Accessible to all

A new bathing area is to be built on Lake Attersee

Recreational and leisure facilities are to be created on a 14,000 square meter site on Lake Attersee.(Bild: ÖBf)

A beach volleyball court, a children's playground, modern sanitary facilities and, if possible, a kiosk: a new bathing area for the public is to be built on Lake Attersee. Access to the lake is to be permanently free and open to all - and this is to be laid down in a contract.

The Austrian Federal Forests want to make this possible by purchasing a large lakeshore area (7300 square meters) on the former railroad station site of the market town of Schörfling. In addition, they are also leasing an adjacent area of around 6700 square meters from ÖBB.

Creating lake entrances
"My aim is to provide our families with more bathing areas in the future. I am convinced that these additional bathing and recreational areas will not only strengthen the appeal of Lake Attersee, but will also provide a positive impetus for the entire region," says Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig, who is responsible for the federal forests.

Gravel and asphalt areas are to be converted into grassland.(Bild: ÖBf)

In the newly acquired area, the gravel areas are to be converted into green spaces and lake entrances are to be created. The targeted dismantling of hard shoreline constructions in favor of shallow sloping shallow water zones is also planned.

Rededication by the municipality
But this is all still up in the air. "The prerequisites for implementation include the relevant official approvals and the necessary rezoning of the station area by the municipality. The interests of existing tenants will be taken into account as far as possible during implementation," says the ministry.

65 soccer pitches to be laid out
In Upper Austria, the Federal Forests manage 14 lakes and currently provide more than 35 free natural bathing areas and other lakeside areas for parks, promenades or lidos. In addition, there are 97 plots of land with free lake access from the province of Upper Austria with a sunbathing area of 474,265 square meters - the size of 65 soccer pitches.