Are you looking for an adventure that doesn’t break your bank account? This adventure is for you – even if you are a little bit scared. No worries, It is not as wild as it sounds like.
You have a floatable item and you let yourself drift down the river. The current of the river, Ischl, is not super strong and at some parts the river is very shallow. Surrounded by the beautiful landscape of the Salzkammergut this is a little unique activity that lets you explore Austria in a different way.
Starting your affordable adventure in Strobl
It is a great activity for hot summer days. The only thing you need is a floatable item (donut, air mattress, some sort of animals, etc) and a waterproof bag. It is also important to have enough water and if you want some snacks with you. Optional are watershoes and a cap to protect yourself from the sun.
The journey starts in the middle of Austria at the beautiful iconic Wolfgangsee, in Strobl. You can either arrive by bus or by car. Next to the bus station is a big car park, where you can park (check if you have to pay there).
From there it is a 15 minutes walk to the river, your starting point at the water. You walk towards the lake but keep to the right. Towards the little hill, the Bürglstein. Before the bridge you turn right there is a little path, make sure you don’t miss it. Take this path just a few meters to the left there are stairs into the river – the perfect starting point for a fun adventure.
The river route for your summer adventure in Austria
If you have enough time you can float along the river all the way to Bad Ischl. But this will probably take the whole day. Otherwise you can exit the river at any suitable place and take the bus back to Strobl. Since the main road is more or less parallel to the river. At some parts of the river you have to get off, because once there is a power station. Before the power plant the river almost becomes a lake with hardly any current and it is pretty deep at this point. To your left you have a stone wall with several staircases one after the other. It is a good point to get out of the water. Right there you can get on the path that is directly on the river shore.
Another adventurous part of this activity in Austria are the rapids. If you are afraid you can walk during these parts. But if you are attentive it isn’t that harmful. Actually those rough parts are fun.
While most of the rivers in Austria are cold even during summer, the Ischl is not called and in Bad Ischl people enjoy the river like a lake. That’s why this river I believe is the best for this kind of adventure activity. You don’t have a too strong current and it is not freezing cold.
Along the river
The path of the river goes mainly along residential areas. Most of the time, the riverbank is lined with trees. The water level varies, most of the time it is hip deep but at other times it is angel deep – that’s the part where you would need to walk.
The current of the river is not as fast so the journey is relaxing but it can also be rough if you do not watch out for the stones and horseflies.
Packing List
- Floatable item
- Water shoes
- Dry bag
- Sun screen
- Bathing suit
- Towel
- Change of clothing
- Money/credit card or your card for the bus back to Strobl
Best time to go
The best time would be if there was rain before you do this river adventure in Austria. Not much rain, maybe just a rainy day before you go but not several days of heavy rain.
Also not a good option is to go when it is very dry. When there wasn’t any rainfall for days, because then you will have very low water levels, which means you are closer to the stones and that’s not fun.
Hazzards
DO NOT go after heavy rain! This is very important because the water level of the river can double, and it is extremely dangerous to be on the river under these conditions!
Do not leave any trash in or around the river. This is the livelihood for many species, leave it clean.
Watch out for horse flies and rocks. Since the water level is never constant and large rocks in some places can cause very unpleasant scrapes, you should be careful not to take too many blue marks home with you as souvenirs.
