Salzkammergut lakes
From Salzburg past St. Wolfgang to Hallstatt’s lake and Gmunden’s ceramics.
- Distance
- 123 km (77 mi)
- Driving
- 1 h 42 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 5
- Countries
- Austria
- Updated
- June 22, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 123 km (77 mi) with 5 stops, from Salzburg to Gmunden. About 1 h 42 min of driving in total.
Route description
Leave Salzburg, with its old town below the Hohensalzburg fortress, on the B158 heading east past Fuschlsee and down to the Wolfgangsee. The scenery changes quickly from rolling foothills to lakes framed by steep limestone mountains.
St. Wolfgang has a pilgrimage church with a carved Gothic altar, and the Schafberg rack railway climbs from the village to a summit with views over several lakes. Continue via Bad Ischl on the B145 and then south along the Hallstätter See to Hallstatt.
Hallstatt is squeezed between the lake and the mountain, and its centre is closed to traffic: use the paid car parks outside and walk in, ideally early in the day. A funicular climbs to the salt mine and the Skywalk viewpoint above the village.
Across the lake, Obertraun is the base for the Dachstein cable car, the ice caves and the Five Fingers viewing platform, and it has a lakeside campsite nearby. Return north on the B145 past Bad Ischl and along the Traunsee to Gmunden, known for its green-and-white ceramics and the Schloss Ort castle on a small island.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Salzburg
Austria - 238 km
St. Wolfgang
Austria - 331 km
Hallstatt
ViewsHallstatt, AustriaA lakeside village below steep mountains. Park in the paid lots outside; the centre is car-free.
- 43 km
Obertraun
Austria - 551 km
Gmunden
Austria
