It really is how you imagine an Austrian alpine village to look and feel. There are a number of farms,'chocolate box-cover' churches, pubs, hotels, restaurants as well as a supermarket, banks with ATMs, ski shops, a newsagent and the tourist office where they speak good English.

In addition there is an indoor swimming pool in the village which is open afternoons and evenings. In the summer is the Bummelzug, a tractor hauled tramcar that does regular trips into the hills to the accompaniment of zither music and provides opportunities for walks.

You can also take the cable car up the Zweiselalm mountain in summer time just to the west of Gosau. This affords fantastic views of the Dachstein range including the Gosaukamm which sits above the Gosausee lake.

Gosau is in the heart of Austria's lake district, the Salzkammergut. You can visit so many beautiful villages and towns such as St Wolfgang and Strobl and take boat trips during the summer months and also swim in the clear blue waters of the many lakes. Some of the lakes also afford the opportunity for watersports for those interested, most notably on Mondsee and Wolfgangsee.

A short drive away is the Unesco world heritage village of Hallstatt with its saltmine. Slightly further around Hallstattersee is the village of Obertraun with its giant ice caves open for viewing in the summer.

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