The finest lake for swimming, and winter fun too
One look at the emerald-blue surface of the Wolfgangsee, ringed by high mountain massifs, will make you slow down and enjoy the holiday you have earned. But the beautiful countryside is only one of the many draws for adults and families with small children who come to the Salzkammergut all year round.
Winter at the Wolfgangsee: Advent markets and skiing at the Postalm
Set out for the Wolfgangsee in winter. The sight of the snow-covered mountains reflected in the water will stay in your memory for ever. Ski at the nearby Postalm resort, where the perfectly groomed pistes are meant above all for undemanding skiers. Or put on cross-country skis, set out on a snowshoe trip and relax in the evening in the heated pool right on the lake. Are you coming to the Wolfgangsee before Christmas? Visit the Advent markets, scented with marzipan and punch. The Christmas-decorated historic town of Sankt Wolfgang and the village of St. Gilgen will take your breath away with their magical atmosphere.
Summer at the Wolfgangsee: the rack railway, cycle paths and trips for the whole family
Enjoy the sweeping views on the ride up Austria’s steepest historic rack railway to the summit of the Wolfgangsee Schafberg, and watch the countryside around you from a 19th-century locomotive. Do not miss the cruise on the lake either. Outdoor enthusiasts will find dozens of kilometres of groomed, well-marked trails for hiking, nordic walking and running. The cycle paths around the Wolfgangsee suit beginners and experienced cyclists alike. In good weather the Wolfgangsee invites you to camp, swim and sunbathe on the beaches along the shore.
Accommodation in the area
You receive the Wolfgangsee Card free of charge from one night’s stay at every participating property. It applies from the age of three and for the whole of your stay.
It brings discounts and a programme at around 30 partners – boat services on the lake, the Schafbergbahn, the Zwölferhorn cable car, the Katrin cable car, the summer toboggan run in Strobl, Abarena, Wildpark Kleefeld, Wellness-Alm, water-skiing schools, bike hire and the toll road up to the Postalm.
A category of its own is a farm holiday in the rural idyll; the region also has seminar hotels and campsites.
Local food and drink
The cooking around the Wolfgangsee is built on fresh fish from the lakes nearby, mushrooms straight from the forest and dishes made from genuine natural ingredients, eaten on the terraces by the water.
On the alpine pastures, the Almkulinaria programme serves Kaspressknödel with cabbage, Kaiserschmarrn with home-made plum Röster, Pofesen, liver dumpling soup, Essigfleisch, Mostbratwurst with cabbage, Salzburger Schnitzel filled with Speck, onion and mushrooms, curd cheese pancakes with berries, Bauernkrapfen with apricot jam and Aberseer Schnitten.
Cheese, milk, Speck and bread are made on the hut itself from mountain milk. In April St. Wolfgang, St. Gilgen and Strobl host the mundART festival; the initiative Taste the Lake links the food and drink of the region.