Sankt Johann im Pongau is a tranquil alpine village located in Austria, about 60 kilometres south of Salzburg. Both in summer and winter, the community of about 11,400 inhabitants has a lot to offer its visitors. Skiers and snowboarders get their money’s worth here as well as hiking enthusiasts and mountain bike freaks. Art and cultural events in the local culture and congress centre as well as some museums in the districts also attract culture lovers.
Overnight stay in Sankt Johann: How about a chalet?
If you want to spend your holiday with comfort, comfortable infinity beds and an outdoor whirlpool and at the same time value a great panoramic view, we recommend the chalet village BERGHERZ in Sankt Johann im Pongau when choosing the perfect chalet in Austria .
Here you can optimally combine the advantages of your own chalet with the comfort of a luxury hotel.
The equipment
In all huts, holidaymakers can expect a fully equipped alpine kitchen, HD TV, large sofas, infinity beds and a spacious bedroom with a view of the Alps. The wellness factor is also not neglected in the private sauna and outdoor whirlpool. You can end the evening with a good glass of wine by the cozy fireplace.
Culinary
Start the new eventful day with a hearty breakfast. The staff of the village will spoil you with great regional products, vitamin-rich fruit and homemade muesli.
If you don’t feel like cooking yourself in the evening, you have the option of using the catering service of the chalet village. From cheese dumplings to Wiener Schnitzel to the classic grill plate. There is a suitable dish for every taste.
Our tip: A special culinary highlight is the Hut-Essen, the traditional Austrian table grill variant. Treat your taste buds to high-quality meat, fresh vegetables and crisp salads.
Sankt Johann im Pongau in winter: Snow fun in the alpine village
In winter, Sankt Johann im Pongau is bustling with everything in the Alpendorf district. The ski area there is called Snow Space Salzburg and attracts adults and children alike. Tourists who would like to try skiing for the first time are in good hands here, because there is a practice lift on Mount Hahnbaum that can be used free of charge. After a few test runs, ski bunnies can then decide whether they want to venture onto the steeper slopes in the Ski amadé ski area in Alpendorf (St. Johann i. Pg.) or in nearby Wagrain or Flachau . All 44 slopes within this radius belong to Snow Space Salzburg. Over 200 kilometres of perfect slopes, 12 peaks and 5 valleys await enthusiastic skiers and snowboarders.
A unique experience: A visit to the Liechtenstein Gorge
South of Sankt Johann im Pongau is the Liechtenstein Gorge. In total, the gorge has a length of 4,000 meters. Visitors are allowed to roam through about 1,000 of them and be fascinated by the sight of the massively rising rocks of the gorge. What makes the walk through the Liechtenstein Gorge particularly exciting is that it is very narrow in several places. The destination at the end of the gorge is an impressive waterfall. Visitors can get there via wooden walkways and wooden steps, which are well secured with railings and are regularly maintained. A visit to the Liechtenstein Gorge is a pure summer pleasure, because in the winter months the area is closed for safety reasons.
Summer fun for children on the Geisterberg
If you travel to Sankt Johann im Pongau with children, you can spend unforgettable family hours on the Geisterberg in summer. The Geisterberg is a children’s adventure park located at an altitude of 1,787 metres on the Gernkogel. From the district of Alpendorf, the Geisterberg can be reached by gondola. Even the journey is an experience, because once you reach the mountain station of the Gernkogel, you don’t have to walk, but continue to the Geisterberg in the ghost train. Basically, everything here revolves around ghosts and ghosts. The children are offered 40 different play stations, which are connected by footpaths, which can also be easily mastered with a stroller. Among other things, there is a real ghost mountain castle, climbing and swinging equipment, water games and artificial lakes, as well as a via ferrata for the older children and teenagers.
These sights should not be missed in Sankt Johann im Pongau
If you have had enough of nature, or want to bridge a rainy day in a meaningful way, Sankt Johann im Pongau will also find the best conditions for this. For example, the Pongau Cathedral (Roman Catholic memorial parish church) is worth seeing. Actually, it is the parish church in honor of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. However, since this church building looks extremely sublime, it is popularly called Pongau Cathedral. On the site of today’s cathedral there have been church buildings since the year 924, but they have been destroyed again and again. The current church was built in 1855 in the neo-Gothic style, after the previous church had burned down. The two towers of the building are no less than 62 meters high. Particularly worth seeing is the art-historically interesting high altar.
Things are simpler in the Anna Chapel, which was built in 1301 and is the oldest building in the village. The Anna Chapel is crossed by a ribbed vault and has pointed arched windows. A Gothic church ensemble was once grouped around it, but it burned down in 1855.
If you feel like visiting a museum, you can drive the few kilometers to Wagrain and find the Silent Night Museum and the Waggerl House there. In the Silent Night Museum, everything revolves around the most popular German-language Christmas carol. The Waggerl House is the former home of Karl Heinrich Waggerl, one of the most important Austrian writers. In the poet’s original living quarters, his life and work can be traced today.
