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Trip Highlights:

• Hotel Koller a former hunting lodge has been in the same family for generations and offers exquisite service and comfort to guests, making it a true home away from home.

• Enjoy a few days of Austrian hospitality while exploring some of the most famous regions of the country.

• The vast salt reserves serve as evidence implying that the village was inhabited as far back as 5000 BC.

Scenic valleys, countless lakes, and rolling hills typify the Salzkammergut. For most, the trip will begin in Salzburg. As you travel out of this fabled village the magic of the region is immediately apparent. From the first idyllic lake you come upon, the Wolfgangsee, you know you have arrived in a very special place. After a brief layover in Bad Ischl you are on your way to Bad Goisern, a classic Austrian village at the northern tip of the Hallstättersee, and the start of the Ryder-Walker trek. Bad Goisern is a spa town dating back to the 13th century. It has an atmospheric town square with plenty of shops and cafes.

Begin your trek the next day with an ascent to Goisererhütte, a traditional Austrian mountain club hut, perched on top of a pass just west of Bad Goisern. The pass provides a great shortcut over the Ramsaugebirge on your way to the next village. Enjoy a hearty hut lunch before continuing all the way to Gosau.

Gosau is really a collection of farms with a few centrally located hotels. This peaceful valley sees mostly day traffic from hikers and sightseers. Your hotel for the next couple of nights, the Hotel Koller, is one of our favorites. This former hunting lodge has been in the same family for generations and offers exquisite service and comfort to guests, making it a true home away from home. If weather permits, you can cool off in the pool, and while dining in their beautiful garden, catch the last rays of sunshine on the Gosaukamm, the most predominant mountain range in the area.

Continue your trek across the Salzkammergut with a hike to Gosausee, one of the most famous lakes in the Alps. It rests beneath the equally famous Hoher Dachstein, and its pristine green waters provide a beautiful contrast to the light limestone. The Dachstein range is the northernmost high limestone range in the Alps, as well as the easternmost glaciated collection of peaks in the Western Alps. Sunset views to the south over the famous ski resort of Schladming, the province of Steiermark, and on to the high peaks of the Dolomites are unforgettable.

The following day you travel through forest and meadows beneath more northerly limestone peaks before descending into perhaps the most famous village of the region, Hallstatt. Hallstatt, while famous, is tiny and sees mostly day visitors who come to enjoy the unique configuration of the village on the shores of the Hallstättersee. Also famous are the salt mines high above town. The vast salt reserves serve as evidence implying that the village was inhabited as far back as 5000 BC.

Enjoy a few days of Austrian hospitality while exploring some of the most famous regions of the country. Idyllic lakes, stunning mountains, iconic towns, and wonderful cuisine will make for an unforgettable adventure.

Learn more about the Central Austrian Alps-Salzkammergut and Dachstein destination