The Wolfgangsee Lake near Salzburg is surrounded by the Austrian Salzkammergut mountain range. Rising high above the glacial lake and the resort city of St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut is the Schafberg Mountain with fabulous views of the mountain range, lake and city from the summit. Saint Wolfgang is a market city resort famous for skiing and spas. The town and the lake are named after Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg, who, according to legend, built the first church here in the late 10th century.
To get from the resort city below to the Schafberg Mountain summit is a rack train railway service called the Schafbergbahn. This is Austria’s steepest railway that has been running from St. Wolfgang up the Schafberg since 1893. The train takes about 30 minutes to cover a total distance of 5.85 kilometers with terrific views from the steep rise. A U.S. Army friend of mine brought his wife and son to visit and travel with us to this gorgeous place. I did the driving by car, but you can also reach the resort town by train.
At the top of the Schafberg is the Hotel Schafbergspitze with a 360° mountain panorama and a view of 11 different lakes. The Himmelspforte invites you to linger in an idyllic setting. You can enjoy snacks and drinks on the beautiful panoramic terrace.
The city of St. Wolfgang has many spa hotels and excellent restaurants. There are also boat trips available to explore the Wolfgangsee.
The views are spectacular!