Schödersee Hike in Großarl, Austria

When: April to November, best done in late spring or early summer after the snow melts for the best chance of seeing the lake

Where: hike begins from the parking lot at Talschluss at the end of the Großarl valley

Difficulty: intermediate

Length: from Talschluss, we did a return hike of 12km which took us three and a half hours of moving time

Directions: starting from the parking lot at Talschluss, follow the yellow signs for the Schödersee past the Stockham farm and old Seegut estate. The first part of the trail is relatively flat along the valley to See after which you cross a wooden bridge and begin hiking upwards into the mountains and on to the Schödersee. You head back the same way you came.

→ Check out my exact route on Strava!

Bathrooms: yes, at the Talschluss parking lot, right next to a cute little self-service delicacy shop!

Public Transit: yes, bus 540 runs straight from the St. Johann im Pongau train station to the Hüttschlag Talschluss at the parking lot in about 45 minutes, making this a super accessible hike. The S-Bahn from Salzburg to St. Johann im Pongau takes about an hour and 15 minutes, so the full journey is just 2 hours.