Grundlsee

Grundlsee is Styria’s largest lake, nicknamed the “Styrian Sea” by locals. It lies in Ausseerland at an altitude of around 708 meters, measures just under 6 kilometers, and is surrounded on all sides by the Totes Gebirge mountains. The water is crystal clear and stays between 18 and 25°C in the summer, so you can swim at public beaches practically all around the perimeter.

We recommend driving to the far eastern end of the lake to the village of Gössl. There is a large beach with good facilities where you can swim comfortably, as well as a good restaurant. Most importantly, a pleasant path leads from here along the stream to another lake, Toplitzsee. The walk takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Parking by the lake is paid, and in high season it pays to arrive early as the lots fill up on weekends.

An interesting fact: the name Grundlsee likely comes from an Old Slavonic term for “round lake,” and was only later transformed by German into its current form. And if you want to see the lake from a different perspective than the shore, there is a boat service as well as the so-called Three Lakes Tour, which connects Grundlsee with Toplitzsee and the most distant Kammersee using a motorboat and traditional wooden boats.

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