Walking Austria: Strobl to St. Wolfgang

Our clear days of cool walks in the Austrian Alps were about to come to a close when we circled back to Wolfgangsee for an easy hike along the lake from Strobl to St. Wolfgang. The easy stroll probably took us about an hour, most of the walk very scenic, though there is one small stretch along a busy road. If you’re looking for a relatively easy stroll along the lakeside, here it is:

---

(Psst, this post may contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase something through one of my links, I get a commission at no extra cost to you.)

---

Want to experience the hike for yourself? Here are some relevant details: 

Directions

The hike starts in Strobl on the north side of the river where it meets the lake (here on Google Maps). Pass through the open iron door and follow the trail as it winds with the lake to the left and a hill reaching upward to your right. Once the trail takes you up the hill and into the forest, watch the signs and make a left at the trail sign for St. Wolfgang. This will lead you to a road where you’ll take a left, walk along the road for awhile, and then take another left when a sign points away from the road back down toward the lakeshore (where you’ll stroll closer to the lake until you reach St. Wolfgang).

Hiking times and local transportation

The walk took us about an hour (including a stop to feed the dog and enjoy the lakeside views just outside St. Wolfgang). There’s bus service between the two towns (and back to Bad Ischl), but check the bus schedules before you go because buses run somewhat infrequently (every two hours back to Bad Ischl when we went), at least in the autumn. 

Dogs on trails

As usual, dogs are welcome on Austria’s trail systems. Just pick up after your pooch and keep them leashed (the trail is crowded and you’ll likely come across other dogs and plenty of other people).

Is the trail crowded?

Yes. Even in autumn during covid when tourism was limited to only Europeans (as the borders to most of the world were still closed), this trail was hopping. We did portions of this hike twice and it was definitely more crowded later in the day. If you’d like to have the trail a bit more to yourself, go early and pick a weekday instead of a weekend.

What to bring

As always with hiking, wear good shoes (these are the ones I use) and weather-appropriate clothing. Parts of the trail are in the sun, so good sunscreen is a smart packing choice. There are no water fill-up stations along the way, so make sure you’re carrying enough water. 

For the dog, I always carry a small carrier backpack just in case she needs a ride (which is rare). And because I love taking photos, you won’t find me on a trail without my camera (All the photos above were taken with my Sony a6000.)

Happy hiking!