Wolfgangsee

The Wolfgangsee is a 10-kilometer lake in the Salzkammergut, the Austrian lake district east of Salzburg, with the village of St. Wolfgang on its north shore and the Schafberg mountain rising behind it. Most visitors to the region focus on Hallstatt and miss the Wolfgangsee, which is understandable, but the lake has its own particular qualities. The Schafbergbahn, a steam rack railway built in 1893, still hauls passengers up 1,200 meters to views over the entire lake plateau, running on original equipment in summer. The boat service on the lake connects St. Gilgen at the western end to St. Wolfgang and Strobl, which is the best way to arrive if you want the landscape to land properly. The White Horse Inn at St. Wolfgang, the Weisses Rössl, is where Ralph Benatsky set his famous 1930 operetta, and it is still operating as a hotel and restaurant. From Salzburg the lake is about 45 minutes by bus. A full day is the right amount of time. If you can stay overnight, the light on the water in early morning is worth the extra cost.