Sankt Gilgen is a village in the Salzburg-Raum district, in the Salzburg Salzkammergut region of Austria.
Located on the western shore of Lake Wolfgangsee, at an altitude of 545 m, the municipality is nestled in the mountains of the Salzkammergut massif, opposite the Schafberg (1,782 m) which rises above the town of Ried. In winter, unique deep snow slopes on the local mountain, the Zwölferhorn, invite you to ski. In summer you can go on wonderful hikes here, for example to the Schafberg.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Sankt Gilgen became a vacation spot and a popular holiday destination , for many personalities from the economic and political world, and also artists.
Access : Coordinates: 47.766667, 13.366667 / St. Gilgen is located just 28 km from Salzburg.
Highlights :
- St. Gilgen began to develop as a recreational area in the mid-19th century, when Emperor Franz Joseph of Habsburg built himself a summer residence in the vicinity.
- Located on state roads 154 and 158, which connect Salzburg to Graz, it is part of the Austrian Romantic Road route.
- The famous picnic scene in the film “The Sound of Music” was filmed here and St. Gilgen.
- Skiing : in winter there is a small ski resort Zwelfhorn with 4 slopes and 3 lifts, in summer tourists can enjoy walks on the lake, fishing, sailing, hiking routes of varying lengths and difficulties, rock climbing, cycling and much more.
- The Austrians themselves often call the St. Gilgen “Mozart’s village,” since the composer’s mother lived here for some time . Although Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart never visited this place ,In 2005 St. Gilgen was promoted as the “Mozart Village” by the Wolfgangsee Tourist Board.
- Along Lake Wolfgang See, in addition to pleasure boats, ferries run to St. Wolfgang and Strobl , tourists can take a funicular to the top of the Zwelfhorn mountain.
- Top sights in Sankt Gilgen : The medieval church of St. Egidio / The town is home to a few small museums including the Museum of People’s Musical Instruments and the Museum of Popular Traditions.
Go next : Strobl , a municipality of the Salzburg-Umgebung District . / St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut , a market town in central Austria.
