Lake Wolfgang in Salzkammergut Austria is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in Austria. It is framed by green hills and high mountains and is located in the midst of the varied landscape of the Salzkammergut between Salzburg Region and Upper Austria. The climatic health resort of St. Wolfgang lies directly on Lake Wolfgang, offers numerous sights and is one of the most important tourist centers in the region. In this travel report we tell you about our boat trip on the lake Wolfgang and give you important tips for your trip to St. Wolfgang and surroundings.
Lake Wolfgang
With a total area of over 13 square kilometers and a depth of up to 114 meters, Lake Wolfgang is one of the largest lakes in Austria and probably also one of the most famous. In summer, water temperatures here reach up to 26 degrees, which invites to extended bathing adventures at the numerous beaches of the Wolfgangsee.
But also diving can be done here amazingly. In winter, the lake also sometimes freezes over, so you can get a whole new perspective on the surroundings while ice skating on the Lake Wolfgang. The Wolfgangsee is really a small paradise in the Salzkammergut Austria and invites you not only to make a day trip here, but also to stay a few days longer. We will tell you later what you can do here.
St. Wolfgang at the Lake Wolfgang
The village of St. Wolfgang at the foot of the Schafberg mountain is named after St. Wolfgang, who lived and worked here around the year 976. As a result, St. Wolfgang became the destination of numerous pilgrimages. Secular tourism then began in the 19th century and the picturesque place became the destination of many visitors from all over the world. 
However, things really took off after 1930 when the operetta “Im Weißen Rössl am Wolfgangsee” was performed in Berlin. After the World War, the melodies from the operetta became a worldwide success and brought St. Wolfgang a real tourism boom. Nowadays, St. Wolfgang is still the main town at Lake Wolfgang and impresses with historic handicraft houses, traditional inns, many hotels and souvenir stores.
Many handicraft businesses offer specialties from Austria, of course also genuine salt from the nearby salt tunnels, which once gave the Salzkammergut its name. There are also many good restaurants here where you can try traditional Austrian dishes (Wiener Schnitzel, Kaiserschmarrn, Salzburger Nockerln etc.) and many more delicacies. The most famous restaurant (and at the same time hotel) in the village is certainly the White Horse Inn (Weißes Rössl)
The Hotel Weißes Rössl at Lake Wolfgang
Legendary is the Hotel Weißes Rössl at the Lake Wolfgang, which became famous by a movie with Peter Alexander. Since 1878 you can stay here and not only because of various films, the hotel is a real institution in the village. If you have a somewhat larger budget, then you can also stay here from 300 € per night*.
Otherwise, you can also be fed in the hotel restaurant located directly on the lake. The prices here are a bit higher, but you can enjoy the perfect lake panorama. You should definitely book a day in advance if you want to eat here. The restaurant is regularly fully booked.
Electric Boats on the Lake Wolfgang
We like boating and on the Wolfgangsee this is of course a special experience. Right next to the restaurant Zum Weißen Rössl in St. Wolfgang there is a rental for electric boats. You can sail across the lake in twos or fours and you don’t even have to exert yourself. You can sail your lanes across the Wolfgangsee without any noise and you can even go swimming in the lake.
For a small additional fee, you can also rent a boat ladder on site to make it easier to climb the boat from the water. A sun canopy can also be mounted, which is also highly recommended in the midday heat. You pay 15 Euro for half an hour and can even take your dog with you. Our dog Schoko liked the boat trip in any case also very well. The boat rental is open until 6 pm and we can only recommend this activity to you.
Boat trip on the Wolfgangsee
If you don’t want to travel on a slow electric boat, but want to explore the lake a bit faster and also more comfortable, then you can make use of the Wolfgangsee boat trip. For just 16 Euro per person, the comfortable boats will take you from St. Wolfgang to St. Gilgen and back. Perfect to get to know the other places on the lake without having to use the car. More information here: Info & Prices Wolfgangsee Boat Trip
Other Places at the Wolfgangsee
St. Gilgen
The village is also known as Mozart village, because his mother was born here and also his sister lived there for a long time. Therefore there is also the Mozarthaus, a memorial place, which was established in the former Pfleggericht of St. Gilgen. A building which was already mentioned in a document in 1569. In our opinion, the place is not quite as beautiful to look at as St. Wolfgang, but it is, among other things, the starting point for the cable car ride to the Zwölferhorn.
Strobl
The village of Strobl, located on the sunny eastern shore of Lake Wofgang, offers beautiful natural swimming beaches with relatively high water temperatures. Away from the swimming opportunities, the village is known for the Deutschvilla, a cultural center, and the parish church. Many accommodations* for a longer stay at the Wolfgangsee can also be found here.
Sights at the Lake Wolfgang
Around the Lake Wolfgang and the village of St. Wolfgang there are still many great nature highlights and sights, of which we would like to introduce three to you.
Schaffberg
You can get to this 1783 meter high mountain from St. Wolfgang with a historic steam rack railroad. The Schaffbergbahn brings you not quite cheap (40€), but at least with a good portion of nostalgia on the mountain, from which you have a great overview of some lakes in the region and of course the Wolfgangsee. More info at: www.schafbergbahn.at
Bleckwand
This mountain is located south of lake Wofgang between the towns of Strobl and Gschwand and is a total of 1541 meters high. Several hiking trails lead to this peak, but you can also get up there via a toll road (5€) that starts in Gschwand (see Google Maps). Once at the top, you’ll have to climb the remaining 300 meters on foot.
At the top, a fabulous panorama of the lake awaits you. Directly at the summit is the famous rock window. This is, roughly speaking, a large hole in a rock, over which you can also walk and the rock window is thus a very sought-after photo spot at Lake Wolfgang.
Zwölferhorn
From the town of St. Gilgen, you can take the 2800-meter Zwölferhorn cable car up to this 1521-meter elevation on the edge of Lake Wolfgang. From the top you have a beautiful panorama of the lake. At the top of the peak there are also several hiking trails. More info at: www.zwoelferhorn.at
Overnight stay at the Wolfgangsee
Do you want to spend a little more money and have it really chic? Then you can stay at the noble 4* Hotel Weiße Rössl right in the center of St. Wolfgang. From 300 Euro per night you get a cozy double room with a fantastic view of Lake Wolfgang.
If you don’t want to spend so much money, but still want to stay comfortably in St. Wolfgang, then we can recommend the hotel “Das Franzl”. It is located a bit outside the center of town, but still only 800 meters from the shore of Lake Wolfgang. You can stay here from 90 €.
The Franzl at the Wolfgangsee*
Tips for your trip to St. Wolfgang am Wolfgangsee
Where to park at the Wolfgangsee?
There are numerous parking lots at Lake Wolfgang and especially the town of St. Wolfgang is equipped with a particularly good parking infrastructure. Not far from the cozy town center there are two large parking lots where you can park your car for as little as 3€ per day.
Parking in St. Wolfgang
During our visit, we took the parking lot closest to town, Parking Lot 3, which costs only €1 per hour and is open all day. Here is how to find the parking lot in Google Maps.
Parking in St. Gilgen
Right at the end of St. Gilgen you can park for 60 minutes for free or pay 4,50 € for the whole day. Exact location here on Google Maps.
Parking Strobl
Directly in the center of Strobl there is a small parking lot, which is even free of charge. You can find it here at Google Maps.
Swimming at the Wolfgangsee?
Swimming in the Wolfgangsee is one of the main activities here and there are especially in Strobl some natural beaches where you can swim in the Wolfgangsee. You can find a nice beach here at Google Maps.