Here I am again relying on your expertise In August, I will be for a week in Salzburg, Austria. I am still in the "drawing" phase of my trip so I have not made any hotels or car reservation thus I am open to any suggestion. The wealth of information and places worth visiting are overwhelming! How would you spend these 7 or 8 days?
I think you have picked a great place to spend a week, and at a beautiful time of year. Our family has enjoyed several trips to Salzburg and the lake/mountain area just outside Salzburg called the Salzkammergut. In fact, we'll be there again for a week in July, staying in the village of St. Gilgen, about 30 minutes from Salzburg.
If you do a "search" on the message board (just click on "Find" above this post) on Salzburg, you will find lots of previous discussions and ideas.
I have some travel notes for Salzburg posted on the main Slow Travel website here. And I have photos from our two week stay in July 2005 here. This should give you some ideas for a summer visit.
In Salzburg, we've stayed several times at the Hotel Wolf-Dietrich-- see review here. In St. Gilgen we rented an apartment, and we are renting another apartment this summer. But if you wanted a few days out of the city, the Hotel Gasthof zur Post is very nice and a great location. You would need to have a car here to really explore the Salzkammergut.
Eagle's nest tour (this was Adolf Hitler's retreat) Salt Mines tour (the largest salt mines in the world are here!) Sound of Music tour (if you're into that) Go for a Mozart concert A show at the Marionette theater Sailing on the Salzach river Dinner at the St. Peterskeller restaurant (which has been in operation since 803 AD making it one of the world's oldest restaurants still in operation)
Posts: 122 | Location: Irvine, CA | Registered: 13 February 2008
Another wonderful restaurant in Salzburg is Schloss Aigen. It is about a five minute car drive from town, in the hills, and is a wonderful, very traditional Austrian restaurant.
Der Goldener Hirsch would still be my choice place to stay in Salzburg. It has become part of the Starwood Group, but still maintains its local color and atmosphere.
Day trips to Wolfgangsee and Mondsee (in the Salzkammergut) would be in order, as would an evening out at the Casino. It is quite posh!
Wolfgangsee has the advantage of a boat service up and down the lake which stops art various points so you can hop on and hop off and even walk parts of the trip. Then there is also the Schafbergbahn which takes you up so high you notice the shortage of oxygen. If you go on a fine day, the views are stunning. My favourite hotel is the Peter in St. Wolfgang - fantastic views and lovely rooms, mediocre restaurant (unless it has changed over the last year) - not exactly cheap but the perfect treat. Wolfgangsee is very touristy compared with some of the other lakes, but somehow I keep going back - it is like nowhere else.
We just returned from 1 week in Budapest and 2 weeks in the Salzkammergut region in Austria staying in Grundlsee with a few days in Salzburg then Vienna. In Salburg we stayed at the Star Inn Zentrum. A relatively new and inexpensive hotel with parking and located across the street from the tunnel to the historic center. The location could not have been better. Easy, easy walk to everything you want to see and do. If driving into the city look for their signs on posts- really helped in finding the hotel.
Last year while resaearching our trip Kaydee introduced us to St Gilgen, a place we had not heard about before and looking at her pictures there was one on top of a mountain. Had to go ther AND we did. Never thought we would reach the top, it was just over the next ridge--no over the next-no over the next. WOW what an adventure. Once on top after we were greeted by St Peter, yes thought we wre in heaven-- the view was absolutley fabulous. Able to see Wolfgangsee and Mondesee as well as the entire town of St Gilgen--the birthplace of Mozart's mother. Breathtaking. Had lunch at the restaurant on the top overlooking the world below. What a hidden gem is this town of St Gilgen. From the highway nothing unusual- a gas station, parking lot and the entrance to the cable cars for your trip up the mountain. A block in off the road and you are in a fairy land. Our next trip there we definitely will stay in St Gilgen and commute to Salzburg, a short drive and to the rest of the Salzkammergut. We loved Halstatt and especially Bad Aussee and Grundlsee.
Folks, please don't get hung up on places where to eat. Find a nice, local restaurant during your strolls and enjoy the local atmosphere. There are lots of them everywhere. Most are quaint and charming. Food is home made and good. Enjoy the local food and drink. Why go to Austria and eat Italian even if prepared by an Italian. We ate more goulash and paprika enhanced dishes in Hungary and found that paprika is more than just a pretty powder we add to potato salad. It is great. Brought a lot home in various forms. In Austria I got schnitzeled and bratwursted out. Couldn't get enough. Ate in restaurants and in Vienna from outdoor stand in the plazas. Have a great trip. You will enjoy every moment in this special place on earth.
Frank, thanks so much for coming back to post about your trip!
We'll be back in St. Gilgen for a week at the end of this month, and after reading your post, I really can't wait! We will definitely make the trip back to the top of the mountaintop.
I've found a new apartment rental in St. Gilgen, and I'll post back with a review after our trip. Frank, any chance you could write reviews of where you stayed??
I actually just spent today in Salzburg - it is an easy day-trip from Munich, reachable in 1.5-2 hours by train. A day trip the other direction would be plenty easy, too, if Munich was of interest to you. But there is plenty to do playing in the Austrian lakes and Alps, too, without coming this direction.
