Austria experts...I'm stuck at Lienz...please help with itinerary options

this is easy - just make sure you have the car booked for Lienz and not Linz!

On 21st from Lienz you can take the Grossglockner road and visit the Franz Josef Höhe where there is a glacier. Continue all the way over to Aigen. The day has about 4 hours driving so plenty of time for visiting. That leaves 22nd for a salt mine

Hi SteveB,

Thank you for your consideration! The thing I missed stating clearly is that I need to be in Admont to see the Abbey on the 21st.

Do you think we should stay in Lienz the night of 9/20, drive Grossglockner/Alpine Road the morning of the 21st and then onto Admont? We would then stay in Admont overnight, see the Abbey on the 22nd and then arrive at Aigen?

I think your input has really just made it clear I can't do a salt mine in there. I think I'll have to skip Halstatt completely.

the drive from Lienz to Admont via Grossglockner without visiting the Franz Josef Höhe will take something over 4 hours. If your target for that day is to simply reach the hotel then there is plenty of time to make the slight detour and in fine weather it would be dumb not to! The FJH is up a side road from the main road, it has a parking place and facilities as well as views of the glacier and the local marmots. https://www.grossglockner.at/gg/en/index but bear in mind the Grossglockner is a special toll road and costs €35.50 per car/ one way. In low cloud and rain you wouldn't see much and it would just be an expensive way of scaring the family, use the route east to reach the A10 autobahn, an austrian rental should have an autobahn toll vignette stuck on the windshield .

Aigen to Admont Abbey is just under 60miles, is it really worth using two hotels? I'd just go to Aigen and make Admont a day trip from there. And take care with GPS, as well as Aigen near Wolfgangsee there are two more Aigens closer to Admont.

Thanks Steve, again! I agree with your comment about Aigen. I had unfortunately already booked a place in Admont at the JUFA Hotel Schloss Röthelstein.

Your inputs have helped immensely and I think we'll stay in Lienz overnight and then if the weather is nice, we'll start early and drive the high alpine road, stop at the Kieser Franz Josef Hohe (I wonder how far/long to the end of the glacier?) and then onto Admont. We can take our time getting there. We'll stay overnight at Admont. If the weather is not great, we'll go by Dachstein on our way to Admont.

The next morning we'll do Admont Abbey and then to Aigen. We can stop at Hallein for the salt mine after we leave Aigen on our way to Salzburg.

Thank you again for your patience and consideration.

Melissa

if you use the webcam or panorma view links from the road website you can see the end of the glacier from the FJH parking area. There is also a small funicular that goes higher.

I was in Admont two weeks ago, stayed at Gasthof Buchner just a few steps from the Abbey. What a wonderful place Admont is - hope the weather will be fine so that you can enjoy the alpin scenery. For the visit of the library, it might be helpful to pick up the guidebook from the desk. I found the descriptions given on the spot a bit poor and did a second tour with the help of the guidebook. If you have time don't miss to drive east through the "Gesäuse" gorge. Have a wonderful trip!

Thanks again Steve!

Thank you sia019, I hadn't heard of that gorge, so that is a good tip!