Not too far for a walk from Kufstein's center this charming lake has a well kept trail all around it, See Arena (in season) for a snack or a swim. Explore the Canyon at the Lake's outlet or take longer way back to town thru Tierberg Kapelle (climb). Try to reach the Hechtsee while in Kufstein, you won't regret.

About 10 mins drive outside Kufstein centre, Hechtsee (literally Pike Lake) is a favourite place to visit on a hot summers' day with the family. Get there in early afternoon to avoid a long walk from parking your car (the regular car park fills up quickly) and to pick the optimum place to sunbathe within the grounds of the schwimmbad. Alternatively, you can walk around the lake which takes around 45 mins . All options come with lovely views, but the best are to be found at the far side of the lake from where you can see the mountains of the Zahmer and Wilder Kaiser. The schwimmbad costs a few euros each to get in and there's plenty of space to put your towel down and soak up the sunshine. Children can be entertained with ping pong tables (pack your own balls/bats) and by swimming out to the wooden island platforms or diving off diving boards into the lake. There are sandpits and other water toys for younger kids to amuse themselves. Older kids can play volleyball or rent a boat. There's a decent restaurant upstairs, a snack cafe and bar, although we always pack a picnic and just buy the odd ice cream there. At the entrance where you buy an entrance ticket, you can also rent a sun bed and sunshade umbrella if a towel on the grass seems like slumming it. But learn the German for these as the guy at the entrance has no English (e.g. if there's two of you, its "zweimal sonnenleigen und sonnenshirme bitte"). The dude will give you a ticket which you then show to the bademeister who has an office is to the left of the restaurant by the lake edge. He then produces the goods! All in all, I prefer this setting to the alternative swimming pools (Kufstein has one, Wörgl has the Wasserwelt and Ellmau has one) which tend to cost a lot more and, with the notable exception of Ellmau, do not have anything like the gorgeous scenery to go with your swimming. Plus the lake water is warm and natural and you can swim with the local (tiny) fish!