The Wolfgangsee is a long, narrow lake in the northern Salzkammergut, divided between the states of Upper Austria and Salzburg. The western end is dominated by the village of St. Wolfgang, one of the most visited lakeside resorts in Austria; the eastern end, with the twin villages of Bad Ischl connections and the more peaceful Strobl, sees fewer crowds.
The lake is warm enough for swimming from June to September and the water is exceptionally clear. Boat trips run regularly between the main villages. The panoramic railway, the Schafbergbahn, departs from St. Wolfgang and climbs to the summit of the Schafberg (1,783 m) by rack railway — one of the steepest in Europe and famously featured in the opening sequence of The Sound of Music.