Schloss Ort - Austria

Hello everyone. Last Christmas, we visited the city of Gmunden. We had a fantastic plan: to see Schloss Ort. The castle is located on Lake Traunsee and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The weather was quite lovely, with the sun shining brightly. So, we put on our sunglasses and began to explore the city. Unlike the foggy weather of the previous morning, it was clear and sunny, providing us with a great opportunity. We crossed the bridge to reach the castle and saw how beautiful the surrounding scenery was. The peaks of the Alps, which surround the castle from the back, were really magnificent.

Beyond its beautiful scenery, the place is also shrouded in the mysterious aura of an old legend. A wooden bridge, 123 meters long, extends from the shore to the castle. At this exact spot, 123 meters from the shore, a beautiful blonde once drowned. After arguing with her lover, she swam into the stormy depths and couldn't handle the large waves. Due to his grief, her lover built a massive castle at this location. In German, Schloss Ort means Lake castle.

As we continued to explore the castle, we found stunning views from the outside. Some parts of the castle required an entrance fee, so we simply walked around it and enjoyed the scenery. The view, especially where the mountains and the lake combined, was breathtaking.

The castle has two sections: one over the lake and the other on land. The castle has been around since 1039 and after a significant fire in 1600, it has remained in its current form. This makes the castle quite old and historically significant. The first references date back to the 7th century, but according to other historians, the castle was built in 1039. Since then, the castle has changed hands many times and has had many owners. Very recently, the city administration of Gmunden purchased the castle for their own use. Now, this place is quite popular among tourists, especially those who want to formalize their marriages. The castle looks quite impressive and beautiful from the outside.

During our visit, we took a lovely lakeside walk. The lake is large and is a great spot for swimming in the summer. However, since it was Christmas time, we just walked around it and enjoyed the scenery. Traunsee is known as Austria's deepest lake. At one point, the depth from the surface to the bottom is exactly 191 meters. The lake is very clean and rich in fish. Locals and tourists enjoy catching trout here and this fishing is free. We also saw a giant pine tree; it's hard to describe how large and majestic it was. Who knows how long that tree has been there? Besides that, the view of the Alps was also extraordinary.

Do you remember the famous song Ave Maria? Composer Franz Schubert wrote it while he was living in the town of Gmunden, near the castle, inspired by the beautiful view of Schloss Ort and Lake Traunsee. He walked along the shore, looked around, thought, dreamed and at that moment, the music came to him and he added it to Scott's poem The Lady of the Lake. But you can't have live music without a source of inspiration. Schubert was inspired by the image of beautiful pianist Nanette Wolf, whom he was in love with at the time. That's the lovely story behind the song.

It was truly enchanting there. Since it was Christmas time, some areas were beautifully decorated. We found some places worth seeing and enjoyed the great weather. Also, if you book early, train and bus journeys can be quite affordable. For example, I traveled from Brno to Vienna with three people for just 7 euros. If you book your hotel in advance, prices can be pretty reasonable.

We realized how enjoyable our days in Gmunden during Christmas were. However, it was now time to head home. We set off for the railway station and our return journey began. After experiencing all these things, it was a little hard to come back, but at least it was a trip filled with beautiful memories.

Wishing everyone a happy day and see you very soon! I hope these beautiful experiences inspire everyone. I wish you all great memories and enjoyable times this spring. See you!