Gosau
Gosau is a 1,792-resident municipality in Upper Austria located in the Traunviertel’s Gmunden region. It is on Lake Hallstatt in the Gosau Valley, an elongated side valley of the upper Traun Valley. Situated on the fringes of the Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut UNESCO World Heritage Site, the region is part of the Inner Salzkammergut.
Small town Gosau is situated south of Bad Ischl in the Salzkammergut. Scattered along Gosaubach Creek is the neighborhood. Large numbers of tourists are drawn to its picturesque surrounds, which include streams, the lakes Gosau Seen, Vorderer (front) Gosausee, and Hinterer (back) Gosausee. Gosau is home to 75% of its population who are protestants in this mostly Catholic nation.
Easy access to the vast skiing slopes of the Dachstein region is offered via Gosau. There are hardly many tourist sites at all. The history of the community is somewhat new. Gosau was formerly a part of the Duchy of Bavaria but in the twelfth century it joined Austria. It was a part of the Principality of Austria beyond Enns (“Fürstentum sterreich ob der Enns”) and, from 1490, Upper Austria.
For the rest of its life, the hamlet enjoyed a peaceful existence because the Salzkammergut’s mining activities took place elsewhere, but the nearby Hallstatt mines did influence the village’s economics. Napoleonic Wars saw many invasions of Gosau by French and Bavarian forces.
Gosau depends on tourism these days, as does most of the Salzkammergut since the 1800s.The two Gosau Lakes are highly popular, apart from skiers who value its close vicinity to the Dachstein. Though it is a natural lake, the Vorderer Gosausee had its water level artificially increased by around 12 meters in 1910 to accommodate a neighboring power station.
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Geography Of Gosau
In Upper Austria’s Salzkammergut area is the municipality of Gosau. Its magnificent sceneries and topographical characteristics are well-known. The Gosaubach winds through the municipality, which is tucked away in a side valley of the Trauntal with the Gosauzwang crossing and draining into Lake Hallstatt. The main settlement area, the Gosau basin, is reached when the Gosau valley bends southeastward after forming a valley gorge.
The area is a component of the Salzkammergut Pre-Alps and the Salzkammergut-Talungen geographic unit. Covering 13.1 kilometers from north to south and 17.4 kilometers from west to east, the municipality has 58.9% forest. Gosau, the principal town, is located at 767 meters above sea level. The southern parts of the municipal area have been a natural reserve and protected area since 1963, when they were included into the central Dachstein region.
Gosau is situated on the southernmost range of the Northern Limestone Alps, the Dachstein Mountains. About 78 kilometers separate it from Salzburg, 65 from Linz, and 300 from Vienna. Among the areas the municipality borders are Bad Goisern, Hallstatt, Annaberg-Lungötz, Abtenau, Filzmoos, Ramsau am Dachstein, Obertraun, and Bad Aussee. Gosau is accessible by car, bus, rail or airplane; Salzburg Airport and Linz Airport are the closest airports.
Weather & Climate In Gosau
Gosau is a little settlement in the Alps with a moderately cold weather. It gets a good deal of rain all year round and goes through four different seasons. Gosau has a warm summer and a snowy winter according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. Elevated 767 meters above sea level, the community has heavier snowfall and cooler temperatures than lower areas.
Temperatures in spring, which runs from March to May, climb progressively from an average of -0.5 °C in March to 8.6 °C in May. Days lengthen and there are six to eight hours of sunshine every day. At 146 to 190 mm of rain on average per month, spring is also a rainy season.
June to August is Gosau’s hottest and sunniest season. July and August saw the highest average temperatures, 14.2 °C. Nine hours of sunlight a day make for long days. But summer also brings the most rain, averaging between 185 and 207 mm per month.
September through November is autumn, a season of transition marked by progressively falling temperatures. From 10.2 °C in September to 0.7 °C in November, are the averages. Days get shorter and there are five or six hours of sunshine per day. At 118 to 165 mm of rain on average per month, autumn is a dry season.
Gosau’s winter months, December through February, are the coldest and snowiest. Averaging -5.7 °C, January has the lowest temperatures. There are four or five hours of daylight every day, but the days are short and gloomy. A wonderful scenery is created by the snow covering the mountains and the ground. At 8 to 9 km/h on average, winter is likewise a windy season.
Demographics Of Gosau
The little, rural Austrian town of Gosau has a high elderly population percentage and a low population density. Presumably of German and Austrian descent, it is one of the few Lutheran settlements in the nation. The economy of the town mostly depends on agriculture, tourism, and lumber industry. Both wealth and education are rather high among Gosau’s inhabitants.
Gosau had 1,820 residents overall at the 2023 census, down 9.5% from 2000. Since the 1970s, the birth rate, mortality rate, and negative net migration rate have all been dropping. Going forward, it is expected to keep declining.
Comparing Gosau to the national average, the proportion of adults is greater while that of children and adolescents is lower. In addition, the town has a sizable senior population—its median age is greater than the national average.
Gosau has a low percentage of foreign citizenships and is mostly homogenous in terms of ethnic and cultural diversity. In homes, German is the most often spoken language. Primarily Lutheran, the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession is the largest religious organization in the town.
History Of Gosau
Austrian Gosau valley was founded in the thirteenth century by Salzburg-based monks from St. Peter’s Abbey. Gosau’s inhabitants mostly lived off of forestry and supplied wood to Hallstatt for the manufacture of salt. In the valley were also alpine meadows where farmers raised their livestock and made butter and cheese. A saltworks constructed in 1295 by Albrecht I of Habsburg was a major part of the history of Gosau. The saltworks were destroyed, nonetheless, in the Gosau Salt War, which broke out between the Salzburg Archdiocese and the Principality of Austria ob der Enns. A peace pact confirming the Habsburgs’ claims to Gosau and the saltworks brought an end to the conflict in 1297.
By the fifteenth century, Gosau was a component of the Principality of Austria ob der Enns and fell under Habsburg authority. Established in 1507, Gosau’s Catholic parish church is devoted to St. Sebastian. Gosau saw upheavals between Protestants and Catholic authorities when the Reformation grew there in the sixteenth century. When a Protestant insurrection was put down in 1602, rebels were apprehended, subjected to torture, and executed; their property was also taken. By the Patent of Toleration, Emperor Joseph II gave Protestants in Austria significant religious freedom in 1781. As a result, Gosau saw the founding of a Protestant tolerant group that in 1784 constructed a prayer building. Later, in 1869, a bigger church called the Gosau Evangelical Parish Church took the place of the prayer house.
Gosau suffered much during the Napoleonic Wars when French and Bavarian forces repeatedly invaded the area. The 19th-century hunger and poverty brought about by the collapse of the salt business and population increase drove many locals to leave in quest of better opportunities. Completing the Gosau power plant in 1913 gave the area energy and stimulated the economy. In 1918, Gosau was included to the federal state of Upper Austria. Following World War II, American soldiers held the area until 1955.
Tourism In Gosau
In the Upper Austrian Salzkammergut area is the quaint town of Gosau. Nestled between the beautiful Dachstein mountains and the tranquil Gosau lakes, it provides an amazing natural setting that draws hikers, skiers, and cultural vultures all in equal measure. The region offers guests an unforgettable and fully immersed experience with its breathtaking beauty, rich history, and ancient customs.
Gosau is thus a component of the Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut UNESCO World Heritage Site, which highlights the area’s natural and cultural legacy. This acknowledgement emphasises even more how important and beautiful Gosau is as a travel destination.
Gosau has been becoming more and more popular according to tourism data. It had 113,467 overnight stays in all in 2023, up 5.6% from the year before. At 41.7% occupancy, the average length of stay was 3.8 nights. Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic were the primary source markets for tourists. The months of December through March were the prime seasons, as were July and September.
Two seasons define Gosau’s tourism: winter and summer. Wintertime draws more tourists, particularly snowboarders and skiers who may enjoy the vast slopes of the Dachstein West ski region. Additionally offered are other winter sports including ice skating, sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Summertime is appealing to people who want to hike, bike, swim, fish, and discover the local natural and cultural treasures. Summertime is further enhanced by a number of festivals and events, including the Gosau Lake and Mountain Festivals.
Best Time To Visit Gosau
The high and low tourist seasons are experienced by the charming Austrian town of Gosau. June through August is the summertime peak season, as are the wintertime celebrations of Christmas and New Year. The great demand for lodging and services at this time drives up costs. Conversely, March through May and September through November are the spring and fall months that constitute the low season. Prices are lower since there is less demand for lodging and services at this time.
In Gosau, spring, which runs from March to May, is a season in between winter and summer. This is a bright, pleasant period of year when average temperatures range from 0°C to 14°C. Colorful and revitalizing, the landscape changes as the snow melts and flowers blossom. Because there are less people on the trails and breathtaking vistas, spring is the best season to go hiking, bicycling, and sightseeing. Still, because of the snow, certain higher-altitude sites might be blocked or unreachable.
Tourism in Gosau peaks in the summer, which runs from June to August. At this time of year, temperatures are mild and pleasant, averaging between 8°C and 19°C. Summertime is ideal for lake swimming, boating, and fishing with almost nine hours of sunshine each day. The alpine pastures, the Löckermoos bog, and the Hallstatt salt mines are also well worth seeing at this time of year. Summertime also brings with it a plethora of festivals and cultural activities. It is noteworthy, although, that summertime is the most costly and crowded time to visit Gosau, and there may occasionally be thunderstorms and rain, especially in July and August.
Attractions & Landmarks In Gosau
Part of the UNESCO World Heritage region of Hallstatt Dachstein Salzkammergut, the Gosau Valley’s agricultural past is glimpsed through the open-air museum. Condensed portrayal of the historical cultural environment of the area, the large grounds include a little pond. The Paarhof, which stands in for the traditional farmhouse framework of the cultural environment, is at the center of this museum. Tucked down at the foot of the imposing Gosaukamm, the open-air museum is situated in one of the most magnificent locations in the Salzkammergut.
Situated in the Gmunden area of Upper Austria, in the municipality of Gosau, the Gosau Parish Church is a monument to centuries of religious history. Venerable in design, the current church was painstakingly built between 1500 and 1507. Inside the chapel, historical eras and stylistic influences coexist.
With the Hoher Dachstein standing 2995 meters above sea level and the Niedere Dachstein standing 2934 meters, Dachstein, a well-known peak in the Dachstein Mountains, has a unique double-peak configuration. Second only to the Parseierspitze in height, the mountain is located in the Northern Alps.
Situated in the Gmunden district of Gosau, the Gosau Evangelical Parish Church is an important place of worship and the parish church of the Austrian Evangelical Church AB. Built in 1864–1869, it took the site of the previous Tolerance Church, which had been built in 1784. Hermann Wehrenfennig helped to define the architectural character of the area by designing the church in the neo-Gothic style.
Food & Drinks In Gosau
With breathtaking mountain landscape extending from Dachstein to Gosaukamm and Großglockner, the Sonnenalm is the ideal spot for relaxation. They offers a delectable selection of home-made pastries and Alpine delicacies in several quaint spaces, such as the winter garden, the sun deck, and the comfortable guest rooms.
Nestled close to the Hornspitzbahn valley station in Gosau at Dachstein, the Moosalm & Kuhbar has a fantastic location. At the heart of the stunning Gosau valley is this place. Families and groups of friends are invited to enjoy nice meals in a comfortable setting at the restaurant. The winter garden and deck, with their stunning view of the Gosaukamm, are the ideal spots to unwind and socialize.
Gosauseestraße 131, 4824 Gosau is the address of Gasthaus Gosauschmied, a restaurant with a lovely view and a range of cuisine. There are excellent views of the Gosaukamm from both the deck and the sizable winter garden where people may eat. The restaurant is pleased to provide a large assortment of handcrafted pies, international cuisine, and Austrian home cooking. Because it concentrates on seasonal fish dishes, which demonstrates a commitment to quality and diversity, the menu stands out.
Gosau - Info Card
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Gosau is a municipality in the district of Gmunden in Upper Austria, Austria. It is situated along the Gosaubach stream in the Salzkammergut region |
| Elevation | The center of the town is at an elevation of 767 metres (2,516 ft) |
| Population | As of 2018, Gosau had a population of 1,792 |
| Tourism office | The tourism office of Gosau is located at Gosauseestraße 37, 4824 Gosau. It offers information and services for visitors, such as accommodation, activities, events, and maps |
| Postal code | The postal code of Gosau is 4824 |
| Phone prefix | The phone prefix of Gosau is 06136 |
| Area | The total area of Gosau is 113.41 km2 (43.79 sq mi) |
| Established | Gosau was settled in the 13th century by monks from St. Peter’s Abbey in Salzburg |
| Language | The official language of Gosau is German, but the local dialect is a variant of the Austro-Bavarian language |
| License plate | The vehicle registration code of Gosau is GM, which stands for Gmunden |
| Districts & Neighborhoods | Gosau consists of four districts: Gosau-Mittertal, Gosau-Hintertal, Gosau-Vordertal, and Gosau-Ramsau |
| Weather & Climate | Gosau enjoys a four-season moderate climate. Temperatures year-round average 7.3 °C (45.1 °F). At 16.6 °C (61.9 °F) on average, July is the hottest month; January is the coldest, at -2.3 °C (27.9 °F) average. 1,389 mm (54.7 in) of precipitation falls on average year; June has the highest and January has the least. |
| Best Time To Visit | Your interests in activities and sights will determine when is the best to visit Gosau. The ideal months for skiing and other winter activities are December through March, when there is plenty of snow and open slopes. The ideal months for hiking, biking, and sightseeing are May through October when the weather is pleasant and the landscape is lush and vibrant. When it comes to cultural events and festivals, June through September are the busiest months in the area. |
