Lake Wolfgangsee in the Salzkammergut region of Austria is a beautiful bathing lake surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenery. Year after year, the lake delights tourists and locals and offers the ideal place for a relaxing holiday in the heart of nature. Due to its size of 13 km2, the Wolfgangsee is particularly well suited for bathing holidays and varied water sports activities. Divers in particular enjoy clear visibility here all year round and dive into an exciting underwater world. Nevertheless, the lake is not only famous for its magnificent location in the Salzkammergut. The operetta "Im Weissen Rössl am Wolfgangsee" by Ralph Benatzky made the lake and the Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rössl am Wolfgangsee, located directly on the lake, famous.

The operetta "Im Weissen Rössl am Wolfgangsee" 

As early as 1896, Oskar Blumenthal and Gustav Kadelburg wrote the romantic comedy of the loving head waiter and the Rössl landlady in the Blumenthal villa near the town of Bad Ischl. In 1930 Ralph Benatzky composed the rousing music and the operetta celebrated its premiere in Berlin on 8 November 1930. Especially the film version in 1960 with Peter Alexander as head waiter Leopold made the hotel and the lake world famous.

The operetta is set in the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl during the high season, where head waiter Leopold manages to keep dissatisfied guests happy by singing. At the same time, he tries to win over his boss Josepha with charm, but she rebuffs his advances. Josepha herself is in love with the guest Dr. Otto Siedler, who in turn is interested in Brigitte, the daughter of another guest. After an argument between Leopold and Josepha, the latter is dismissed and moves into the Hotel Im Weissen Rössl as a guest in order to open the eyes of his adored Josepha.

In the film version of the operetta in 1960, the well-known actors Peter Alexander and Waltraut Haas shine in the leading roles. Since this great success, Lake Wolfgang and the Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rössl have become a sought-after destination for guests who would like to take a look behind the scenes of the operetta.

Hotel tip at Lake Wolfgang

The Peter family has been welcoming you to the Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rössl at Lake Wolfgang for more than 100 years, ensuring a great stay at the beautiful Wolfgangsee. The traditional hotel offers charming hospitality and a cosy, family atmosphere - completely removed from the image conveyed by operetta. The Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rössl invites you to relax all year round in the large SPA and wellness area and especially in the heated pool by the lake and the floating whirlpool. In addition, in the culinary area, the hotel spoils its guests with delicacies from Austrian cuisine in the hotel's own restaurants as well as an exclusive selection of wines from the traditional Rössl rock cellar.

Wolfgangsee as a film and television backdrop

In addition to the well-known film version of the operetta, Lake Wolfgang has frequently served as a backdrop for film and television shoots in recent decades. These include numerous Austrian and German film comedies from the 1960s and 1970s as well as documentaries and television shows. Three selected well-known films as well as television shows will give you an insight into the diversity Lake Wolfgang offers as a film backdrop.

WELCOME TO CARMEN NEBEL (2006)

On 27 July 2006, the big summer special of the ZDF show "Welcome to Carmen Nebel" took place at Lake Wolfgang. This year, the presenter welcomed her viewers to the breathtaking mountain and lake world of the Salzkammergut. Carmen Nebel hosted in front of the fascinating scenery and well-known singers such as André Rieu, Patrick Lindner and Karl Moik offered the audience a successful show. In addition to Lake Wolfgangsee, the summer special also included the imperial town of Bad Ischl and the lakeside castle of Ort on Lake Traunsee.

KISS THE HAND, KRUGER (2017)

As part of the popular feature film series, Horst Krause went to the neighbouring country to bring Karin, a regular pub owner who is a friend, back to Berlin. In the course of the film, he pays a visit not only to Salzburg but also to Lake Wolfgang. In this part of the culture clash series, real Berliners meet the peculiarities of Austrian culture.

TATORT "TRUE LIES" (2018)

The popular Viennese special investigators of the Tatort series are called to a murder case in the Salzkammergut as part of the "True Lies" edition. The body of a missing journalist, who had last worked on a story about illegal arms trafficking, was found in Lake Wolfgang. Lake Wolfgang serves as an impressive panoramic backdrop in the crime scene and offers viewers a glimpse of the magnificent Salzkammergut.