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Traunsee,
Austria
www.traunseeschiffahrt.at
The
Traunsee is in Austria's Salzkammergut region not far from Salzburg.
The lake is formed where the river Traun descends out of the Alps
towards lower ground before joining the Danube at Linz. Although not
a large lake, there is a great contrast in scenery. At the northern
end of the lake at Gmunden, the hillsides roll down to the lakeside.
On the southern half of the lake the mountains shear steeply as the
scenery turns distinctly alpine.
The paddle steamer era began in 1839 on the Traunsee and has
continued in the hands of successive private operators until the
current day, with PS Gisela dating from 1871.
Withdrawn in 1980 and seemingly destined for the
scrap yard, Gisela was saved by the efforts of local
preservationists and is now integrated into the current operator's timetable on a limited basis.
Above
: Gisela, first in service in 1872 and remaining in service now
represents the ultimate design of a Traunsee paddle steamer.
CURRENT PADDLE
STEAMER
Gisela
HISTORICAL
PADDLE STEAMERS
Sophie (1839-1861 : engine
used in the replacement Sophie until 1901)
Elisabeth (1859-1969)
Sophie (1862-1928)
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