It takes about 2.5 hours to drive from Flachau to Bled.  It's a long way to go but a truly breathtaking place to swim with great views across the lake and the bells from the church in the distance.  When we swam here in July 2007 it was also surprisingly warm at 27^oC.  There is a footpath that leads all the way around the lake.  From this footpath you can access all the public (free) and private (small fee) entrance points.  These access points are mostly on the opposite side of the lake from the main town.

A bit of a drive from Flachau, but if you are visiting the Salzkammergut anyway it makes for a nice swim.  There are some designated swimming areas (see tourist office map) and the views are amazing.  Go late summer or early autumn when the water will be warmer.

Hechtsee is in the Bavarian Alps, near Kiefersfelden.  It is a pretty lake that you can walk around for free or pay a small entrance fee to use the official swimming area.  If you're there all day it's worth paying the fee as the facilities are great.  We swam here at the end of June and the water temperature was 23^oC.

Millstätter See is located on the A10 quite close to Villach.  It's a large lake with several villages around the shore.  Although we struggled to find a free public bathing area, it is so large that there must be one somewhere!  We did however find a nice 'Strandbad' which allowed access to the lake for a small fee.

This is reputed to be the Salzkammergut's warmest lake.  It has a good formal swimming are with changing facilities, slides and diving boards.  There is also the possibility for watersports.  Entry is a few Euros in the summer and free from mid-Sep onwards.  There are also plenty of other free bathing entrances around the lake.

This is a large lake with a nice mountain back-drop, fairly near to Rosenheim.  It has lots of formal (pay) swimming areas but also plenty of free access points.  We swam here at the end of June and the water was a reasonable temperature (approx. 20^oC).

Another big lake with a great mountain back-drop, not far from Schliersee.  What hits you when you drive up to this lake is the blueness of the water.   There are  lots of formal (pay) swimming areas but also plenty of free access points.  The towns around the lake are also pretty but quite busy.  

Thumsee is a hidden gem just outside Bad Reichenhall on the road to Inzell.  It's quite a small lake but the water is clear and warm with plenty of friendly fish.  It's a great location and well worth a visit.  

Large lake in the Northern Salzkammergut region.  We visited in mid-September 2006 and found a really good decked lake entrance.  There wasn't anyone else swimming but we had a dip and it was quite pleasant...maybe 18-19^oC (didn't have thermometer).

Wörther See is a reasonably large lake about an hours drive south of Flachau, in the Carinthia region of Austria.  The main town on the shore of the lake is Velden.  It is fantastic for swimming but be prepared to hunt for the public bathing areas - pop into the Tourist Information for a map.

Zell am See is a 45 minute scenic drive from Flachau.  It is better known for it's skiing (linked with Kaprun) but in the summer the lake itself is the main feature with many holidaymakers choosing to stay along it's shore .  It is a reasonably large lake with many access points for swimming, some free, some not.  When we swam here on 14-Jul-06 the temperature was 24^oC.