We will have 14 days and had hoped to spend 4-6 nights in Berchtsgarden with day trips to Salzburg and surrounding areas then two nights in Hallstatt and then work our way down to Murren in Switzerland. We had planned on flying into Munich and out of Zurich but the distance we would have to travel looks like an awful lot. Hallstatt to Murren is close to 9 hours by car and too much in one day. Perhaps too much driving for two days even.
Should we drop the idea of Murren (we have been there before and love it)
Should we travel by car throughout the Berchtsgarden-salzburg-hallstatt area?
Any good recommendations of where to stay in Berchtsgarden area?
Or should we drop the Austria side of the trip and instead spend out time in Luzerne--Murren and appenzell regions flying in and out of Zurich using the train system.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have.
We are looking for small quaint towns with beauty, views, hiking, lakes, and trying to stay out of the big cities.
Posted by
NYC area
2906 posts
Hi Jay,
We've always had a car for our trips to Bavaria and Austria.
In the Berchtesgaden area we absolutely love both the Pension Mayringerlehen (10 min. from Berchtesgaden in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden) and the Guesthouse Friedwiese (maybe 3 or 4 minutes from Berchtesgaden in Schonau am Konigsee). We stayed at the Mayringerlehen in 10/06, 10/07 and 9/09, but they were closed in late November for or last 2 trips to the area, so we stayed at the Guesthouse Friedwiese. Now we have a dilemma... we love them both. We've spent a total of 18 nights between these two places.
www.mayringerlehen.de
www.friedwiese.de/enska/isl.htm
Our photo's are at:
www.flickr.com/photos/pjbassplyr/sets
Drive the scenic Rossfeld Panorama Road
Take the cruise on the Konigsee
There's a few cable cars, including the Jennerbahn (next to Konigsee)
There's a few luge rides (Sommerrodelbahns)
Also Salt Mine tour's in Berchtesgaden and nearby Hallein, Austria
The Eagle's Nest
Salzburg is about 30 min. drive away (we park in the underground lots)
Hohenwerfen Fortress (Werfen, Austria) is not far, along with the Ice Caves
The Salzkammergut (Lake District-St. Gligen, St. Wolfgang, the Wolfgangsee, etc.) is about an hour away.
(12/13 we spent the day cruising the Wolfgangsee visiting the towns and villages around the lake)
Hallstatt is a doable day trip (we visited as a day out)
Mad King Ludwig's Herrenchiemsee Palace is an hour away
Even Zell am See (nice old town, beautiful lakeside setting and high alpine scenery) is an easy day trip
Hope this helps.
Paul
Posted by
The Heartland USA
8440 posts
Jay since you've already been to Mürren, consider the Bodensee area - Konstanz and/or Lindau. I've been to Berchtesgaden and Salzburg, and would prefer Salzburg as the base.