The Hotel on Lake Wolfgang for Genuine Romantics.

“Luck is knocking on your door at the White Horse Inn on Lake Wolfgang” – is sung in the famous operetta “Im weissen Rössl”. And precisely this operetta ensured global fame for the romantic hotel of the same name. The theme of the comedy, which celebrated huge success all over Austria and Germany for more than 30 years and was even filmed in 1930, was the Im weissen Rössl inn with its unique atmosphere and guests in the town of St Wolfgang.

Today this is one of the most famous hotels for romantics in Austria. The 4-star holiday hotel boasts the grandiose “Spa im See” spa area which seems to float on the lake. The three floors, however, contain a detailed aquatic wellness paradise with a large ​​sauna and steam bath area, and everything else that goes with it.

Lake swimming pool and the first floating whirlpool in the world

The biggest attraction for visitors is the completely unique lake swimming pool on the sunny terrace at the lakeshore. It is heated to 30 °C all year round and can easily be reached directly from the spa area. It measures 14 x 8 metres, reaches a depth of 2.6 metres and the water level is about 1.3 metres.

Another unique feature here, probably worldwide, is the world’s first floating whirlpool – “Rössl-Pool”. Couples in particular enjoy it. What could be more romantic than relaxing in the bubbling, pleasantly warm water (37 °C), surrounded by picturesque mountain scenery?

Even the steam bath in Im Weissen Rössl Hotel is no ordinary classic steam bath. What is known as SOOL, which is the natural salt from Bad Ischl, is used for inhalation. Its healing effects were discovered at the beginning of the 19th century. It contains 24 % of salt and 80 minerals that have a beneficial effect on the human body.

The healing springs in the Salt Chamber have fascinated many famous persons in history, including Archduchess Maria Louisa. In Im weissen Rössl Hotel spa, the salt is used for detoxification baths, douches and inhalations. In addition to the spa, it is also used in the kitchen – Hotel Chef Hermann Poll is convinced that the salt “enhances and improves the taste of food”.

Lake Restaurant awarded three Gault & Millau toques

The cuisine at the White Horse has been famous since the creation of the famous operetta. One can enjoy delicacies in two restaurants with a superb view of the lake. While couples in love usually settle in the Romantik Restaurant on the Kaiserterrasse and Sisi terrace, gourmets prefer the renowned great fish dishes served in the Seerestaurant (Lake Restaurant). The quality of the local cuisine is also evidenced by the fact that the art of Chef Hermann Poll was awarded three Gault & Millau toques and 15 points last year. His gourmet creations are inspired by traditional Austrian cuisine in a modern concept.

The most delicious beverage should accompany a great meal. At the White Horse Hotel, the beverages provided by the wine cellar cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The cellar is located directly opposite the Hotel in a deep adit dug into shelly limestone, where ice blocks used to be stored to cool food and drinks. Today, it holds a wine cellar, where both tastings and various social events take place. However, the number of rare wine bottles that those interested come to see, is also respectable: more than 300 different types of wines from Austria are stored in the rock cellar, with a total of 10 000 bottles that can mature here at a constant temperature.

Cyclists, tourists and water sports enthusiasts will be in their element

If you would like to find yourself by the sea for a while, know that even this is possible here, albeit in freshwater form. Because the lakes in the Salzkammergut (Salt Chamber) resemble the sea and there are 67 of them here! Every lake is surrounded by a mountain range, which completes the truly romantic atmosphere. The beauty of the Salt Chamber is really magical. Composers, writers and painters have lived here, monarchs came here to relax, and to this day it is considered one of the most beautiful corners of Europe. The most famous lake is Wolfgangsee, nicknamed the “sea in the mountains”, where Im Weissen Rössl Hotel is located. The spirit of the lake, which dramatically reflects the surrounding ranges of the Höllengebirge, Dachstein, Totes Gebirge, Feuerkogel and Tennegebirge, is enchanting. It would be a pity not to try rowing, yachting or water skiing here.

Mountain bikers and cyclists will be enthusiastic about the choice of cycle paths and trails. So that a cycling holiday does not have to be a deterrent to some family members, one can rent an e-bike and visit places in the mountains that an average trained cyclist has never been able to imagine. Here, a cycling hedonist will simply become an ambitious sports biker who will devour – especially high-altitude – kilometres. This year’s particular attraction is the new BergeSeen E-Trail, which is 640 kilometres long and is divided into 10 one-day stages. It leads to the most beautiful places in the Salt Chamber on both asphalt and forest roads.

Directly from the resort of St Wolfgang, one can set out on 13 adventure cycling trails, which are lined with pubs, offering attractive culinary stops. In St Wolfgang, one can also get on the Salzkammergut cycle path, which runs through the three Austrian federal states of Salzburg, Styria and Upper Austria and is 345 kilometres long. Unlike the classic trails, which run along the rivers and are flat, here one has to manage frequent small elevations. However, the height differences are not very large and some mountain sections can be avoided by changing to train or steamer.

Tourists will also definitely find a paradise in the Salt Chamber. One of the most interesting excursions is a hike around the Schafberg mountain (1783 m) to the peak, to which a 5.85-kilometre-long cogwheel railway leads, that conquers an altitude difference of 1188 metres. The carriages are pushed by an adorable, terrain-adapted locomotive, called Enzian (Gentian, after the plant that blooms in summer along the track). The track ranks among the most famous in the whole of the Alps, providing unsurpassed views of the Salt Chamber and the Dachstein Mountains for the entire 45 minutes. 

https://www.weissesroessl.at/