The town, classified as a climatic spa, is located at the Waginger See, the warmest lake in Upper Bavaria, with temperatures up to 27 °C.

Due to the so-called lower saline road, which led from Reichenhall to Wasserburg am Inn through Waging, the village was a prosperous place already in medieval ages.

In 1685, Waging became the domicile of a Salzburgian court of law, became Austrian in 1805 for a short time, and belongs to Bavaria since 1810.

In the surroundings are several opportunities for many kinds of leisure activities: hiking, alp and mountain tours, fishing, boating, golf, winter sports, mini golf, sailing and surfing, rowing, skating, traditional natural gymnastics, facilities for hydropathic treatment, tennis hall and court, beach volleyball, and soccer.

Waging is the initial point for the ancient Bavarian cycling trail, and is part of the pilgrimage route "Benediktweg" (leading to places of interest about Pope Benedict XVI), which was opened in August 2005.