Salzburg was the second leg of our Austria-Hungary trip. We had seen quite a bit of Salzburg because of watching the Sound of Music numerous times, but the real experience is, of course, not comparable to what’s seen on screen. The main town area on the east side of the river Salzach is small and quite walkable. Mirabell Gardens and Mozart’s birth place were within a 10 minute walking distance of our hotel on Wolf Dietrich Strabe. There are a bunch of nice cafes and restaurants on Linzer Gasse and the square off the Catholic Church. We spent a couple days exploring Salzburg and another day and a half heading out to the hills and lakes surrounding this beautiful town.
The Old Town (Altstadt)
Mozart’s house is located across the bridge on the other side of the river, and that old part of the town is lovely. You can spend an entire afternoon just walking around, browsing through the eclectic stores and having a relaxed meal at any of the fabulous restaurants. We became big fans of the Melange coffee in Vienna, and we highly recommend the cappuccino and other interesting drinks at Kaffe Alchemie. The area surrounding St. Florian Fountain is usually a beehive of activity with street performers and outdoor vendors.
Hohensalzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg)
This massive fortress overlooks the town from the top of a mountain, and offers panoramic views of the entire town. The ticket to the fortress includes the ride up and down on the funicular. There are many interesting displays and the tour takes one through the history of the fortress and a walk through it’s the various torture chambers. We spent about 2.5 hrs up there and felt that it was more than enough time.
Mirabell Gardens
We were quite underwhelmed by these world famous gardens. I suppose it was because we visited in the middle of fall, and the flowers were past their blooms. The little pansies and petunias displays we saw were quite average. Give the gardens a miss if you’re visiting in late fall or winter.
Schloss Hellbrunn
This beautiful palace and its immaculate grounds (the little gazebo, to be precise) are world famous, thanks to Sound of Music. The interior of the palace is quite grand, but we spent most of the time walking around the grounds. There are sprinklers all over the gardens, which were closed during our visit in the cold weather. But if you’re visiting during summer, dress appropriately. We heard that during the holidays, a big Christmas Market is held at the out houses. We could only imagine how stunning the grounds would look all lit up with the Christmas lights.
We spent our third day and half of the fourth day in Salzburg heading out to the outskirts. You MUST set aside at least a day to drive out to the beautiful lakes, mountains and little villages outside of Salzburg. The beauty is simply breathtaking and soul-soothing. We were travelling with extended family, so we hired a taxi. The driver was very friendly and an area expert. He made the most efficient use of our time with him. We visited the lovely Lake Mondsee and had fantastic pastries in village of St. Gilgen. We then visited the village of Fuschl am see, which to my surprise, is the location of Red Bull’s headquarters! Lake Fuschl is gorgeous and there is a nice walking path around it. Our taxi driver took us for a hike in the mountains somewhere on the way back from Fuschl am see to Salzburg. The next day, we crossed the border into Germany and made our way to the Berchtesgaden Salt Mines and Lake Konigssee, set at the foot of the beautiful Bavarian Alps. The drive to Berchtesgaden takes hardly 30-40 minutes. The salt mines tour was very informative as well as a lot of fun. You get to put on a special jumpsuit that makes everyone look like a miner J. A train takes you deep into the mines and the guide explains the history and process of salt mining in the area in detail. Do not shy away from the slide at end of the tour! It looks rickety and dangerous, but it is not. Hop on! Lake Konigssee is right outside the town of Berchtesgaden. The water has a clear, emerald green appearance, which is different from the blue waters at the other lakes near Salzburg. We drove past Eagles’s Nest while on our way back, but did not visit. Eagle’s Nest is located high atop a mountain and served as a meeting point for the Nazi Party back in the day. For snowbirds, skiing on the Bavarian Alps is a big draw and we did pass a few cars hauling ski equipment.
These quick trips around Salzburg made us appreciate how truly beautiful this part of the world is. It still seems untouched by massive commercial tourism. The air is so fresh and there were hardly any crowds wherever we went. Maybe it gets a little crowded in summer, but I still think it’s not overrun by tourists. Salzburg is another place that we keep yearning to go back, for a longer stay. Do make it a part of your Austrian itinerary; you will come back wanting for more, like us.
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