The Pörtschach peninsula

Pörtschach sits halfway along the northern shore, and the reason to come is the small peninsula it pushes into the lake. A flat gravel path runs the whole way round it in about twenty minutes, planted with roses and old trees, with lawns, benches and the water on both sides — and because the spit runs south into the lake, you can face east or west from the same walk.

That is the practical advantage over the rest of the shore, where private gardens and hotel grounds close most of the water off. Here you can put a subject against open lake with the mountains beyond, then turn around and get the opposite direction ten paces later. The old bathing jetties and the boat landing are at the eastern side.

With water on both flanks, the peninsula works morning and evening: sunrise lights the eastern side and the lake beyond it, sunset works from the western path with Velden's end of the lake in the distance. In between, the trees give usable open shade all day, which is rare on this shore.

Roses are at their best in June and again in September. July and August fill the promenade and the lido; from October the path is quiet and the water is at its clearest and deepest colour. The circuit is level and hard-surfaced throughout, so it is the easy option on a lake where most good spots involve steps or a boat.