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Werfenweng

About Werfenweng

A mountain village in the Pongau at the foot of the Tennengebirge, about 45 kilometres south of Salzburg. Known for car-free travel, plenty of nature and the youngest population in the province.

Location

Werfenweng is in the Pongau district of Salzburg, on a high plateau at the foot of the Tennengebirge mountains, about 45 kilometres south of the city of Salzburg. The Eiskögel peaks rise above the village. The local mountain is the Bischling: the Ikarus gondola goes up to 1,835 metres, and the Dorfbahn Rosnerköpfl lift starts right in the village centre. Down in the Salzach valley are the neighbouring villages of Pfarrwerfen and Werfen, which run the W³ shuttle together with Werfenweng.

Werfenweng in numbers
Average age 39.4 years, Salzburg's "youngest" municipality (2024 population report)
Guest beds about 2,000, around 2,400 with the two new hotels of 2026
Hiking trails 99 kilometres
Ski slopes 29 kilometres
Lifts Ikarus gondola (1,835 m), Dorfbahn Rosnerköpfl (1,154 m)

A pioneer of car-free travel

For decades, Werfenweng has worked to make car-free holidays possible. The village is one of the Alpine Pearls, a group of currently 19 Alpine holiday destinations committed to environmentally friendly mobility. How to get here and get around without a car is covered on Getting there.

The village has won several awards for this work, for example:

  • Energy Globe Award Salzburg 2023 in the "sustainable municipality" category, for the W³ shuttle it runs with its neighbours
  • CIPRA "Future in the Alps" competition 2005: the jury named Werfenweng the winner
  • "Sustainable Economy" programme 2005 (Austria's then transport and innovation ministry), for the projects "soft mobility: a holiday from the car" and "model energy municipality"
  • Nets Award 2004/05 for car-free tourism in the "mountains" category

In addition, familienausflug.info voted the Wengsee leisure park "Top day-trip destination in Salzburg 2023".

What's happening

For current stories from the village, see the news, for example about the community, tourism and sport. Seasonal tips are under Summer and Winter.

Sources