Mountain Lakes for Cooling Off around St. Anton am Arlberg

Five lakes around St. Anton am Arlberg that we know well — each with its own walking time and difficulty level.

Maiensee: the easy-going one, for a quick escape

Maiensee lies near St. Christoph am Arlberg and is the most laid-back of our tips. From the car park it's a 15- to 30-minute walk depending on where you start, with no real effort involved. It isn't especially big, but it's wonderfully idyllic: fresh water, lovely for swimming, two or three wooden loungers on the shore, and quiet all around. On hot days, a real treat.

The longer option, if you have at least half a day to spare: take the Galzigbahn up and descend from the Galzig to Maiensee. If you like, carry on to the Sennhütte and refuel there. All told, that's about 2.5 to 3 hours of walking — a lovely loop that makes the plunge into the water even better.

Good to know: The ride up with the Galzigbahn is not included in the free basic mobility card (Basis-Mobilitätskarte). For that there's the Premium Summer Card, available locally.

The Albona Lakes: for lingering, all day long

This one also starts from St. Christoph am Arlberg, from the same point as the Maiensee loop – but on the other side of the mountain. After about 30 minutes on foot you reach the water — and here it's not just one lake waiting but several small ones. You can swim in one of them or simply cool your feet. If you fancy it, stay the whole day: with a picnic, a book and plenty of nature all around.

We visited the Albona Lakes ourselves just recently. What we loved most? The absolute quiet up there.

Malfonsee: a little gem at the end of the trail

Malfonsee, in the valley of the same name, is reached from Pettneu am Arlberg: you can start the tour either straight from Omaela by (e-)bike or by car. The first stretch leads to the Malfontal car park in Pettneu. From there the path continues by (e-)bike or on foot.

A stop at the Malfonalm is worth it. For children it's a good spot to play by the water. After that, carry on to the end of the track, where the small Malfonsee lies. The inflow is shallow — children can wade in it while the grown-ups cool their feet and the truly brave take a swim.

And for anyone who finds the tour to Malfonsee not quite enough: just before the lake, the climb to the Edmund-Graf-Hütte and on to the Hoher Riffler begins. That's a properly sporty tour — doable in a day, or, if you prefer, split over two days with an overnight stay at the Edmund-Graf-Hütte.

Langsee in the Schönverwall: the long way is worth it

Our favourite when a whole day is on the cards. The best approach is to set off by bike or e-bike straight from our place. Alternatively, come by car or bus to the entrance of the Verwall and start from there.

The route passes the Wagnerhütte, then runs along the Verwallsee — where there's a children's playground and a barbecue spot, in case you'd like to round off the day there. From there it continues to the Konstanzerhütte and turns right into the Schönverwall.

At the water intake (Wasserfassung), it's the end of the line for bikes. Leave yours there — a bike lock doesn't hurt! — and walk the final 30 minutes or so on foot. An easy, pretty walk. At the end lies Langsee — and by then, at the latest, you'll know the long way was worth it.

Don't forget your swimming things!

The Faselfad Lakes: our next destination

We've got our eye on the Faselfad Lakes — we just haven't been up there ourselves yet. We'll put that right this summer. Six little lakes, high up between the peaks: just the photos of them stir our sense of adventure!

As soon as we've been, we'll tell you first-hand about the trail and the water. Promise!

And the Verwallsee?

There's a spot at the reservoir in the Verwall where we especially love to sit in summer. We've even given it a name. Exactly where it is, we prefer to share in person — just ask us next time you're with us at Omaela.

Practical things to bring

• Swimwear and a towel — the water is refreshingly cool everywhere.

• Sturdy shoes, even for the short paths.

• A bike lock if you're riding into the Verwall or the Malfontal.

• A snack or a stop-in: the Wagnerhütte, Konstanzerhütte, Malfonalm and Sennhütte all lie along the routes described.

• You can charge e-bikes at our own charging station in the house.

If you like, we'll happily tell you on the spot which lake is at its best right now. That depends on the weather, the time of day and how much wanderlust you've got in you today.

Lisa and Martin