Achensee is the largest lake in the North Tyrol region of Austria, about 30 km northeast of Innsbruck. The lake is located between two impressive mountain ranges: the Karwendel Mountains to the west and the Brandenberg Alps to the east. Achensee is known for its beautiful, crystal-clear waters, family-friendly hiking trails, and water sports. It’s a fantastic location for an adventure-filled summer holiday with plenty of opportunity for relaxation as well.
The weather in summer is warm enough for outdoor swimming, although it is cooler the higher you go!
We visited at the end of July and had a week of beautiful weather.
5 reasons to Visit Achensee
Water Sports on the Lake
There are several spots around the lake where you can hire padel boards, pedalos and other water sports equipment for a reasonable price.
Atoll Achensee is a fantastic sports centre, with a great swimming pool and access to the water with incredible views of the mountains and the lake. We spent two great mornings exploring the facilities on and off the lake.
Family Friendly Hikes and Bike Rides
There are plenty of family friendly walking trails and bike paths around the lake. The Wusel Lake trail is a very manageable 3.8 km trail with 16 stations for kids to visit and stamp an adventure card. It’s car-free with plenty of lake access points along the way, so you can take your time and just take in the stunning scenery.
Mountain Adventures
If you fancy an adventure a bit higher than the lake, Achensee is great for mountain hikes too! The Rofan Cable Car in Maurach takes visitors 1840 m above sea level to an incredible play area and a vast network of mountain trails and hikes for all levels.
My daughters especially enjoyed the AIROFAN Skyglider, a bird of prey shaped zip line that pulls people backwards up the mountain and then zooms down again!
The Karwendel Cable Car in Pertisau has a lovely alpine animal walk with large animal figures and boards to keep kids busy as you explore.
These cable car journeys aren’t just a quick trip to admire the view and come back down, they’re like transportation to another world, one that’s car free and full of adventures and surprises!
Steam Adventures
Explore the whole of Achensee on a steamboat, this adventure is perfect for covering a lot of ground without worrying about driving or little legs getting tired. Make sure you visit the Gaisam, a mountain hut that’s only accessible by foot or boat! For an extra special adventure, take the Lake Achensee Railway to Seespitz where you can connect with the steamboat! This steam cog railway is the oldest in Europe!
Fantastic Hotels
If you’re visiting with young children, I’d definitely recommend either Familienresort Buchau, which is right on the shore with a fantastic indoor/outdoor water world, great playgrounds, and fantastic food for kids and adults! We walked past and vowed to come back and stay one day!
Slightly further from the lake is Sporthotel Achensee. We stayed here and loved the whole experience, everything from the mini lake, to the indoor pool, rooms, food and general atmosphere was fantastic. Bike hire was included in our stay, so the trip to the lake was easy too!
How to get to Achensee
We flew into Munich and then drove to Achensee, a very easy journey that took less than 2 hours. Innsbruck is closer, but we found flights to be more expensive.
Top tips – take a look at the Achensee Holiday Card, which gives visitors free entry to some attractions.
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