Hi everybody and welcome to Gosau.
Today I’m taking you on a travel walking tour through the rolling hills and green meadows of this enchanting alpine village in Upper Austria.
Gosau is not very well known but it is stunningly beautiful and somewhat of a hidden gem.
Most tourists pass it for the much more well-known village of Hallstatt which is only a half-hour drive away.
Especially if you want to find some peace and tranquility after the busy tourist magnet of Hallstatt, you will find Gosau to be a much more quiet place to visit.
It’s a bit off the beaten path but Gosau is definitely worth visiting,
and if you don’t know where to go in Austria in summer, I recommend you check it out.
Join me on my little walk through Gosau and let me know in the comment section what you think.
Gosau has a population of 1900 and is situated along the Gosaubach stream in the Salzkammergut region.
It’s only a short 1-hour drive away from Salzburg.
The drive there is really beautiful as well, especially if you choose to drive along the Romantic Route which leads through forests and lush green meadows
and offers fantastic views across the amazing alpine landscape of Upper Austria.
The center of the town is at an elevation of 767m (2,516')
and offers breathtaking views of the Dachstein mountain massif which thrones over Gosau at an elevation of close to 3000 meters (9800 ft).
The Dachstain mountainous region is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it’s not difficult to see why it has this status.
Close to 60% of the municipality is forested.
But the lush green rolling hills are the real attraction of Gosau.
They invite for nature walks that are not too demanding.
Should you feel like taking some rest of have a picnic along the way,
there are plenty of benches that invite for a rest, many with beautiful views of the Gosau valley and the Dachstein mountain.
If you follow the valley further to the South, you get to Gosausee or Lake Gosau,
another breathtakingly beautiful destination which I will cover in another video.
So please check that out too - It’s quickly become one of my favorite lakes in Austria.
The valley around Gosau was settled in the 13th century by monks from St. Peter's Abbey in Salzburg.
Timber production for the salt mine in Hallstatt was a major industry.
Today, tourism is the main source of income, although raising livestock, mainly cattle, is also an important economic activity.
Gosau’s historical heritage buildings are all virtually perfectly preserved.
The traditional paired farms and so-called 'up and down farmhouses'
(living and animal quarters up and down in the same building) still define the village.
As you can see, It's a beautiful view! And you can see all the way to the back of the valley.
If you continue into that direction you're going to get to Hallstatt. It's about an 1/2 hour drive from here.
And that also takes you to Bad Ischl.
There's a shorter way to come to Gosau from Salzburg which is over there, in that direction.
There's lots of little pathways here. It's fairly easy to hike. Just make sure you bring good shoes.
As you can tell, it's not too difficult to walk here and you will be rewarded with all these beautiful views.
So, when you come walking and hiking here, what should you bring?
Well, definitely bring good and comfortable walking shoes. I’d also recommend a hat and sun screen.
Carry some layered clothing to adjust to different temperatures throughout the day.
Also bring some snacks and a water bottle which you can also refill at one of the many water fountains and springs.
The water in this region is of course of excellent quality.
Lastly, don’t forget to bring your camera and have your batteries charged.
There are so many beautiful pictures to take in Gosau that you don’t want to miss.
Is Gosau worth visiting? I say: yes, absolutely!
I definitely recommend you come here and see for yourself.
I hope you enjoyed this Austria travel video on Gosau and if you did,
please give it a like down below and leave me a comment in the comments section.
And if you have not done so yet, please make sure to subscribe to my channel and hit the notification bell
to get updates on my weekly new travel videos on beautiful Austria and many other amazing travel destinations.
I look forward to seeing you in my next video. Have a great rest of the day!