Traunsee

lake in Upper Austria

Traunsee is a lake in the Salzkammergut area in Austria. It is about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) long. The lake is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) wide and 191 metres (627 ft) deep. This depth makes it the deepest lake in Austria. It also is the second largest lake in Upper Austria.

Traunsee
View from the air
Coordinates47°52′N 13°48′E / 47.867°N 13.800°E / 47.867; 13.800
Primary inflowsTraun, Langbathbach, Pfrillenbach, Alte Traun, Rindbach, Eisenbach, Lainaubach[1]
Primary outflowsTraun
Max. length12 km (7.5 mi)[1]
Max. width3 km (1.9 mi)[1]
Surface area2,435 km2 (940 sq mi)[1]
Average depth95 m (312 ft)[1]
Max. depth191 m (627 ft)[1]
Surface elevation422 m (1,385 ft)[1]
SettlementsGmunden, Altmünster, Traunkirchen, Ebensee

At the north end of the lake is Gmunden, the capital of the Gmunden district . At the south end of the lake is Ebensee. The other two towns around the lake are Altmünster and Traunkirchen. At the east side of the lake is the mountain Traunstein. It is 1,619 metres (5,312 ft) high.

History change

The first settlements around the lake go back to the fifth century. The Romans later called the Lake Lacus Felix (the happy lake). The first time the lake was mentioned in a document was in 909 AD. Then it was called Trunseo.

Tourism change

The Traunsee is a popular destination for tourists. It is possible to swim in the traunsee. The water quality is very good. The average water temperature in August reaches 19 °C (66 °F). Other water sports are also possible: Sailing, Surfing and Diving. [1]

 
Schloss Ort

On a small island in Gmunden is the Schloss Ort. It is a small, medieval Castle built in 1080.

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Traunsee Info Sheet" (PDF). Land Oberösterreich. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-05-11.