🇦🇹 Austrian Lakes Day Trip｜Vienna → Hallstatt → Gosau

Since I had limited time in Austria, I chose to day-trip from Vienna to the lake district — no need to rush, it was perfectly relaxing! Full route details below ✅ 🗺️ Itinerary: Vienna Hauptbahnhof → Hallstatt → Gosausee → Gosau Village → Return to Vienna First impressions of Hallstatt: 📸 It really does look like a postcard 💌, but the lakeside was packed with photo-taking tourists (you know what I mean 😅). 👉 After snapping a few pics, I moved on quickly. A local whispered to me: “The real treasure is hidden in the next valley!” 🚞 Off to Gosau — stepping into a painting: 💚 Gosausee Lake Emerald water reflecting the snow-capped Alps 🏔️… Even in summer, the views are magical. 🌲 Took a 30-min lakeside walk — so quiet I could hear the wind whispering through pine needles 🍃 📸 No crowds, no fighting for photo spots — just me, a wooden bench, a cute cabin, and the whole lake to myself! 🏡 Gosau Village 🐄 A fairytale meadow at the foot of the Alps — my friends thought I was in Switzerland! ☕️ Ate schnitzel and drank fresh coffee on a family-run terrace, watching clouds drift over mountain peaks… Now this is vacation 😭 📌 Practical tips: 🚂 Book tickets in advance via ÖBB: 1️⃣ Wien Hbf → Hallstatt Bahnhof (I took the 6:40 AM train — perfect for napping 💤) 2️⃣ From Hallstatt station, take the ferry (cash only, €4 💶). Walk 6-7 mins right after landing to reach the classic photo spot. 3️⃣ Take Bus 544 → 541 to Gosausee. Tell the driver you’re heading to Gosau Lake. 🚌 The transfer spot is scenic too — great for photos while waiting. 4️⃣ Start your walk from the left side of the lake for the best mountain views 🥾 5️⃣️ Take Bus 541 back to Gosau Village — so quiet and beautiful, perfect for wandering. 6️⃣️ Gosau → Wien Hbf (departed around 6 PM, back in Vienna by 10 PM) Here, time truly slows down… Slow enough to remember the shape of a cloud, slow enough to hear the heartbeat of the mountains 💚 #Travel #Vienna #Austria #Alps #HiddenGems #SlowTravel #Gosau #EuropeOffTheBeatenPath