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Hotel & Restaurant Bürglstein

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WOLFGANGJAHR 2024 !

 

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von 17.00 – 21.00 Uhr

Mo & Do Ruhetag

 

Hotel & Restaurant Bürglstein

Schwarzbach 19

5360 St. Wolfgang

Tel. +43 (0)6138 20101

 

 

Tel. +43 6138 20101

Wolfgangsees nickname

The Pearl of Salzkammergut

Most part of the lake is situated in the territory of the province of Salzburg and is one of the most renown lakes within the Salzkammergut. The bordering towns Strobl, St. Gilgen, Abersee and Ried belong to the province of Salzburg, just the village of Sankt Wolfgang is located in Upper Austria. Line shipping is operated intensively on lake Wolfgang. The only direct connection between Sankt Wolfgang and Sankt Gilgen is only accessible on foot over a steep rock face called “Falkenstein”.

Lake Wolfgang has an area of round about 12.9-13.1 square kilometres. At the alluvial cone “Zinkenbach” the lake is divided into two lake basins. At certain area the lake is only up to 200 metres wide. The lake is situated at and altitude of 538 metres and goes as far as 114 metres deep at it’s lowest point. Because of its water quality, lake Wolfgang has been designated a reference-water-body by the European Union. Amongst other things, the pearl fish is native in lake Wolfgang, which only occurs in very clear waters.

The first noted mention of lake Wolfgang was in the year of 788 as “ABRIANI LACUS” – later on the lake should be renamed after the bordering town “Abersee” – at that time the lake was owned by the Monastery of Mondsee for a long time. At the peak of pilgrimage in the 13th and 14th century, the name “St. Wolfgangsee” began to establish next to it’s original name. After the annexation of “Wolfgangland” to Austria in 1506 the name “Wolfgangsee” was officially introduced as a second name.

Ever since that period of time the lake is only found as “Abersee” or “Wolfgangsee” on any map or documents. As of today the name “Wolfgangsee” made itself a name internationally and ever since represents itself for holiday pleasures.

Hotel & Restaurant Bürglstein am Wolfgangsee

Wolfgangsee

With it’s lovely towns and villages, the most beautiful viewing mountain of Austria and it’s kept and preserved traditions, lake Wolfgang is a very popular travelling destination.  

  • Total area: 12.4 square kilometres
  • Length: 11.900 metres
  • Narrowest point: 210 metres
  • Depth: up to 114 metres at Falkensteinwand
  • Content of Water: 667.07 million cubic metres
  • Highest documented temperature: 28.3 degrees
Hotel & Restaurant Bürglstein - Seewelt Wolfgangsee

St. Wolfgang

St. Wolfgang is without a doubt the most renowned town around the Lake, most of the fame is credited to the famous hotel “Weißes Rössl”.

  • Province: Upper Austria
  • Inhabitants: 2.800
  • Guest beds available: roughly 2.650
  • Community area: roughly 56,66 square km
  • Sea level: 548 metres
  • Air spa community: since 1972

Shipping on the lake Wolfgang

Travel from town to town via water transportation

Must-sees in St. Wolfgang

Pilgrimage church and the altar of Michael Pacher

The construction of the church is separated into 3 stages. The gothic hall church in the 15th century, the baroque extensions and the chapel in the early 18th century and the bell-shaped Tower from the late 18th century. The South Tyrolian Master Michael Pacher was assigned to build a winged altar. With the help of his brother Friedrich, within 10 years, they have successfully built one of the most important late-gothic Artworks to this day. Initially it was claimed that Schwanthalers double-altar would replace Pachers masterpiece, but Schwanthaler was utmost impressed by Pachers work and decided to place his altar in the middle of the church. The iron fence marks the area where the first built church was standing.

Pilgrim fountain (1515)

An important art monument during the Renaissance made of bell metal, created by a Passauer punchmaker and metal caster. He supplied countless pilgrims with water, furthermore he was the local well for the neighbouring houses, ever since the well was declared to have healing water.

The treasure chamber in the tower

The museum was established in 1994, among the treasures worth seeing are the so-called Staff of Wolfgang, a statue of Wolfgang by Guggenbichler and interesting votive images. (Visit by appointment)

House Wallner 

Ever since the 15th century the Wallner family has been operating the business of the Lebzelter, wax puller and mead producers. The house where Michael Pacher lived while he was completing his masterpiece is a special feature due to it’s painted façade.

White Horse Inn

The worldwide fame of the romantic hotel “zum Weißen Rössl” is credit to the homonymous song by Ralph Benatzky and Robert Stolz. Both composers were granted honorary citizenship of St. Wolfgang and Benatzky – in fulfilment of his wish – was buried in an honorary tomb at the cemetery of Sankt Wolfgang.

Sightseeing around Lake Wolfgang

Wolfgangsee line shipping

The ships have been operating since 1873 on lake Wolfgang and connect the 3 towns of Strobl, St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang with each other.
Hotel & Restaurant Bürglstein am Wolfgangsee - Wolfgangseeschifffahrt

Schafbergbahn

In April of 1892, 350 Italian workers commence with tassuring work for the Schafbergbahn. Since 1893 the rack railway connects the valley with the popular mountain at a height at 1783 metres. Within 45 minutes it endures a track of 5.85km and climbs 1190 altimeter.
Hotel & Restaurant Bürglstein - Bergwelt

Zwölferhorn

In the year of 1957 the first skier was lifted by the cableway up to the top of the mountain, to 1522 metres.

Postalm

Europe’s second largest Hochalm plateau is a very family friendly Ski area, it is perfect for beginners and advanced skiers. During the hot time of the year it’s the perfect summer pasture for cows, sheep and horses – furthermore it’s one of the biggest hiking areas. The Koch family, owner of the former hotel Post in Bad Ischl, was assigned to build a Postmaster’s Office ins 1825 – to establish a belonging agriculture they purchased the renowned “Strobler Alm” in 1840.

History and Legend

St. Wolfgang is named after it’s founder – holy Saint Wolfgang. He was consecrated as Bishop of Regensburg in the year of 973 before retreating to the then called Abersee to avoid political problems in Bavaria. He lived as a hermit on Falkenstein for a couple of years, the devil was with his godly life and decided to kill the Saint by pushing the rocks together and crushing him. The holy Saint leaned against the rocks and prayed to god, leaving a mark of his head and hands in the stone which you can still see today.

The legend claims that the holy Saint threw his axe from Falkenstein into the valley, god told him he had to build a church at the spot where he would find his axe again. On the site of today’s church of St. Wolfgang he found his axe and built a chapel.

The devil offered help to construct the church, in return he demanded the first living thing entering the church to be his, Wolfgang outsmarted the devil, sending in a wolf as first visitor. Out of anger the devil left. When Wolfgang finally had to return to his bishop’s city, the little church wanted to follow him. But he ordered it to stay and promised that he would give the richest graces of heaven to all who prayed to him.

Due to his miraculous work, Wolfgang became a much-venerated saint.

With Rome, Einsiedeln and Santiago de Compostela – St. Wolfgang created the top quartet of European pilgrimage sites.

Up to seventy thousand pilgrims visited the saints church – as a symbolic purpose and to thank Wolfgang the pilgrims drop peas into a little jar – afterwards the peas were counted to determine the number of visitors. During the age of enlightenment and the secularization of religious customs the pilgrim town fell into a winter’s sleep – things worsened as a big fire destroyed the village in 1429. In 1430 the emperor Sigismund conferred St. Wolfgang to be a market community, during this time the gothic hall church was constructed and in 1481 Michael Pachers masterpiece was finished.

After being a thriving community, the end of pilgriming brought harsh times upon the community. Only through discovering the Salzkammergut by writers and painters of the Biedermeier period brought back the attention to St. Wolfgang.

After emperor Kaiser Franz Josef resided at Bad Ischl in the 19th century, St. Wolfgang profited and got more popular during the summer months.

In April of 1892, 350 Italian workers commence with tassuring work for the Schafbergbahn. Since 1893 the rack railway connects the valley with the popular mountain at a height at 1783 metres. Within 45 minutes it endures a track of 5.85km and climbs 1190 altimeter.

Further pioneering achievements for tourism were the commissioning of motorized shipping on Lake Wolfgang in 1874 and the construction of the Upper Austrian power station.

During the interwar period, Lake Wolfgang became a summer refuge for many artists from all walks of life and a summer resort for personalities from politics and business.

In 1937 the duke of Windsor, former King of England spent almost 2 months in St. Wolfgang in the famous “Landhaus zu Appesbach” with his later wife Wally Simpson.

A “day of fate” for the tourism on Lake Wolfgang was on November the 8th in 1930. Ralph Benatzkys revue operetta “Im Weißen Rössl” got sounding results on its debut in Berlin. Hundreds of presentations in London and on the Broadway marked the starting point for the most successful tourism-campaign of all time.

The film also acted. The back then popular homeland-films and musicals where Lake Wolfgang offered the best landscape, the movie “Im Weißen Rössl” filmed in 1960 with Waltraud Haas and Peter Alexander is still watched today.

 After 1945 the freedom of traveling established slowly but surely, reviving the town and becoming one of the most popular destinations of the alps. With the decrease of mass tourism, the town took action and improved their touristic infrastructure such as the tunnel opened in 1993 and the construction of the Michael Pacher house in 1997, the design of the town itself because of the national exhibition in 2008 and major private initiatives, St. Wolfgang recommends itself as modern summer and winter destination with a long living tradition for heritage.

Further destinations

Falkenstein

One of the oldest pilgrim routes in Europe leads over the Falkenstein-saddle (772m), once a Celtic Cult place, leading from St. Gilgen to St. Wolfgang

Around 976 Wolfgang, Bishop of Regensburg spent some time in the nearby Benedictines Monastery of Mondsee which belonged to his diocese of Regensburg. According to the Legend he lived on the Falkenstein as hermit, only his Monastery Brother accompanied him. His brother complained about harsh conditions living in the wilderness, especially about being thirsty, Wolfgang smashed his staff against the rock. Short after a source of water was created which still flows today and it’s water is used as medicine against eye illnesses. The Falkenstein church heritages the mysterious “Durchkriechstein” and the “Wunschglocke”. The popular climbing wall above the deepest spot of Lake Wolfgang (114m) with its well-liked Echo was in 2006 and 2008 where the “Red Bull Cliff Diving” took place.

Mönichsee

The Mönichsee is a small mountain lake on 1300 metres, it is located between the famous Schafberg and Vormauer. “Am Törl” above the lake, there is a breeding ground for marmots. The hallway name “Heimliches Gericht” belongs to a legend that describes the kidnapping of a boy by a witch.

Dittelbachwildnis

Above St. Wolfgang, the Dittelbach-waterfalls are found in a canyon behind the “Hupfmühle”.

“Steinklüfte”

Primeval archaic rockfall area situated at the foot of the Plombergstein in St. Gilgen (witch-kitchen and other mysterious surroundings)