Diving Salzachsee (Liefering)

Site Overview

Salzachsee (Liefering) is a quarry lake dive site in Salzburg, Austria, set among the country’s varied freshwater landscapes. Salzachsee at Liefering is a former quarry lake on the edge of Salzburg, a handy urban training ground. Sunken cars, platforms and other placed objects give divers something to explore and practise skills on. It is shallow and accessible, making it popular with courses and refresher dives close to the city. Weed beds and the structures hold perch, roach and the occasional larger fish in the clear shallows. A wetsuit is usually enough in summer, though the thermocline still brings cold deeper down. It is a practical, no-fuss site for building skills without a long drive. Conditions are typical of Austrian inland water: visibility generally runs from 4 to 12 metres, the current is low and the water temperature ranges between 5 and 22 degrees Celsius depending on season and depth. The marine life is freshwater and centred on european perch, roach, tench, with the full community described below for those planning a dive. Because of its beginner rating and the need for Open Water certification, Salzachsee (Liefering) is best approached with the right thermal protection and, where relevant, altitude or overhead training. It is a representative example of why Austrian lake diving, with its cold clarity, submerged forests and wrecks, attracts divers who want something different from tropical reefs.