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Attersee

Attersee is a freshwater lake in the Salzkammergut that functions as Austria's largest lake lying entirely inside the country.

Attersee operates in the Large clear-water sailing and swimming lake, Upper Austria segment.

Type: place · Updated September 2026

Official website

Attersee: Disambiguation

Attersee is not the village of Attersee am Attersee. Attersee is not the neighbouring Mondsee. Attersee is not a lake shared with a foreign state.

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Attersee: Core Facts

Water body type
Natural freshwater lake (source)
Region
Salzkammergut, Upper Austria (source)
Surface area
45.9 km² (source)
Maximum depth
169 m (source)
Dimensions
About 20 km long and up to 3.3 km wide (source)
Surface elevation
469 m above sea level (source)
Inflow and outflow
Seeache from Mondsee in, Ager out towards the Traun (source)
UNESCO listing
Prehistoric pile dwelling sites inscribed in 2011 as part of the transnational World Heritage property (source)
Typical peak summer water temperature
Around 23 °C (source, )
Water clarity
Underwater visibility regularly reported in the 15 to 25 m range (source, )
Main water sports
Sailing and diving, with regattas run from Kammer and Attersee (source, )
Rail access
Attnang-Puchheim and Vöcklabruck on the Westbahn, with the branch line to Attersee (source, )
Verified
2026-09-25

Compare: Hallstätter SeeWolfgangseeWörtherseeNeusiedler SeeAchenseeMillstätter See

Attersee: Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Attersee stand out among Austrian lakes?

Attersee combines scale with clarity: 45.9 km² of surface, 169 m of depth and visibility that divers often log between 15 and 25 m. That mix explains why it is the country's main freshwater diving and dinghy sailing venue.

Is the water too cold for swimming?

Attersee peaks near 23 °C in late July and August, several degrees below Carinthia's warmest lakes. Shallow bays at Seewalchen and Weyregg warm fastest, while the deep central basin stays cool all summer.

Who should choose it over Wolfgangsee?

Attersee works better for sailors, divers and anyone wanting space, since it is more than three times the area of Wolfgangsee. Visitors chasing steamers, cog railways and village scenery are better served next door.

How do you reach it by public transport?

Attersee is served by the branch railway from Vöcklamarkt to Attersee am Attersee, with mainline connections at Attnang-Puchheim and Vöcklabruck. Regional buses and the lake boats link the remaining shore villages in summer.

Is there heritage interest beyond swimming?

Attersee holds prehistoric pile dwelling remains that entered the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2011. Gustav Klimt also painted repeatedly on its shores, and a museum at Schörfling documents those summers.

Attersee: Related entities

Attersee: Where this entity is mentioned

Attersee: Further reading

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