This Medieval Castle on a Lake Near Salzburg Is 2024’s Most Idyllic New Hotel

Meanwhile, the 98 guest rooms and suites are more subdued, but equally stylish—boasting soft, pastel-hued palettes inspired by the turning of the seasons. My own suite, which offered a view of the west side of the lake, where a handful of tiny wooden cabins dotted the shoreline, appeared to lean toward the fall-to-winter end of the spectrum, decorated in a pleasing combination of ice blue and copper. My bathroom also deserves a shout-out for its enormous marble tub, and being fully stocked with toiletries from the cult-favorite botanical skincare whizz Susanne Kauffman, whose own flagship lies in Bezau, at the other end of Austria. It’s that magic balance of being wildly luxurious without seeming overbearing or fussy—you’ll immediately feel like you can kick off your shoes here and relax. (Word to the wise: I was only just able to squeeze into the hotel on its second week of opening, with it operating at mostly full capacity throughout the summer.)

Photo: Jonathan Maloney / Inga Beckmann for What The Fox Studio

Though, sure, you can spend a lazy afternoon drinking cocktails by the lake, with service (and snacks) that rival any Amalfi Coast beach club, the real joy of the place is how it’s fully plugged into its natural surroundings, which the ever-obliging staff will encourage you to make the most of. There are hiking trails galore in this corner of the world, and in the winter, it’s 20 minutes from the nearest ski slopes. A highlight is a sunrise cruise across the lake in one of the hotel’s gorgeous antique boats (updated to feature electric motors) with a flask of coffee; another is the hotel’s dedicated fishery, which holds the only license to fish on the Fuschl lake and offers rustic lunchtime picnics of smoked trout with a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of mayonnaise, served with rye bread and beer. It’s as hearty and delicious as it sounds.