St Gilgen lies at the western end of the Wolfgangsee, a long, deep lake in a cleft between steep wooded hills. It is a village of about a thousand people, but it has the polish of a place that has been welcoming visitors for centuries. The waterfront is tidy, the houses are painted in soft colours, and in summer the lake is busy with sailing boats and paddle steamers.
Mozart's mother, Anna Maria Pertl, was born in this village, and his sister Nannerl later lived here after her marriage. The family house is now a small museum, and the lake itself appears in letters and memories from the Mozart household. The composer himself did not live here, but the connection is so well loved that you will find his name on everything from chocolate to concert posters.
The riding along the lake is more of a pleasure cruise than a challenge. The B158 follows the north shore with a series of gentle curves, with the water on your side and forest on the other, and traffic can be thick, particularly on summer weekends. For a more energetic ride, the road up to the Zwölferhorn cable car and the narrow lanes in the hills behind the village give some height and a little more solitude. Early morning, before the day-trippers arrive, is the best time to see the lake still and glassy.
On the southern shore, directly across the water, lies St Wolfgang, whose pilgrimage church and the Weisses Rössl inn made the lake famous through the operetta. You can reach it by road around the lake, which takes a while, or by boat from St Gilgen, a pleasure in good weather. The ferry is the best way to see the lake from its middle.
St Gilgen is small, so fuel is limited. Salzburg and Hallein are the larger options to the west, and Bad Ischl to the east. Eat at one of the lakeside cafes, where the local fish, grilled or smoked, is good, and the strudel is better. Leave time to walk along the front, because the light on the water around early evening is very fine.