Wolfgangsee is undoubtedly one of the most popular lakes in Austria’s Lake District. It offers a variety of water sports activities such as windsurfing, water skiing, wakeboarding, diving, and more. If you don’t want to get wet, you can enjoy a leisurely cruise along the lake. Around the lake, you can go hiking on marked trails and pass through the villages and towns surrounding the lake.
It is highly recommended to watch the sunset by the lake while enjoying coffee and cake at one of the restaurants in the towns around the lake.
The landscapes you’ll see around Wolfgangsee:
Several popular villages and towns are located along the lake’s shore, such as: St. Wolfgang, St. Gilgen, and Strobl.
Before we delve into the lake itself, it’s good to know a little about the towns around the lake, which are also popular leisure and accommodation spots for travelers visiting the area.
St. Wolfgang
This town is located on the northern shore of the lake and partly belongs to Upper Austria. The town is named after Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg, who, according to legend, founded the first church in the area in the 10th century AD. Because of this, the town became a major pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages, with many people arriving from all corners of the region. Due to its importance, the town developed over the years and also became a beloved accommodation spot for visitors to the area. Here you can find recommendations for excellent accommodations in Austria’s Lake District and near St. Wolfgang. You can also read about vacation apartments and guesthouses around Wolfgangsee.
During the World War, the area of the town served as a sub-camp of the Dachau concentration camp. If you visit this small town, you can walk through its ancient streets and charming houses. A good place to stop is the Kaffeewerkstatt cafe. More information about the cafe.
St. Gilgen
If you’re a wealthy Viennese, you probably have a house in St. Gilgen. This ancient town was founded in the Middle Ages on the northwestern shore of the lake. This town is one of the most popular tourist destinations for visitors to the lake.
The village is also called “Mozart Village,” which is just a marketing trick by the Wolfgangsee Lake District tourism office. In fact, Mozart never visited this village, although his mother was a native of the place. From the town, boats sail along the lake, allowing you to enjoy the wonderful scenery. More information about the boat trips appears later in the article. In addition, from the village there is a small (and quite old) cable car that reaches the summit of Zwölferhorn, offering fantastic views of the lake and a variety of beautiful hiking trails in nature.
If you plan to stay in St. Gilgen, you can find a list of great accommodations according to Booking.com, or look at our recommended places for the entire Lake District of Austria. You can also read about vacation apartments and guesthouses around Wolfgangsee.
Strobl
This town is located on the eastern side of the lake. The town was founded in the Middle Ages and was a beloved attraction for nobles and wealthy people from all over the empire. The town’s buildings are ancient and impressive, and it even has ancient villas that belonged to wealthy Jewish families (such as the Deutsch family’s villa, which now serves as an exhibition against the Nazis).
The town is not far from St. Wolfgang, and some walk the path along the lake that connects the towns.
You can find a list of recommended accommodations in Strobl according to Booking.com, or look at our recommended places for the entire Lake District of Austria. You can also read about vacation apartments and guesthouses around Wolfgangsee.
Wolfgangsee General Information
The lake itself is quite large, about 11 kilometers long. Its width reaches up to 2.5 kilometers, but due to the terrain, it is almost divided into two in its center. In the middle of the lake, the distance between its banks does not exceed 200 meters.
High mountains rise around the lake, part of the Salzkammergut mountain range. In its northern part is Mount Schafberg, and from its summit (1,780 meters above sea level), the most spectacular view of the entire lake can be seen.
The lake is considered one of the clearest and warmest in Austria, which is one of the reasons it attracts many visitors. The lake itself offers fun water sports activities, and large events are held there, such as the Red Bull Cliff Diving Festival or the Scalaria Air Show Festival.
If you wish to cruise the lake, there are 6 boats that make circular trips throughout the day, stopping at various stations around the lake. You can leisurely travel between the various towns around the lake and hear interesting information about nature and the area. The cruises operate from April to December.
Abarena Allwetterfreizeitpark (All-Weather Amusement Park)
A short distance from the lake’s shore, in its southern part, there is an adventurous amusement park for children. In this park, children can enjoy various water games, slide down water slides, climb the tall observation tower, jump on trampolines, or try out a challenging ropes course. The park is open from late winter to mid-autumn.
Essential Additional Information
Opening Hours:
- March 23 to April 3 – Daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- April 4 to June 24 – Fridays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
- From April 27 to May 1, the park is also open during the week from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
- June 29 to September 9 – Daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Saturdays from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
- September 10 to end of October – Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Costs: Adult/Child – €9.90.
- Official Website (German)
- Map: Wasser-Wunder-Straße 1, 5342 Gschwand
Essential Additional Information for Visiting Wolfgangsee
- Official Website
- You can start the cruise from St. Gilgen.
- Map:
If you want to overlook the lake and the entire area, you can do so from the summit of the nearby Schafberg mountain. The ascent to the viewpoint is done by an old and exciting steam train. It’s worth reading more in the extended article we prepared about the viewpoint on Schafberg mountain.
