Forget Hallstatt, I think Gmunden is the best lake town in Austria. It’s also a real place where people live rather than just a tourist trap. I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the Alps. It’s situated downstream of Hallstatt on the river Traun, which later flows through the depressing suburb of Linz of the same name. The poetry collection The Shrines of Upper Austria by Phoebe Power was written on residency there, and I can highly recommend it. (Also if you have a Kobo Plus subscription, it’s included).
This is Schloss Orth. The Austrian tv drama Schlosshotel Orth was filmed here between 1996 and 2004, about a fictional family trying to run a hotel in the castle.
I like the coat of arms. The fish looks like it’s not sure about this whole heraldic business.
There’s also a lido on the lake shore for swimming and sunbathing.
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