Wellness right on the lake – reside like an emperor

View over lake Wolfgang and the fantastic heated pool

The Weisses Rössl (White Horse Inn) by Wolfgangsee is one of the most famous hotels in Austria with a history and even had an operetta and a movie dedicated to its name. For 500 years, the name is known for hospitality, although the hotel itself was opened only in 1878. Even Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Elisabeth (commonly known as Sisi) have stayed in the hotel overlooking the lake. Ever since then, guests can stay in the exclusive Emperor room with a beautiful view from the windows and balcony.

The Salzkammergut mountain range reflect in the peaceful lake

That the hotel has developed into a fantastic wellness hotel is not surprising considering the large lake and the healthy mountain air! Relax in a heated pool built into the lake after sweating it all out in the sauna with a stunning view onto the mountains and lake, or in the steam baths, for example the sole steam bath, which will cleanse your pores and smoothen your skin with natural salts. This hotel is particularly great for its rich tradition and offers. Finish off your trip with a bath in the ‘emperor tub’ to have a complete and unforgettable experience in the White Horse Inn at Lake Salzburg.

Bathe like an emperor – the golden bathtub

Would you care for a night in a castle?

Schloss Fuschl in its royal spot overlooking lake Fuschl

On over 1,000 m², Schloss Fuschl, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa offers more than just spa relaxation. Yes, you can enjoy the steam bath, pool, sauna or whirlpool and let your worries fly far, far away. But what would all this be without this scenery? Especially in autumn, the view from the terrace of this hotel is breathtaking. From high to low on the mountains, the magnificent colors give you the impression to be in a fairytale and the fresh air will cleanse your lungs from the city air. In the up to 67 meter deep lake with its crystal clear water you can enjoy especially your summer holidays. In the winter, the region is especially fantastic to go skiing or hiking and watch the snow fall from the hot sauna. Countless other sports can be practised here, and forgetting everyday life is guaranteed.

Room of romance – when housekeeping gets creative

Also in terms of food and drinks, you will feel like kings and queens in the castle’s own restaurant with a view onto the lake. Their expertise lies in the regional delicatessen, fresh fish from the hotel’s own fishery, and much more. Also the wines are regional and convince with excellence!

In perfect harmony

Peaceful Seehotel Das Traunsee with its charm

Not every hotel has a 12 km long and 2 km wide lake to offer as their main swimming pool, and if you find Traunsee lake too cold, Seehotel Das Traunsee offers a wide range of heated wellness. From the sauna, you have a terrific view of the lake and mountains while the stress from the city practically melts away, just like in the steam bath or the grotto with a lake-water-fall. Let yourself get pampered all over, it is worth it – a wide range of massages, treatments and beauty care offers await you.

Modern flair in a traditional hotel – the rooms at Das Traunsee

On the second largest lake of Upper Austria, you can use the hotel’s own sailing boat to feel the fresh mountain breeze run through your hair. Especially for hotel guests, there are sailing courses, so there is no need to be a sailing pro! Other sports like hiking, golf, biking or diving are favourites in summer and make sure your stay is not only the relaxing, but also the exciting kind of wellness. In winter, the region is practically made for skiing and hiking through the beautiful white landscape. Also, how much nicer is it to enjoy the view onto the lake and hills when you are sitting in the hot sauna of the hotel?

Great view onto lake Fuschl and the mountains

Finally, let us not forget the dining. The Austrian cuisine is full of wonderful dishes, and in the hotel’s boat house restaurant you will experience the crème de la crème! Especially fresh fish from the lake is recommendable, while meat is a delight as well, considering the great hunting lodges in the greater Salzburg area.

When it comes to wellness, the tranquillity of a lake can really make your experience, but of course it is the overall image you get from the hotel and its surroundings, the service and the value you receive for the money you pay. We all like to escape from our daily troubles, and Salzburg is one of the great destinations for diving into a different world of peace, quiet, and wellness.

Photos uploaded by author.

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Photo by Elliott Brown

Camping at Lake Garda

One of the best ways to experience the beauty of Lake Garda is to camp on the lake. There are numerous campsites such as those offered by Eurocamp and Keycamp, which are situated right on the edge of the lake. You can simply step out of your tent and head to the beach for a swim whilst camping at Lake Garda. Here are a few of some the best campsites near Lake Garda.

On the Lake: Fontanelle is a peaceful campsite that is set on the shores of the lake and is also close to some of the area’s main attractions. The facility is well-maintained and offers a swimming pool; fishing and a children’s play area.

Family-Friendly: While not situated directly on the lake, Altomincio Family Park is still close enough for travellers to easily visit the lake. This park is a popular choice amongst families with swimming pools, waterslides, boat trips, twelve playgrounds and a cinema.

Luxury Camping: SelectCamp Camping Weekend is a lovely campsite for both children and adults. The site offers something extra for those who like to camp in comfort. The luxurious lodge tents are spacious, and fully equipped with showers and toilets. On-site amenities include a laundry, swimming pool, children’s pool, Internet café, two playgrounds, satellite TV and a pizzeria.

Gardaland – Italy’s number one amusement park / Spencer Wright

Things to Do at Lake Garda

The large lake offers plenty of activities for those who are adventurous. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you can spend your time at Lake Garda exploring the beaches, windsurfing, hiking, canoeing and horseback riding. If you want a more peaceful holiday, you can spend time taking in the scenery as you stroll along the beach, or you can explore the vineyards and nearby villages.

Nearby Attractions

Some of Italy’s best attractions are located near Lake Garda. Both adults and children will enjoy visiting Gardaland, which is Italy’s number one amusement park. There are plenty of rides and various shows offered throughout the year that are perfect for entertaining children of all ages. Aqua Paradise Park is another popular attraction with families. This water park offers an exciting day in a tropical setting, with waterslides, an erupting volcano and an entire fishing village. While there are plenty of lively attractions close to Lake Garda, there are also quaint villages for exploration and cosy restaurant for dining. Don’t forget to stop at one of the local restaurants for a slice of pizza, cappuccino or ice cream sundae.

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1. Cities and towns by lakes often have a rich cultural history supported by the presence of that lake.
If you really want to visit a place that has it all, and expansive lake with a thriving cultural presence, then Italy’s Lake Garda – the largest lake in the country – is the perfect location. It is located in Northern Italy, about halfway between Verona and Brescia, and is easily accessible from the north by the Brenner Pass. There are many different places to stay during a visit to Lake Garda. There are pricey exclusive resorts, as well as affordable family sized villas for rent. On this south side of Lake Garda lies the ancient Roman city of Sirmione. Here you can visit ancient spa complexes, and Scaliger castle which was built in the 13th century. Gardaland is a theme park that is popular among the locals and tourists alike.

2. Lakes support a wide variety of relaxing activities.
Visiting a lake means that you can take part in lots of different activities. Lakes are excellent places to take part in water sports, like kayaking, canoeing, or sailing. The Masuria region of Poland has over 1,000 lakes in the north western part of the country, and is an extremely popular destination for water sports. These are all glacial lakes, and while relatively deep, they are calm and therefore excellent places to take sailing lessons. There are many rivers and streams that connect these lakes, and these are great for paddling expeditions.

3. Lakes are perfect habitats for nature lovers.
Lakes are large areas of freshwater that attracts many different kinds of animals. Lake Ladoga, one of the largest lakes in the world, and the largest in Europe, also has a very large population of water birds. Freshwater fish are also very numerous, making this lake great for fishermen. This lake, that spans across both Russia and Finland, is perfect for birdwatchers and naturalists. Why not find a local car hire company, rent a car and head over to Lake Ladoga, ecologically a very special lake, and invites all kinds of explorations.

4. Cleaner, more beautiful water.
Lakes are often disregarded over coastal areas in favour of beaches and a beach scene, but savvy travellers know that some lake beaches are even more beautiful and relaxing. Lake Annecy of France is regarded as Europe’s cleanest lake, and also happens to be France’s second largest lake. It is the cleanest because of strict environmental regulations. Swimming, biking around the shore and water sports are the most popular activities here. A visit to France is not complete without a getaway to beautiful, scenic Lake Annecy.

5. Beautiful mountain lakes are a true getaway all year long.
Lakes can be situated in many different habitats, and mountain lakes are especially unique. The landscape surrounding mountain lakes are refreshing, with the forest covered peaks and valleys. Lake Geneva is one of the most popular destinations for lake holidays in Switzerland and Europe. It is the largest alpine lake in Europe, sitting at an elevation of 1,220 feet. Visiting mountain lakes means that even in the winter there are surrounding activities. At Lake Geneva, skiing, as well as mountain and lake scenery make it a great place to visit, even in the winter. In the summer, yachting on the lake and lounging on the shores are very popular.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Silvia

As one of the few Italian regions, Piemonte is not washed by the sea, but it is mostly mountainous area. Due to this fact was created also the name of the region, which comes from the phrase “ai piedi dei monti” – at the foot of the mountains. The territory was inhabited already in the Neolithic, but we can see the relics of the Romans and later of the Longobardi and not least the French and the Habsburgs, who were fighting a long for the region.

Mountains and lakes

Piemonte is suitable especially for those loving hiking, because the region boasts the two most famous Italian mountains – the Alps and Apennines. There are many valleys, which are accessible not only in summer but also in winter, so enjoying hiking here is possible all year-round. When you walk down from the mountains, you can stop at the region’s largest lake, Lago Maggiore, which extends also to the region of Lombardy, and even to the Italian canton of Ticino in Switzerland. Like many others in this area it is one of the glacial lakes and is known to influence many artists such as Ernest Hemingway.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Falk Lademann

Cities

Mountains and lakes are not the only place that tourists usually visit in Piemonte. The region is also famous for its modern, industrial cities such as Torino, where are the headquarters of the largest Italian automaker Fiat or Ivrea, and where is based famous office equipment manufacturer Olivetti. But those places are also imbued with history and beautiful architecture. Very visited, especially in the summer, is for example Aglio castle.

Specialties of Piemonte, chocolate and Barolo

Lovers of chocolate also come into their own here, as the region’s production of sweet snacks is famous not only throughout Italy, but also in Europe. The secret of making chocolate brought to Piemonte Emanuele Filiberto from Savoy in the 16th century. In cities, you find plenty of shops where you can buy a variety of chocolate candies, nougat, chocolate chestnut, etc. You will find that the Piedmont chocolate may well equal to the Swiss or Belgian.

However, if you prefer salty foods, you should taste il brasato al Barolo – beef with celery, onion and carrots cooked in one of the best wines of Piemonte region – Barolo.

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For those who might not know what is it, should be noted that it is a lake of glacial origin. In the Slovak High Tatras there are in a total of 87 glacial lakes, but the most famous one is certainly Štrbské Pleso. It is not the largest or deepest one, nor the highest situated, but it’s just typical.

It lies at the connected point of Furkotská and Mlynická valley at the altitude of 1346.6 metres above sea level. It covers an area of 19.76 hectares and its maximum depth reaches about 20 meters. The lake is almost half of the year covered by ice.

The lakes were created in the Pleistocene by the action of glaciers, which dug them into the valleys. Due to the remoteness and high altitude such lakes have very clean water and are often a home to quite specific types of plants and animals. Štrbské Pleso is home to a fish called European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus). This salmon-like fish is still widespread in many countries, but currently it can be found on the Red List of Threatened Species. It has been found yet, that whitefish from Štrbské Pleso is genetically purest of its kind in the world. The lake is also home to several other species of fish, some of them (especially perch and roach) are unfortunately direct food competitors to whitefish. The management of High Tatras national park therefore prepared a program to capture these fish, to save a rare population of whitefish.

In terms of nature is the human presence on the shores of lake negligibly short, but more intense. The first mention of a lake comes from David Frölich in 1644. Later there came hunters, loggers and miners. A lake has almost ceased to exist in 1860. It was due to the residents of nearby Štrba town, who tried to drain the lake and use that “useless puddle” for new pastures! Fortunately, they didn’t do it well …

The same-name settlement of Štrbské Pleso was founded in 1872, when there was a hunting lodge built by Jozef Szentiványi. Other buildings were then built at the instigation of Hungarian Carpathian Association. At present, a town of Štrbské Pleso is a popular winter and summer resort with many hotels and restaurants, and also serves as a climatic spa centre. With its altitude it is also the highest situated resort in Slovakia. There are lots of opportunities for hiking and skiing, including ski lifts and cable cars to Solisko peak.

Despite its mountainous location, you can get to Štrbské Pleso by both road and rail. The main gate to Štrbské Pleso and High Tatras is the city of Poprad where is an international airport as well.

Whether you come to Štrbské Pleso for hiking or skiing, you will be surely surprised with its beauty and surrounding nature. There are lots of hiking trails leading from this place to several important peaks – Kriváň (2,495 m) or Rysy (2,503 m) or you can visit the great 10 metres high waterfall Skok (1,725 m), or another popular lake Popradské pleso (1,494 m).

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The miraculous effects of water were already known in the distant past. According to archaeological excavations, this place was inhabited since the Stone Age. And the mineral water has been used since the Middle Ages, first in the tannery, and later to medicinal baths. Lake Gyógy-tó has been adjusted as a private resort for the first time in 1795 by Count György Festetics from Keszthely.

Thermal lake is surrounded by park and is fed with the spring that rises from the crater about 40 meters below the surface. Thermal spring produce about 80 million liters of hot water daily. Thermal lake has a funnel-shaped ground with a depth of 36.5 meters. Almost throughout the whole year, the lake surface is covered with white and pink Indian lilies and with Egyptian lotus, which give the lake a special charm of romance.

Due to the favorable water temperature in the lake, it is possible to bathe here all year round. Fine cloud of steam over the lake creates a special look and high evaporation makes bathing more comfortable also in the coldest winter days. Various flows and pressures, including a pleasant water temperature allow visitors to stay longer in the lake.

In the spa area there is also a swimming pool for kids, as well as for children under 3 years.

Slightly radioactive lake water contains sulfur, alkali, bicarbonate salts and especially calcium salts. Medicinal baths are suitable for articulated diseases, rheumatism and even gynecological problems. As a drinking cure, it is recommended for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. If you need further treatments, for example mud, local spa offers almost all types of thermal treatments that you can imagine. Mud from the bottom of the lake is made ​​up of 50% of organic materials rich in iodine and estrogen.

Hévíz is internationally recognized as one of the world-class spa resorts and is also a home to frequent professional medical conferences. It is well known spa center with everything that implies, including housing services, and cultural and entertainment options at a high level. Hotels in Hévíz represent the highest quality and offer various options of sauna, relaxing massages, baths and beauty treatments.

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This magnificent lagoon is one of the most beautiful places for scuba diving in the world and once you get there you certainly find out why. In good weather you can ask the local fishermen or use any boat service to take you through the tunnel where you can see the caves and dramatic cliffs, and two other natural attractions – The Azur Window and Fungus rock.

Azure Window is the famous natural rock arch, which towers majestically over the coast. The Maltese people call this, about a hundred meters long stone slab, which lies on two pillars, Tiega Zerga.

Another natural attraction is Fungus Rock – a cylindrical block of rock. Fungus Rock is currently uninhabited, but in the 17th century it was an extremely important site, because there is growing the specific mushroom with the Latin name Cynomorium coccineum, which have medicinal effects. The mushroom comes from North Africa, and this is the only place in Europe where such mushrooms grow. This can help in the treatment of stomach problems and hemorrhoids. It was used as an aphrodisiac and diminished bleeding. It has powerful disinfectant effects.

Knights of St. John guarded this rare mushroom very carefully, and who tried to steal it, was often sentenced to death. Between a rock and the mainland there were ropes and the mushrooms were transported to the mainland by cable cars. Coast guard tower Qawra was built on the island just to protect this site.

Between the Inland sea and Azure window there is a small chapel of St. Anne which was built in 1963 on the original site of the old church. If you continue further to the south along the coast, you find the Crocodile Rock.

During the years there were too many tourists coming to see Dwerja Inland Sea in Malta which contributed to the degradation of this place and left an impact on the environment.
However this site is really unique and probably doesn’t have a competitor in Europe.

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Srebarna lake is one of the most significant natural heritage in Bulgaria. The entire lake is surrounded by mosses, which reach a length of more than 1.5 km. The water covers an area of 638 hectares.

You will find here also many rare plants. This place is a paradise for nature lovers and ornithologists.

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Lago de Sanabria covers an area of ​​318.7 hectares. Its maximum depth is 51 m. The lake was created by the glaciers in the Quaternary.

Today it is a popular summer destination for tourists and holidaymakers. On the southern shore of the lake you can find a beautiful sandy beach, that is overcrowded during the warm sunny days. They mainly come here to bathe. But also to enjoy various activities such as canoeing or rowing.

Here you can also rent a pedal boat. Right on the beach of Lago de Sanabria there is a pleasant restaurant with outdoor seating. More than 50 000 people visit the lake every year. The lake’s surroundings is ideal for the mountain biking or hiking.

Lago de Sanabria is part of the Sanabria Lake Natural Park, which covers an area of ​​22,635 hectares. It is situated at an altitude of 997-2124 m. The park is characterized by its great diversity.

The oaks, birches, willows, yews and various shrubs grow here. A rarity in these latitudes are also peat. The animals include lynx, wolf, partridge, golden eagle or otter. In lakes and streams you can find trout. Sanabria Lake Natural Park was founded in 1978. The park includes also the villages Galende, Cobreros, Trefacio y Porto de Sanabria.

Center of the park is located in a former medieval Cistercian monastery of San Martín de Castañeda.

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Popradské pleso is also a good starting point for the tours around Mengusovská valley. To Popradské pleso you can get from Štrbské pleso following the marked trail which take approximately two hours of slow walking. Near Popradské pleso there is the symbolic cemetery. In this cemetery there is a monument to victims of the High Tatras. The cemetery is a good idea to show the number of victims who lost their lives in the mountains.

Popradské pleso covers an area of 6.88 hectares and it is 18 meters depth. In the past it was called Rybie pleso (Fish lake), as it was the only mountain-lake in the southern High Tatra Mountains with the natural occurrence of fish. The old name was first used in 1736 by Matej Bel, a prominent Slovak scholar of 18th century.

At the lake you can find Cottage of Popradské pleso where you can buy some refreshments, beer or try Slovak traditional meals (e.g. Bryndzové halušky). You can also book a room here and stay here for few nights. If so, I would recommend you to wake up very early and enjoy the sun-rise.

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