Traunkirchen: Trails, History and a Swimming Island

Traunkirchen offers a range of reasons to choose it as a travel destination: historic themed trails, the history of its churches and chapels, hiking opportunities and a swimming area in the town centre. If you are looking for a hotel in Traunkirchen, these interests can help guide your choice of stay.

Historic Trails and Activities

A well-marked network of trails opens up an appealing hiking area in Traunkirchen. The free, easy “Abbacia Trunseo” themed trail has ten stages, running from the war memorial in the town square to Klosterplatz. It is 2.0 kilometres long. The Via Historica follows a different route: 15 illustrated enamel plaques accompany the trail from the town centre around and up Johannesberg, through the Seetor gate and on to the parish church.

A family-friendly forest road, suitable for pushchairs, also leads to the Hochsteinalm. Along the way, there are occasional views across Lake Traunsee to Traunstein. At the Hochsteinalm, visitors can feed alpacas, goats and sheep; check the current arrangements in advance if you plan to feed them.

The Salzkammergut Cycle Path to Ebensee starts in Traunkirchen’s town square. The route is 4.5 kilometres long and rated easy. There is also a diving school in Traunkirchen that offers the opportunity to dive in Lake Traunsee. Check in advance what booking options are currently available.

Swimming Island and Lakeshore

The free-to-use “Badeinsel” swimming area lies at the foot of Johannesberg, right in the town centre. Seasonal conditions may affect its operation. The artificially created, kidney-shaped island is up to 10 metres wide and about 25 metres long. Together with two dams, it forms a ring of land around a lake swimming pool.

A Bronze and Iron Age lakeside settlement is located on the Traunkirchen peninsula. The ARCHEKULT Archaeological Exhibition is open from May to September on Saturdays and Sundays from 14:00 to 18:00. From October to April, it is open on Saturdays from 14:00 to 17:00. Check the opening hours again before you arrive, as schedules can change.

Churches, Chapels and Traditions

The Calvary can be reached via four devotional chapels. It includes the oldest Calvary chapel in the Salzkammergut, completed in 1699, with a Baroque Crucifixion group. Johannesberg is considered an ancient place of worship. The Johannesberg Chapel is first mentioned in a document dating from 1356; its date of construction is not known with certainty.

The Jesuits from Passau took over the monastery in 1622. After the second fire in 1632, Traunkirchen Parish Church was built in its present Baroque form. The church houses the Fischerkanzel, a pulpit carved in 1753 depicting the miracle of the abundant fish catch.

Local customs also have their own places and times: the annual Corpus Christi procession on the lake starts at the Seetor gate; dates and weather-related arrangements may vary. The traditional Antlaßsingen concludes with a morning procession of supplication up to the Calvary. Its annual timing depends on the Easter calendar.

Plan Your Journey

Route 30/35 of the Salzkammergut Shuttle offers connections to OÖVV bus services at Traunkirchen’s town square and other stops. At Traunkirchen railway station, passengers can connect to ÖBB train services. Check the timetables again before travelling so your journey plans reflect the current connections.

Discover more destinations: Rindbach, Vorchdorf, Pinsdorf, Scharnstein, Gosau, Sankt Konrad, Kirchham bei Vorchdorf, Roitham

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