Side Trips in St. Wolfgang

The most popular excursion from St. Wolfgang is to Schafberg, which offers the most stunning view in Upper Austria. Legend has it that you can see 13 lakes of the Salzkammergut from here, but we've never been able to do so. However, you're almost sure to have a good view of the Mondsee and the Attersee, and, of course, the entire Wolfgangsee. On a clear day, you can see as far as the Berchtesgaden Alps. You can also gaze at the wonderful backdrop to the lakes, the peaks of the Höllengebirge, and the glacier-capped Dachstein.

The whole trip to Schafberg takes about 4 1/2 hours, nearly half by rack rail called Schafbergbahn, which operates from early May to late October. Once you're here, allow for about 30 minutes of walking. Departures are hourly: from mid-May to mid-June daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm; from mid-June to mid-September daily from 8:05am to 6:40pm; and from mid-September to mid-October daily from 8:30am to 6:20pm. Round-trip fare is 27€ ($43) for adults and 14€ ($22) for children. For more information, call tel. 06138/2232; www.schafbergbahn.at. There's a hotel on the summit of the mountain, which rises to 1,784m (5,853 ft.).