Altaussee
The small Austrian alpine village of Altaussee is nestled on the shores of the Altaussee lake, beneath the Loser Plateau. Occupying an area of 92 km², the village is home to 1,888 people. Altaussee is within the Salzkammergut region, in the state of Styria.
Local geology
The rocks which make up the mountains around Altaussee are Triassic in age. The famous Trisselwand mountain and the Loser Gipfel are made up of later Jurassic rocks. All are very fine grained calcareous mudstones (limestones), characteristically white to very pale grey in colour, which formed deep in the Tethys Ocean. For this reason, fossils are rare. Within the Loser mountain, it is believed that some of the largest unexplored ice cave systems may exist.
Large evaporite reserves are also present, particularly in the Sandling mountain, and have been mined since ~1100 for salt. The mines are still operational today, and salt is pumped - dissolved in water - to the town of Bad Ischl. It is for this reason that Altaussee, and other local towns and villages such as Hallstatt, are now part of the Salzkammergut region.
A 7.5 km trail goes around a clear lake surrounded by 1568 m high Loser mountain and other mountain ranges. Brown and white alpine-style houses with a beautiful church are in the center of town. The tourist bureau has a few English pamphlets, but most information, including the Literatur museum inside, is in German. A saltmine tour is available every hour in the summer. Hiking trails abound, with various gradings. They are marked with green and white signs. The lower ones are easy to follow while the more difficult routes are sometimes less well-marked. A paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and hikers. Flora and waterfalls make the forests and mountains even more attractive in the summer.
Nearby towns and regions
Useful links
Altaussee Tourist Attractions (in English)
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