7 SEEN SPECIAL - Living at Lake Mondsee (Part II)

7 Lakes Series – Living at Lake Mondsee Part II

Lake Mondsee is not only a place of relaxation, where you can comfortably pass the summer vacation days. On top of that, Mondsee offers a variety of action-packed activities that are an absolute recreational dream for sports enthusiasts big and small. Whether it’s water, hiking or biking fun, we’ll show you several ways to counteract the vacation laziness that creeps up on you in the summer.

Paradise for water lovers – sailing and surfing

It’s clear: Lake Mondsee attracts sailing aficionados and is considered a paradise for pleasure sailors. Countless boats cavort all over the lake, bringing it to life. In addition to two yacht clubs at the north end of the lake, the largest surfing and sailing school in the German-speaking region is located directly in Mondsee. There you can try and learn not only surfing and sailing, but also kitesurfing. The fun factor is also cranked up with wakeboarding or water skiing. Of course, there is also the classic Stand Up Paddling at Mondsee, which again brings something new to the paddle board by combining it with yoga. Try it out!

Cycling in the nature of Mondsee

From small hills to rugged peaks and rapid descents, the region around Lake Mondsee offers a variety of bike paths. The tours include fantastic views of the magnificent surroundings and the turquoise-blue lake landscape, and there are also numerous restaurants and inns for relaxing breaks. Whether cyclists, e-bikers, mountain bikers and road cyclists – swing on your bike and enjoy the beautiful scenery around the lake!

Especially for mountain bikers, a wide variety of tours – leisurely or sweaty – lead over forest roads and meadows to fabulous panoramas, such as the Hochalm on Mondseeberg.

Golf at lake Mondsee

Around the Mondsee golf lovers are offered attractive opportunities to play golf. The Drachenwand golf course, for example, is considered one of the most beautiful 9-hole courses in Austria and is located in a dreamlike setting. It was designed by Marc Muller, who designed some of South Africa’s famous golf courses. In addition to the golf course, there is a hotel with restaurant and terrace overlooking the mountains and the lake.

The Golfclub am Mondsee with its 18 holes is also particularly attractive for golfers. The idyllic location on the shore of the lake and the successful design by Max Graf Lamberg are a plus. At the end of the game you can enjoy the restaurant with terrace and the bathing place there.

Hiking-dream tours

Around the Mondsee region there are 150 kilometers of hiking trails, including breathtaking panoramic views. There is something for everyone here! The mountains Schober, Drachenwand, Schafberg and Almkogel are waiting to be climbed by you. The reward: a wonderful view that you will remember for a long time.

Public bathing places

The different bathing places at Mondsee all have their own flair. Everywhere you will be provided with refreshing drinks and a variety of snacks. Sanitary facilities are also available. What is not allowed, however, is to bring dogs. For a bathing day with dog you can use the free lake accesses.

FIPAMOLA – Fitnesspark Mondseeland

This is the name of the fitness park directly on the lake promenade in Mondsee. And it has a lot to offer – from a multi-ball sports court, a motor skills track, a workout course, to a half pipe for skaters or a freerunning course. There are sporting challenges here for every sports junkie!

Boat trip at lake Mondsee

If you want to experience Mondseeland from one of its most beautiful sides, then from the lake itself. In the meantime there is a luxury boat pleasure at the Mondsee with the “Frauscher electric boat San Remo”. Or Rent an electric boat or a pedal boat and discover the romantic bays on the lake individually. You will not regret it!

Interview

Now follows the interview with our next guest of the 7 Lakes Special, realtor Mag. Eva Bamberger, whom we asked the following questions about Mondsee and its luxury properties, as well as future prospects and trends.

What makes living at Mondsee so special and where do you see the uniqueness of Mondsee?

Lake Mondsee is unique in that it is a year-round lake for me. Unlike the Attersee or various Carinthian lakes, there is something going on here all year round. Mondsee itself is a place that is not extinct in winter, where locals live and the special thing about it is of course the immediate proximity to Salzburg city. You can reach it in about 20 minutes by car. In 25 minutes you are at the airport and you simply have everything at the Mondsee. Everything is available in terms of infrastructure and you are very well connected and supplied there.

What trend do you see in properties at Mondsee?
And what is this trend based on?

Here, too, we have a shortage of space or much less grassland, which is why the trend is clearly towards residential construction, increasingly luxury residential construction. Direct lakefront properties are in short supply, so they try to give customers the most beautiful lake views possible and just about every amenity you could want.

I think the pioneer of this trend was definitely the Sky Lounge. Dr. Lehrl has really dared to do something here with a showpiece. This is a Leading object as it is rarely found in Europe – simply to build something that is unique, that really reflects on peace, on time out, on retreat, on the wonderfully sunny quiet location – where simply every comfort, including concierge service, is available. There you can clearly see the pioneering role and today some construction projects that refer to it.

Are there any reasons to believe that this trend could change?

The only thing would be, although I can’t imagine it, that the luxury segment will run out of steam at some point. You also have to pay a bit of attention to the locals again, to affordable housing, but that’s such an issue at the moment anyway. What does affordable housing also mean? Construction costs have exploded, and the order books are still well full. Apparently there’s supposed to be a bit of a turnaround next year, but that remains to be seen. So at the moment, I don’t see any change in the trend.

What is the profile of the classic buyer at Mondsee – who is your primary target group?

The classic buyer at Mondsee is actually an Austrian or comes from the neighboring, German area, and appreciates both the comfort of Austria and the standard of living. We have noticed that because of the Corona situation, the public is also shedding their international properties because there have been restrictions – whether it’s border traffic, whether it’s air traffic – that have made these properties inaccessible. One appreciates it when one can simply get into the car and use a beautiful property at Mondsee, with a connection to Salzburg city, which also has an incredible amount to offer.

Are houses, apartments or plots of land currently the most sought after, or is there a clear favorite?

Basically everything is being searched for at the moment. Most properties directly on the lake in a unique, sunny location, with a beautiful house on it. However, it is virtually unavailable to hardly available anymore and the prices are fancier prices. What is hardest to find at the moment is building land.

Especially in the Salzkammergut region, there is – or so it seems to me – a higher off-market supply of lakeside properties than transparent offers. Do you think this makes sense, and why do you think off-market offers are so desirable from the sender’s point of view, especially in this region?

I wouldn’t say there are many off-market offerings at all. It is the case that direct lakefront properties are very often traded immediately under the table. Word gets around. People know each other and by the time it gets to us, to a broker, it’s usually gone. Dout6e know each other from the yacht club, golf course, etc. and if, for example, someone has died, the heirs often do not want to keep it and sell it as soon as possible. Often, as real estate agents, we don’t even get the opportunity to market. Whereby one must say: With us, everything is basically very transparent, both the prices and the properties. And if off-market is desired, of course we do that too, but it doesn’t happen that often. What we do is we always inform our pre-market customers first, that they are informed about exclusive properties first, of course.

We notice on FINDMYHOME.AT/Premium Living a very strong increase in demand for lakefront properties (34% compared to last year). Is this also reflected in the growth in the value of luxury properties at Mondsee? And what has been the price trend over the last three years?

Yes quite clearly, there is an increase in demand. As I mentioned earlier, corona-related one was limited also with travel, with the accessibility of other real estate. People want the comfort of a nice vacation life or the feeling of being on vacation. You have that at Mondsee, even though you live there year-round, but it’s just a vacation spot. In general, the whole Salzkammergut really always offers you the feeling of being on vacation and yet you have short distances, a short infrastructure to reach cities and to do your work.

I would say that in Mondsee, too, prices have doubled in the last three years for apartments and lakefront properties.

Has the demand for properties with lake views, but not directly on the lake, increased just as much?

Yes, for sure. If there is nothing left directly at the lake, then of course you have to arrange what else is available on the market. And also such apartments offer all the comforts such as large spa areas, swimming pools, beautiful sunny landscapes, and for many it is often enough that you drive down from the property or apartment with a fantastic view of the lake. Maybe you have an electric boat on site, get in, take a beautiful trip across the lake, go for a swim, and then retire.

Do you think there will be more buy-to-let models in the region in the future?

So far, I have hardly come across any Buy-To-Let models at the lake. This is more a story of the winter regions, i.e. ski regions, where you have this very often.

What is the current offer at Mondsee and neighboring lakes in the Salzkammergut?

The offer is currently very diverse. We ourselves have just a luxury chalet on offer, which offers every comfort with its excellent view and quiet location on the Sonnenberg. In addition, beautiful luxurious apartments directly on the Mondsee, which were also very similar to the Sky Lounge, with wellness area, access to the heated pool and a generosity that is unparalleled. However, we also have more affordable, properties that are also located in close proximity to the lake. You see – it is a very wide range.