Getting There & Making the Most of It
Travel Guide
Everything you need to plan a seamless trip to St. Gilgen and the Wolfgangsee.
Schafbergbahn
A cog railway that climbs above Wolfgangsee for some of the most dramatic lake and mountain views in the country. Plan for 2 hours at the top for a relaxing lunch or drink and a short hike before returning to the lake. Bring cash.
This is high on our list for guests who want a classic Salzkammergut experience. Tickets are best bought in person at the station.
Mateus2019, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hike or Ride the Zwölferhorn
A cable car climbs directly from St. Gilgen to the summit of the Zwölferhorn, with sweeping views over Wolfgangsee and the surrounding peaks, or hike up on marked trails for those who want to earn the view.
The summit restaurant terrace is a great spot for a slow lunch.
Thomas Pintaric, CC BY-SA 3.0
Salzburg
Mozart's birthplace and one of Europe's best-preserved baroque old towns, with the Hohensalzburg Fortress watching over the rooftops from above. It's also where most of you will travel in from.
About 45 minutes from St. Gilgen.
Stand-Up Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Boat rentals
The hotel has free paddleboats for rent, or you can rent a paddleboard or kayak right from the St. Gilgen lake promenade and get out onto the glassy water of Wolfgangsee. Or consider an e-boot rental (Doug and Kassi's favorite)! Mornings are calmest, with the mountains mirrored on the surface.
A lovely, low-key way to spend a few hours.
Marion & Christoph Aistleitner
Wolfgangsee Lake Ferries
Lake ferries connect the villages around Wolfgangsee, including St. Wolfgang, St. Gilgen, and Strobl.
This is an essential experience for exploring the lake.
Greymouser, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT
Wallfahrtskirche St. Wolfgang
This 15th-century pilgrimage church in the village of St. Wolfgang holds Michael Pacher's celebrated late-Gothic winged altarpiece, one of the most significant works of medieval art in Austria.
Worth the short ferry ride across the lake, even for a quick visit.
Dr. Bernd Gross, CC BY-SA 4.0
Austrian Café Culture
One of our recommendations is simply to enjoy coffee and pastries at a local café. Austria takes both very seriously.
Look for Apfelstrudel, Kaiserschmarrn, Topfengolatschen, and Mohnstrudel.
Andrew Bossi, CC BY-SA 2.5
Hallstatt
One of Austria's most famous villages, close enough for a day trip if you are extending your stay.
Beautiful, but popular. Go early if you decide to visit.
Henry Kellner, CC BY-SA 4.0
Kaiservilla, Bad Ischl
The former summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph in Bad Ischl, where he proposed to Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi") in 1853. The imperial family returned to the villa every summer for decades after.
A natural pairing with coffee and pastries at Zauner.
Johann Jaritz, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT
Bad Ischl
A short trip from Wolfgangsee, Bad Ischl was the emperor's summer residence town. Sophie's Esplanade, its tree-lined promenade along the Traun, is still lined with the same Imperial Lime Trees planted in 1830.
Pair it with coffee and pastries at Zauner, right on the Esplanade.
Salzburg
From Salzburg
Spending time in the city first?
Getting to St. Gilgen
A scenic drive from Salzburg into the Salzkammergut lake district.
Postbus Line 150 departs from Südtiroler Platz directly in front of Salzburg Hbf and runs every 30 minutes to St. Gilgen Busbahnhof.
Heads up: Search from Salzburg Hbf to St. Gilgen im Salzkammergut.
Munich
From Munich
Spending time in the city first?
Getting to St. Gilgen
Drive east from Munich toward Salzburg, then continue into the lake district.
Take a direct train from Munich Hbf to Salzburg Hbf (~1 hr 30 min), then Postbus Line 150 to St. Gilgen (~50 min). There is no train station in St. Gilgen; the bus is the final leg.
Heads up: Search from München Hbf to St. Gilgen im Salzkammergut.
Genuß Café
A cozy café tucked into Mozartplatz, with window seats that look out onto the church tower and the square below. Known for excellent coffee, freshly baked cakes, and apple strudel that regulars describe as the best they have ever had. Friendly, unhurried, and genuinely local.
Cash only. The upstairs seats have the best view.
Wirt am Gries
A beloved village Gasthaus with more than fifty years of history. The dining room is warm and wooden, built around a traditional tiled stove; in summer, the shaded chestnut garden is one of the loveliest spots in St. Gilgen. The kitchen leans on local producers and turns out the kind of Austrian cooking people remember: Tafelspitz, homemade pasta, fresh fish, and hearty seasonal plates.
Reservations are strongly recommended. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Gasthof zur Post
One of the oldest addresses on Mozartplatz, with an impressive glass-enclosed atrium dining room overlooking the square. The kitchen leans into the classics: veal schnitzel, venison, lake char, with regional sourcing and strong desserts. Falstaff-rated with 86 points.
The raspberry and rhubarb strudel with cinnamon ice cream is supposed to be very good!
Restaurant Mühlradl
A family-run spot just outside the village center, with a balcony overlooking the lake and an atmosphere that feels genuinely homemade. The kitchen covers Austrian standards and fresh fish, and the owners are known for going out of their way for guests. Excellent baked goods too.
Relaxed and unfussy, and one of the better-value options in St. Gilgen.
Angusta Grill & More
A cult favourite in St. Gilgen, built around one obsession: Irish Angus beef grilled over a wood-fired stone and carved at the table. The menu is tight and deliberate: classic Italian antipasti, fresh fish, and fine salads alongside the star. Bettina and Aldo Zanatta have run it for years and it shows. 87 Falstaff points.
Cash only, evenings only. Book well ahead; it fills up fast.
Luckys Restaurant Haus am Hang
A Michelin Guide restaurant perched above St. Gilgen, with a panoramic terrace that takes in the lake, the mountains, and the village below. Chef Lucas Bocsa cooks two set menus: one classic, one international, alongside à la carte. The service is led by Susanne Bocsa, and the room has the calm confidence of somewhere that has been doing this well for a long time.
The terrace is coveted in summer, so book ahead. Closed Mon and Tue.
Kaffeewerkstatt
The best coffee in St. Wolfgang, and one of the best in the region (95 Falstaff points). The interior is a wonderfully eccentric collection of billboards, candles, art, and plants that feels more like someone's very stylish living room than a café. Breakfasts are fully customizable and the espresso is exceptional.
Some guests visited every single day of their holiday. On the expensive side but worth it.
Bäckerei-Café Gandl
A family bakery in the village square with more than 200 years of history. The specialty is Lebkuchen, traditional Austrian gingerbread made to old recipes, alongside apple and apricot strudels, the house Gandl-Kipferl, and good coffee. An unpretentious, deeply local stop.
Pick up gingerbread to take home. It travels well.
Dorf-Alm zu St. Wolfgang
A proper alpine Gasthaus right in the village center, ranked among the top three restaurants in St. Wolfgang. The wooden interior is decorated with local paintings and ornaments, there is a long terrace for warm evenings, and on some nights live Austrian music. Beef soup with cheese dumplings, goulash, schnitzel: hearty, well-made, and satisfying.
Friendly local staff and generous portions. Good value by Wolfgangsee standards.
Seerestaurant Im Weissen Rössl
The iconic White Horse hotel has been on the edge of Lake Wolfgang since 1878, and the Seerestaurant is its most relaxed dining room, with floor-to-ceiling windows that make you feel like you're sitting on the water, a terrace directly on the lake, and a kitchen that takes Austrian classics seriously. Fresh char from their own fish farm, prime boiled beef, Kaiserschmarrn, Salzburg dumplings. The wine cellar is exceptional.
The Rössl Terrace on a summer evening is one of the most beautiful places to eat in the region.
PAUL der Wirt
The restaurant of Hotel Peter, with a terrace that looks across the rooftops toward the pilgrimage church and the lake. The kitchen does Austrian classics well; the veal schnitzel is frequently singled out, and the goulash draws regulars back. Rated 4.3 out of 5 across nearly 1,800 reviews.
A reliable, well-run kitchen with a lovely outdoor setting on a warm evening.
d'Speis
Chef Sandro Gamsjäger trained at a two-Michelin-star kitchen in the Arlberg before returning to Wolfgangsee to open this "Genussaufnahmestube," a term he coined for something like a room for the serious intake of pleasure. The steaks are considered the best in the region, the starters are brilliant, and the rating of 4.9 out of 5 across hundreds of reviews speaks for itself.
Book well ahead. This is the most exciting kitchen in St. Wolfgang.
Atelier Fischer
A Michelin-starred restaurant on the Wolfgangsee shore, where chef Stefan Fischer, one of the most exciting names in Austrian fine dining, serves a surprise tasting menu of five to eight courses. The cooking draws on the landscape directly: the signature dish, "Der Wolfgangsee," transforms local Reinanke fish into something closer to art. Four Gault&Millau points. Open seasonally in summer.
Reserve months in advance. This is the destination restaurant of the region.
Konditorei Zauner
Founded in 1832 as a k.u.k. court confectionery, Zauner is one of the great pastry institutions of Austria, and the café where Empress Sisi had a standing habit of returning for dessert. More than 250 classic pastries are on offer, from the flagship Zaunerstollen (created in 1905) to delicate pralines, hand-rolled strudels, and seasonal specialties. A pilgrimage stop in Bad Ischl.
The original Pfarrgasse location has the historic atmosphere. Allow time to linger.
Austrian Café Culture
One of our recommendations is simply to enjoy coffee and pastries at a local café. Austria takes both very seriously.
Look for Apfelstrudel, Kaiserschmarrn, Topfengolatschen, and Mohnstrudel.