You don't have to travel far from the apartment
The Village of St. Gilgen in many ways represents the perfect introduction to the Salzkammergut. It sits on the north-west side of Lake Wolfgang. The main road (A158) passes on the edge of St. Gilgen.
The village is a hub for sports and interests to all including tennis cycling, fishing and interacting with the friendly locals.
The surrounding area has many attractions to entertain and thrill you.
There are about 900km of paths in the Wolfgangsee area ranging from easy level walks around the lake to mountain paths up to the summits of the surrounding mountains. There are several maps that cover the area at different scales, suitable for walking, hiking, cycling and exploring the area, which are available from the nearby village tourist office. As well as the many walks on the doorstep, there are walks nearby including; the Postalm Pastures near Strobl and Holleralm Pastures near Fuschl, both a short distance from St Gilgen. You can enjoy spectacular views of the Alpine scenery from the Postalm pasture, the Schafberg and Zwolferhorn mountains.
St Wolfgang is situated on the northern shore of the Wolfgangsee at the foot of the Schafberg; it is famous for the White Horse Inn (Hotel Weißes Rössl), the setting of the musical comedy of the same name, and for its pilgrimage church with late Gothic altarpiece by Michael Pacher. There are many tourist shops around the village.
Strobl lies on the eastern shore of the Wolfgangsee, where you will also find a promenade on the lakeshore and pleasant village walks.
Mondsee has a scenic lakeside promenade; with many opportunities for water sports. The interiors of St Michaels church featured in the wedding scenes of “The Sound of Music”. At the centre of the town, there is the picturesque market square with many places to eat and browse the local shops.
Fuschl Am See is the home of the international headquarters of Red Bull, the energy drink that gives you wiiings; it can be found just outside of the village in a pretty ‘cool’ building near the main bus route.
The area has innumerable picturesque lakes & historic villages to explore. Most lakes in the Salzkammergut have ferry services. For those keen to travel slightly further-a-field, Hallstatt, Bad Ischl, Gmunden and Salzburg itself are all very easy day trips by bus or car from St Gilgen.
The village of Hallstatt which gave its name to the early Iron Age of the Hallstatt culture, is a World Heritage site for Cultural Heritage. Hallstatt is a popular tourist attraction owing to its small-town appeal and can be toured on foot in less than an hour.
Bad Ischl is a spa town which lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. Worth a visit is the Kaiservilla where Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) spent their summers. The town is renowned for its Spa Baths at Eurothermen Resort. Bad Ischl is also known for the Konditorei Zauner pastry shop and cafe. It’s that popular there are two in the town.
Salzburg no visit to the area would be complete without a day or two in wonderful Salzburg, whether to follow in the footsteps of W A Mozart, to seek out those Sound of Music locations or just to visit some of the cities other many attractions such as its museums, river front and historic old town. Just south of the city of Salzburg sits one of the most magnificent Renaissance buildings, Hellbrunn Palace and Zoo with its spacious park and its unique trick fountains a day trip in itself fun for both young and old.
