Austria’s region of lakes, just east of Salzburg, where seemingly every town has a ‘see’ (pronounced zay) suffix, has long been a favorite for Sommerfrische, the old Austrian term for traditional extended summer vacations in the countryside.

The principal lakes are Fuschlsee, Mondsee, Attersee, St. Wolfgangsee and the Traunsee. In summer, they are crisscrossed by a variety of passenger craft while cog railways chug up mountainsides. There are also many backroads to explore and endless miles of walking paths.

Bad Ischl, though not on any of the lakes, is a famous spa and for many years the fashionable summer home of Emperor Franz Josef.

Other upscale resorts are St. Gilgen and Mondsee. Attersee is less expensive but still charming. Gmunden, at the northern tip of the Traunsee, is popular with artists and musicians

Best Towns:
• Attersee
• Bad Ischl
• Gmunden
• Mondsee
• St. Gilgen
• St. Wolfgang

Suggested Activities:
• See Gustav Mahler’s home in Steinbach and the Gustav Klimt house in Seewalchen. Both towns are on the Attersee
• In Bad Ischl, see Emperor Franz-Josef’s Imperial Villa and the villa of composer Franz Lehar.
• In Attersee, board the Attersee-Schiffart for a lake tour including an onboard lunch or dinner — the latter with live music.

Places to Stay:
• Hotel Seehof, A-5311, Loibichl (near Mondsee), tel. +43/06232/5031, fax 503151, email: seehofnextra.de, web: www.seehotel.org/
• Hotel Attersee, Hauptstrasse 18, A-4864 Attersee, tel. +43/07666/7864, fax 7864 91, email: hoteloberndorfer@rtk.at, web:

A Place to Dine:
• 1er Beisl, Landungsplatz 6, Attersee, tel. +43/07666/7877