Salzkammergut by Motorcycle: The Lakes, the Postalm and the Pötschen Pass

The Salzkammergut is lake country: more than seventy lakes in the folds of the Northern Limestone Alps east of Salzburg, ringed by limestone peaks and joined by roads that never stay straight for long. It is not a high-pass region; nothing here goes much above 1,300 metres. What it has instead is variety and density. In one day you can ride lakeshore roads, a toll road over a high pasture, a couple of proper passes and a gorge, and stop in some of the prettiest towns in Austria.

This loop of around 230 kilometres starts and ends in Bad Ischl, the old imperial spa town in the middle of the region. Split it over two days if you want time for Hallstatt and the lakes.

Planning the loop

Bad Ischl sits at the hub of the Salzkammergut roads, which makes it the easiest base; Bad Goisern, Gosau, St. Wolfgang and Bad Aussee are good alternatives. Riders coming from Germany usually arrive via Salzburg; from Vienna and Linz, the A1 motorway takes you to the northern lakes near Gmunden or Mondsee. The description below runs anticlockwise from Bad Ischl.

The route, section by section

Bad Ischl to Strobl on the Wolfgangsee (about 15km). Leave Bad Ischl west along the Ischl river to Strobl at the eastern end of the Wolfgangsee. The lake is the gentle, postcard side of the region: St. Wolfgang across the water, with its pilgrimage church and the rack railway up the Schafberg. Ride around to St. Wolfgang first if you have time.

Over the Postalm to the Lammer valley (about 30km). From Strobl the Postalm road climbs south into the mountains. It is a private toll road, wide enough and well surfaced, with a long run of bends up through forest to the Postalm plateau at around 1,300 metres, one of the largest alpine pastures in Austria. Cattle graze on and beside the road, and there are huts for lunch with views across to the Dachstein and the Tennengebirge. The road then drops south toward the Lammer valley near Abtenau. The toll is paid at a booth; check the current rate and any reduced late-day rate with the operator or the Salzburgerland tourism office.

Abtenau over Pass Gschütt to Gosau (about 25km). From Abtenau ride east on the B166 through Rußbach and over Pass Gschütt, a lower, wooded pass on the border between Salzburg and Upper Austria. It is a quick, flowing road that drops into the Gosau valley. A side road leads to the Gosausee at the head of the valley, where the Dachstein glacier stands reflected in the water on a still morning. It is a short, worthwhile detour.

Gosau to Hallstatt and Bad Goisern (about 25km). The B166 runs down the Gosau valley to the Hallstätter See. Hallstatt itself, a village of houses stacked between the lake and the cliff, is one of the most visited places in Austria. The main road bypasses the old village in a tunnel, and traffic in the village is restricted, so park at the car parks above the village and walk in, or simply enjoy the view from the lake road. Ride north along the lake shore to Bad Goisern.

Bad Goisern over the Pötschen pass to Bad Aussee (about 20km). From Bad Goisern the B145 climbs east over the Pötschen pass, at a little under 1,000 metres, into the Styrian part of the Salzkammergut. The climb has wide, sweeping bends and good views back over the Hallstätter See from the viewpoint near the top. It is a main road and gets busy with cars and bikes on fine weekends. The descent leads to Bad Aussee, the region’s Styrian heart. If you have time, ride the short dead-end roads to the Altausseer See and the Grundlsee, two quiet lakes under big limestone walls.

Back via the Koppen road and the Traun (about 45km). Instead of returning over the Pötschen, take the narrow road from Bad Aussee through the Koppen gorge along the Traun to Obertraun at the southern end of the Hallstätter See. It is quieter than the pass and a good choice on a busy weekend. From Obertraun the Dachstein caves are signposted. Then ride north along the lake again to Bad Goisern and Bad Ischl.

An evening on the Traunsee (about 70km). If you still have daylight, ride north from Bad Ischl down the Traun to Ebensee and along the western shore of the Traunsee through Traunkirchen, where a church sits on a rocky spur over the water, to Gmunden at the lake’s northern end. The eastern shore beyond Gmunden is a dead-end road under the Traunstein, worth riding out and back.

Tolls and rules

The Postalm road charges a toll; everything else on the loop is free. If you use an Austrian motorway or expressway to get here, you need a vignette for motorcycles, and Austria is moving to a digital-only vignette, so buy it from ASFINAG, the motorway operator, before you ride. Speed limits are enforced, with fixed and mobile cameras around the lakes and in villages. Austrian rules require dipped headlights and helmets; check the ÖAMTC or the Austrian government site for current rules before you travel.

When to go

May to October. The lakes and valley roads are rideable from spring to late autumn; the Postalm road is usually open from spring to autumn, and it can close in snow. June and September are ideal. July and August bring the most visitors, especially around Hallstatt and St. Wolfgang, so ride early. The Salzkammergut is famous for rain, which builds against the mountains, so pack waterproofs even in summer.

The roads

Main roads are well surfaced and well marked. The Postalm and the smaller lake roads carry cattle, cyclists and walkers, and the Koppen road is narrow, with the river close to the road. Fuel is easy to find in Bad Ischl, Bad Goisern, Gosau and Bad Aussee.

Where to stay

Bad Ischl and Bad Goisern are central; Gosau and Bad Aussee are quieter, with more mountain views; the Wolfgangsee villages are pretty but busy. See our biker hotels in Austria for places with secure parking. The Salzkammergut combines well with the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, about two and a half hours south, with the Nockalmstraße in Carinthia, and with the eastern end of the German Alpine Road at Berchtesgaden, an hour west.