Nussensee

Nussensee is a small lake in the Salzkammergut region of Upper Austria. It lies close to the town of Bad Ischl, surrounded by gentle hills and meadows. The water is fed mainly by underground springs, so its level rises and falls with the seasons. These changes help rare plants to grow around the shore. One of the rarest is the common water chestnut, which appears in summer. The lake covers about ten hectares and reaches a depth of nearly fifteen metres. It stretches six hundred metres from end to end, but never more than two hundred and fifty metres wide. Because the water is so clear, visitors can see the bottom even at the deepest points. The shoreline is mostly calm, with only a few small inlets where water plants take root. A path runs all the way around the lake, allowing walkers to follow the changing water’s edge. In spring the meadows are dotted with wild flowers, and in autumn the surrounding woods turn golden. The reflections in the still water make the scene peaceful at any time of year.