Villas in Salzkammergut

For an Austrian lakes holiday, Strobl on the Wolfgangsee and Gmunden on the Traunsee are the easy bases, and Bad Aussee is quieter. Our choice here is small, a few dozen houses and apartments spread around several lakes, so book early for summer. Hallstatt is a day trip rather than a base, and you will want a car.

Where

Villas: 43
From, per week: £456
Cheapest month: December
Nearest airports: Salzburg is closest for the Wolfgangsee and Bad Ischl, around 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the lake. Linz suits the Traunsee, and Vienna and Munich are around three hours away. Flights from London to Salzburg take around two hours.

Where to stay in Salzkammergut

Strobl and St Wolfgang (Wolfgangsee)

Strobl, at the eastern end of the Wolfgangsee, has the largest group of our properties in the region and a lakeside lido. It is a calmer village than St Wolfgang, a short drive or ferry ride along the shore, where the Schafberg rack railway climbs to the summit in summer. Salzburg is around 45 minutes by car, and there is a direct bus.

Best for: Swimming, lake boats and the shortest drive from Salzburg airport

Not for you if: You want somewhere quiet in high summer: St Wolfgang fills with coach parties and day visitors.

Gmunden, Altmünster and Traunkirchen (Traunsee)

Gmunden is the main town on the Traunsee, Austria's deepest lake, known for its green-and-white pottery and the island castle of Schloss Ort. Altmünster and Traunkirchen sit further down the west shore, with Ebensee and the Feuerkogel cable car at the southern end. Pinsdorf and Neukirchen are just inland. Salzburg and Linz airports are each around an hour away.

Best for: A proper town base with shops, a lakeside promenade and a railway station

Not for you if: You want a sandy beach: the Traunsee shore is lawns, jetties and pebbles.

Bad Aussee and Grundlsee (Ausseerland)

Over the Pötschen pass in Styria, Bad Aussee is a small spa town with a market square and the Grundlsee and Altausseer See a few minutes' drive away. A boat on the Grundlsee and a short walk take you to the Toplitzsee. The Loser panoramic road climbs above Altaussee. Salzburg airport is around an hour and a half by car, and the town is on the Salzkammergut railway.

Best for: Walkers and anyone who wants traditional village life away from the coach routes

Not for you if: You want a warm swimming lake: Grundlsee and Altaussee are mountain lakes and stay cool even in August.

Bad Goisern, Obertraun and Gosau (Hallstätter See and Dachstein)

Bad Goisern and Obertraun sit at either end of the Hallstätter See, with Hallstatt itself on the west shore. From Obertraun the Krippenstein cable car runs up to the Dachstein ice caves and the Five Fingers viewing platform. Gosau, up a side valley to the west, has the Gosausee lakes under the Dachstein and the Dachstein West ski area in winter. Salzburg is around an hour and a quarter away.

Best for: Mountain views, caves and day trips to Hallstatt without staying in it

Not for you if: You want lots of choice: there are only a handful of properties across these three villages.

Bad Ischl (central Salzkammergut)

Bad Ischl was the Habsburg emperor's summer retreat, and his Kaiservilla and park are open to visitors. The town has a spa, cafe-patisseries and a station on the Salzkammergut line. The Wolfgangsee is around 15 minutes by car, Hallstatt and the Traunsee around half an hour. We have very few properties here, so treat it as a bonus if dates fit.

Best for: Visiting several lakes from one central town

Not for you if: You want to swim from the doorstep: Bad Ischl is a river town, not a lakeside one.

When to go to Salzkammergut

June to September is the main season. The lakes are warm enough for swimming from about July, the boats and the Schafberg railway run, and July and August bring Austrian and German school holidays, so roads around Hallstatt and St Wolfgang get busy. May, early June and September suit walking, with fewer people. Advent markets run around the Wolfgangsee and in Bad Ischl from late November. Winter skiing is on a modest scale, mainly at Dachstein West, the Feuerkogel and the Loser, and it rains often in summer.