Gosausee is one of the first lakes I visited when I moved to Salzburg, and it quickly became one of my favorites. This valley, with its gorgeous lake and towering mountains, feels like stepping into a different world where you can experience true peace.
Spending time in nature has the incredible benefit of recharging your energy levels and bringing clarity to your mind. Today, despite not having the best weather conditions, our trip took on a magical and mysterious quality due to the cloudy day. I also noticed that the water level was lower than I’ve ever seen it. We inquired with a gentleman working there, and he shared some insights with us.
He said that the Front Gosausee is a remnant from the last ice age. The glacial activity during the ice age carved out the basin where the water was later dammed. The Gosausee has several inflows at the rear end, some of which are partially underground. The water outlets are also below the water level: a portion flows through artificial tunnels and pipes to a power plant at the end of the Gosau Valley, while another part flows through natural clefts and joints, reemerging at the Brunnbächen.
The mentioned power plant, which harnesses the water from the Gosausee, was built in 1910. It is a so-called pumped-storage power plant, operated during the winter when electricity is expensive. In the spring, when cheaper surplus electricity is available, water is pumped from the reservoir behind the Gosauschmied into the Gosausee until it returns to its natural water level.
Listening to his story made me think about the huge amount of water that actually disappears from the lake every year until the next spring.
We continued our path along the lakeside. A cold breeze was in the air, and the temperature was around 0°C, but we felt the warmth of nature. We could see clearly where the snow-line was located; it split the colors of the trees so magically. Above, a white snow line, below, a variety of autumn colors.
As we walked forward, we reached my favorite house I have ever seen in nature. If I could pick a house in nature, this would be it! From here, we turned back and headed into the forest, looking for the path back to the other side of the lake. Here, we took a short break; I made some coffee and had some snacks. After everyone’s batteries were charged, we walked along the lake, and before finishing the tour, we made a last stop.
Andi, one of my guests today, knew that I play the handpan. I always take it with me for the tours, ending them by playing for nature and for us. Andi asked me this time specifically if I could take it with me because she wanted to surprise her son and his wife. I picked it up from the car, went back to the others, and we all sat as I started to play.
The moment I began, a man arrived with his son. He was very curious, listened to the music, and then told me that the music touched his heart, and he felt so calm and at peace. I played for about 15 minutes, and we all reached a deeper connection with nature and ourselves. I love seeing how this magical instrument touches people and opens their hearts. This is probably the most rewarding feeling I can get during my tours.
After finishing the music, we said goodbye to the lake and returned to the car.
Hallstatt is probably one of the most iconic places in Austria. Enikő had it on her bucket list for a long time. We took the way to this lovely village and made one of the things on her bucket list come true! We walked around the village, went up to viewpoints, and stared at the waterfall that runs down from the high mountains in the middle of the town. After our visit, we got back to the car and headed our way home. We drove on a different path, passing next to Wolfgangsee and Fuschl am See.
It was a beautiful day, even with the weather conditions.The entire tour took us 7 hours, including 2 and a half hours of driving-
I got charged so much, and I can tell they did too because we all said goodbye with big smiles on our faces 🙂
