Sommerfrische: an Austrian holiday amidst lakes, villas and mountains

There is a German word that captures the relationship between Austria and summer holidays better than many others: Sommerfrische, literally ‘summer freshness’. This is how, from the 19th century onwards, aristocrats, artists and the urban middle classes began to spend the warmer months in lakeside and mountain resorts, in search of nature and healthier air. Today, that tradition lives on in a more informal and accessible form, featuring swimming, walks, boat trips, hiking and evenings by the lakeside. The region that epitomises this ‘tradition’ is the Salzkammergut, a historic region straddling Upper Austria, the Salzburg region and Styria, home to some of the country’s most picturesque lakes. The Hallstätter See, with the village of Hallstatt and a landscape listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the most famous, whilst the Attersee retains a special connection with Gustav Klimt, who painted its shores on several occasions. On the Wolfgangsee, meanwhile, you can board the historic Schafbergbahn – the rack railway opened in 1893 – and travel up to the Schafberg to enjoy a view that takes in both lakes and mountains.

The Salzkammergut landscape also boasts a rich cultural history, featuring figures such as Johann Strauss the Younger and Sigmund Freud, who stayed at the Grundlsee, and Arnold Schönberg, who composed several of his works on the Traunsee. Another example of the Austrian ‘Sommerfrische’ tradition is Carinthia, where, over 150 years ago, the Wörthersee became the favourite destination of the Viennese middle classes. Villas, promenades and music still evoke that era in some way, and the must-see spots in this regard are in Maiernigg, where you can photograph the

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