Hotel Schafbergspitze was built in 1862, 5,840 feet (1,780 meters) above sea level.
It was the first mountain hotel in Austria. It is perched on the summit of the Schafberg and has a view that will fry your breath.
Originally patrons accessed the hotel by stagecoach and using local chair carriers who must have achieved Olympian fitness carrying people up that steep mountain.
In 1881, the hotel was one of the first buildings in the area to be connected by telephone. Later, in 1892, they built a cog railway to take people up the mountain, and that remains the most popular route of access today.
©SchafbergBahn & WolfgangseeSchifffahrt
Schafberg cog railway takes you to the peak at 5,850 feet (1,783 meters).
The railway runs just under 3.7 miles (6 km) to the hotel and climbs a distance of 3,900 feet (1,188 meters).
The restaurant makes regional specialties and sweet-crumbling pastries.
The best part is that you can eat outside and enjoy a view that will make your mountain stew taste even better.
The restaurant's traditional Alpine interior features a ceramic wood-burning stove, chandeliers, and animal trophies.
Your room is traditional and comfortable, with no extra amenities but proper heating and a functioning bathroom.
Ried 23, 5360 St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut, Austria
