Wolfgangsee

Lake Wolfgang lies in the Salzkammergut resort region, mostly within Salzburg state. The lake stretches about 10.5 kilometres and is divided by a narrow peninsula called die Enge. It is surrounded by the Salzkammergut mountain range, with the Schafberg on the northern side. A rack railway leads up to the summit at 1,782 metres. The lake has an area of about 13 square kilometres and is connected by a footpath between St Wolfgang and St Gilgen. The settlements around the lake are popular resort towns, especially St Wolfgang and St Gilgen. The Gasthaus Weißes Rössl in St Wolfgang inspired the famous 1897 play *The White Horse Inn* by Oscar Blumenthal and Gustav Kadelburg. The area has also been the setting for several Heimatfilm films. Former German chancellor Helmut Kohl had a holiday home by the lake, which became a site for Christoph Schlingensief’s Chance 2000 project in 1998. Visitors can explore the lake by ship, with Salzburg AG operating six vessels. The Bundesstraße B158 runs along the southern shore, connecting to the A1 motorway. St Gilgen is easily accessible by public bus 150, which runs between Salzburg and Bad Ischl every half hour. The lake’s surroundings include the Osterhorngruppe and the Zwölferhorn, which can be visited by cable car.