Lacken Trail

Lacken, which in Austrian German basically means “puddles”, refers to bodies of water only about half a metre deep and full of salty water. There are more than 80 of these to be found along the trail – a sight you simply should not miss. Over the course of the seasons, they can go from 70 cm in depth to drying up altogether. If you are a nature lover, don’t forget to bring your binoculars to spot more than 300 fascinating bird species close up. On partly asphalted, partly gravel roads the trail takes cyclists across the Lake Neusiedl-Seewinkel national park, passing wetlands, meadows, rough pastures and Lange Lacke, the largest – or as the name implies, longest – of these small lakes.

Along the Lacken Trail, nature lovers will encounter a unique natural scenery. The only places on the European continent where you can find these salt pools are the Seewinkel region and central Hungary. The flora is unique, too – look out for Pannonian sea aster, glasswort, halimione or salt cress.

Rare bird species

Avocets and Kentish plovers are typically found along the highly saline pools, their only breeding ground in Austria. However, the shallow waters and shores of the Lacken are a feeding territory for a variety of different bird species.

The Lacken Trail is only partly asphalted. The trails in the Lake Neusiedl-Seewinkel reserve are gravelled, as is a section of the trail between Podersdorf and Illmitz.

Arrival details can be found here: calculate route