St Wolfgang - day off hiking

Today we expected rain as per our phone's weather schedules yesterday but we got up to a gorgeous day and promises of clear sky until afternoon so we decided to head up Schafberg Mtn. on the Cog train. At an altitude of 1783m it is higher than Katrin where we used the gondola to go up to 1415m a few days ago.

The last time we were on a cog train was in Switzerland in 1995. A cog train has the engine in the back to drive the two cars up a very steep incline. There is a chain in the middle of the tracks that we assume helps to prevent the whole thing from slipping backward. Anything more than that is too technical for either of us.

The ride up to the top took 35 minutes with incredible views from either side of the car.

Our train leaving the station to go back down. You can see the church tower in St Wolfgang in the distance. Ours was the first train of the day and not crowded like the 3 we passed going back down.

We arrived up to the top where there is a hotel with restaurant, and a second restaurant a little over to the side as well as some walking paths and great views between them. There are trails up from the bottom of the mountain so some folks walk up from there and/or back down again. Or you can take train up nearly to the top and get off at a station and walk up, that would take a good walker an hour. We went both ways on the train cause it was our day off!!!

Coffee and view at the top.  

The highest mountains in Austria are snow-covered in the distance. St. Gilgen is the town you can see at the end of the lake.

Lake Mondsee

Lake Attersee where we will head out for tomorrow.

The train station at the top

After a good wander around at the top we headed back down so we could check out the town of St Wolfgang and its pedestrian streets. 

And The Church of St Wolfgang. The first church was built on this spot in 976 by Bishop Wolfgang, who was later canonized. This church was built in the 15th century and became a pilgrim destination to honor St. Wolfgang. 

The pews all have labels at each seat for a family, probably an early fund-raising scheme. 

I was wondering whether this family just didn't pay enough to get a view of what was happening at the front as they have a huge pillar right in front of their faces, and a very small seat!

A hotel right in town - look at those flowers. 

So tomorrow we will hike on. Our last day of hiking in Austria with Headwater.