St Gilgen
47°46′ N 13°22′ EVillagePop. 3,915Salzburg and the Salzkammergut
St Gilgen is the gentlest of the Wolfgangsee's Advent villages, with candlelight along the shore and a baroque theme. It's small, so most people pair it with St Wolfgang by boat.
Photo Jarrod Zenjiro · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
St Gilgen suits travellers who want the Wolfgangsee's Advent closest to Salzburg, with a boat at the door to the other villages. Its market shuts on Mondays and Tuesdays and runs small on Wednesdays.
Things to do in St Gilgen
The village sits on the north-western shore of the Wolfgangsee. Mozart's mother Anna Maria Pertl was born here, and his sister Nannerl moved here when she married. The Advent market calls itself the baroque Advent and fills the Kirchenplatz by the parish church of St Giles with craft stalls.
A light trail tells the Christmas story from the Annunciation to the Flight into Egypt, and painted figures by the artist Raja Schwahn-Reichmann stand around the village. A nativity exhibition in the Salettl beside the Gasthof zur Post keeps the market's hours.
Worth knowing
- Start here in the late morning and take the boat east to St Wolfgang for the lantern at dusk.
Quick answers about St Gilgen
When is the St Gilgen Advent market in 2026?
From 20 November to 20 December 2026, Wednesday to Sunday, plus 7 and 8 December.
Is St Gilgen a good place to stay?
St Gilgen suits travellers who want the Wolfgangsee's Advent closest to Salzburg, with a boat at the door to the other villages. Its market shuts on Mondays and Tuesdays and runs small on Wednesdays.
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby
