Hotel Reviewers' Stories

04/2007: St. Wolfgang - ‘you must see our town in the summer, it’s not so attractive when the sun doesn’t shine!’

It’s rather odd to review hotels in winter (March) to find the town virtually empty, with no snow and some of the hotels seasonally closed. This was what I found when I arrived in the Austrian town of St Wolfgang near Salzburg…

However, there’s a very good reason for this…it’s not really a ski resort and when you discover what’s on offer in the summer here…it’s hardly suprising. Locals claim ’you must see our town in the summer, it’s not so attractive when the sun doesn’t shine!’. In the summer it must be breathtaking as it’s pretty stunning in the winter. The town is on the huge, glass-like, lake Wolfgansee and overlooked by mountains. Ferry boats traverse the lake year round and in the summer there are superb hiking trails, running routes, mountain and road biking, great waterskiing and waterski schools and various other watersports on offer. There is even an off-road triathlon and a running race around the lake which is used as a training event for the New York marathon.

There is skiing available at the mainly beginners ski area of Posthalm, 12 ½ miles away, or at West Dachstein comprising the ski areas of Gosau, Russbach and Annaberg which is larger with a few more challenging slopes.

It really is one of the most attractive ‘ski resorts’ I have ever visited and definitely worth a visit whether you are a skier or a non-skier and at any time of year!