The Gosauseen are a group of three cirque lakes at the foot of the Dachstein's northwest wall, reached by a winding road from the village of Gosau. The lower lake — the Vorderer Gosausee — is the destination most visitors aim for, and the view across it to the Dachstein glacier and the Gosaukamm ridge is one of the finest mountain panoramas in Austria. The water is a deep turquoise fed by glacier melt; the temperature is cold enough to discourage swimming but perfect for the colour.
A well-made path around the lower lake takes about two hours. The upper lake (Hinterer Gosausee) requires another hour of hiking and sees far fewer visitors; the setting is wilder and the reflections on still mornings equally extraordinary. Gondolas from the car park at the lower lake ascend to the Gablonzer Hütte, giving easy access to high-elevation walking routes across the Gosaukamm toward Hallstatt on the other side of the ridge. Winter brings a small ski area on the slopes above.