I don’t think I will have enough time to see both Berchtesgaden and Halstatt. Which one should I choose? I have 1 day to explore one of these places. I am going in mid-October and will have my husband, parents, and 2 year old daughter with me. Would love any advice! It’s my first time to Germany and Austria.
Thanks!
That’s a touch choice! For me, weather might be the deciding factor. If you want to go to Eagle’s Nest in Berchtesgaden, you really want to go on a clear day for the views.
Both places have salt mines, which you might enjoy. At Hallstatt, there is a section of the walk up, just before the entrance, that is pretty steep. If there are mobility concerns, Berchtesgaden would be the better salt mine tour.
Both places offer the chance for boat rides on the lake. And both towns are super cute. Will you have a car, or will you be using public transportation? That might weigh in to the decision.
Yes I know it’s a tough choice! Both look really fun and beautiful. We will have a car and everyone on the trip is in pretty good shape.
I thought Halstatt was adorable and I wish I had more than a few hours to spend there during the GAS tour back in 2019. Some of my favorite pictures from that tour were taken here. The Bone House was really cool and the graveyard just outside was very moving. I think Anthony Bourdain went to the Bone House at some point too. Also loved all the homes and shops up and down the hills. I believe my family and I went to Berchtesgaden when we lived in Germany in the 70s, but I don't remember anything about it.
Traveling with a toddler hampers your activities, e.g. climbing to the salt mine in Hallstatt, not to talk about that a small child's interest in visiting something like Eagle's Nest is most likely rather limited.
Hard one! I might choose a half day Koenigsee boat ride and then the salt mine in Bertchesgaden, if it were me. But truthfully, there isn’t a bad choice.
City wise I think I would go with Hallstatt even with all the tourists. Berchtesgaden is nice too, but I think you need more time for the region to include the Nationalpark. Where are you coming from and where are you going to after? You could probably do Hallstatt proper in half a day. Mid-October you are reaching seasons end. Cows come home, Alms are shutting down and prepping for winter, lifts and many hotels start closing looking forward to ski season.
Where are you staying for this visit? We stayed just outside of Berchtesgaden 5 trips. Love the area and old town. We did a day trip to Hallstatt with ease from here. Konigssee is a few minutes from Berchtesgaden and well worth taking the cruise on. Spectacular scenery. Just above Berchtesgaden is a very scenic loop drive called the Rossfeld panorama Road.
Comes down to where are you staying to visit one of these?
We will be stopping in Munich and spending a day there and then heading to the place we are staying which is in Bernau am Chiemsee. We are planning to spend a day in Salzburg and then a day either in Berchtesgaden or Halstatt and then we will head to Reutte, Austria and stay in the Alps region a few days.
Thank you.
It’s really up to you. Berchtesgaden and the immediate area will keep you busy for a day. Hallstatt is an hour to hour and a half further away. Me, I’d pick the Berchtesgaden area. Ive been to both. Hallstatt once, stayed for about 3 hours. Stayed in the Berchtesgaden area 5 times for a total of 19 nights so far.
Is Reutte booked? Been twice to look around as Rick Steves recommends Reutte (never stayed). I’ll never understand why he recommends Reutte. We preferred staying in Fuessen plus there are nicer places in the “Zugspitze Arena” not far from Reutte. My suggestion for your “Austrian Alpine fix” would be the Innsbruck area, Zell am See or the Zillertal.
Paul
From Reutte follow the Lech River south-southwest. The Lechtal is really nice. The surrounding valleys are quiet. Stayed in Hinterhornbach this Spring for a few days. Not many tourists at all. Was beautiful then with wild flowers and what I would call Bayrischer Himmel even in Austria. You can continue along the Lech into Vorarlberg. If you want some adventure driving try the Bschlaber Landstraße/Hahntennjoch-Passstraße towards Imst if it is open then. There's the Hängebrücke Holzgau too. The lesser traveled route.
I would say Hallstatt, but not on a day trip. It's a place to be, and to relax and look at the beauty. Berchtesgaden has more things to see and do.
Caveat: Without knowing where you’re coming from.
Honestly, I would choose “neither” as a day trip. Getting there late morning, checking in to a hotel, and spending 10 hours sightseeing, then getting up and moving to a new place misses what makes these places special.
Gun to the head, I’d say “Hallstatt” because it’s more compact
Definitely Hallstatt. 7,000 years of salt mine history. Also Hallstatt observation deck is located on a much lower altitude then Eagle's Nest. You will enjoy beautiful views from observation platform even if weather is not perfect.
I suppose the answer depends to some extent on why you want to visit each of those locations. Are you going to Berchtesgaden mainly to see the Eagle's Nest or other WW-II sites? If that's the case, one point to note is that access to the Eagle's Nest normally runs until about the end of October, however that's dependent on weather and snow on the access road.
With that in mind, it may be better to focus on Hallstatt, although one day is not ideal. If you're planning to visit the famous Salt Mine (which is older than Rome), here are the opening hours - https://www.salzwelten.at/en/hallstatt/prices-opening-hours .
One other important point to clarify.... will you be travelling to Hallstatt or Berchtesgaden by car or by train? You'll also have to consider the travel time from the place you're staying to either destination and back.
