in size.

There are several sailing schools and boat rental services near Salzburg. The closest lakes with sailing schools are Wallersee, the Trumer Lakes, and Mattsee. Seekirchen by Lake Wallersee is about 20 minutes by train from Salzburg's main station and has a sailing school.

In the town of Mattsee, there is a yacht port, and you can rent a Hobie Cat 17 Beach Catamaran or a "Migratory" Daysailer for up to 3 guests.

Lake Zell, surrounded by majestic peaks, is one of the most beautiful lakes in Austria. It offers refreshing summer temperatures of up to 23°C and two sailing schools to master your sailing skills.

Lake Mondsee-Irrsee is a popular destination for sailors and surfers due to its challenging shifting winds.

Lake Wolfgangsee, on the border of Upper Austria and SalzburgerLand, offers perfect conditions for beginners and advanced sailors.

Lake Attersee, famous for its turquoise-colored water, has sailing schools and boat rentals.

Lake Traunsee is known for its challenging winds, making it a paradise for sailors. It is Austria's deepest lake, with sailing schools and equipment rentals along its shores.

Lake Faaker See, with its turquoise waters and idyllic island, is located in Carinthia and offers perfect sailing conditions for all skill levels.

Lake Achensee, the largest of Tirol's lakes, is well-equipped for sailing. It offers varied wind conditions, from light southerly winds in the morning to strong northerly winds in the afternoon, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced sailors.

Lake Constance, the third-largest inland lake in Europe, is a sailing paradise for beginners and pros alike. It offers light breezes for those new to sailing and strong winds and waves for a challenging experience.

Most of the bigger lake communities in Austria have sailing clubs, associations, and private companies that operate sailing schools and boat rentals.

The Salzach River

The Salzach originates in the Kitzbüheler Alpen in Tyrol, close to the border to Salzburg, and enters the River Inn at Passau. The river runs eastwards through a large valley via Bruck south of Lake Zell to Schwarzach im Pongau. It then turns northwards and passes Sankt Johann im Pongau before flowing to Hallein and the city of Salzburg. North of here, the Salzach forms the narrow Salzachöfen Gorge between the Berchtesgaden Alps and the Tennen Mountains.

The Salzach forms the natural border between Salzburg and Bavaria (Germany) for about 60 kilometres (or 70 kilometres according to another source). Municipalities that have access to the river include Mittersill, Bruck an der Glocknerstraße, Taxenbach, Lend, Schwarzach im Pongau, St. Johann im Pongau, Bischofshofen, Golling an der Salzach, Werfen, Hallein, Puch bei Hallein, Elsbethen, Salzburg City, Freilassing (Bavaria), Laufen and Oberndorf.

The Salzach has been an important transportation route for salt from Hallein and other mining places in the province until the late 18th or 19th century. Today, it is a popular destination for river cruises and other water sports. Visitors can enjoy a panoramic cruise on the river, take an amphibious bus tour, or try parasailing, paragliding, river rafting, and stand-up paddleboarding.

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