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Best places for incredible alpine views!

Hi-
We'll be travelling from the Dolomites, over the Gossglockner Road and into the alps of Austria for a few days in July, and I'm wanting to find the "must-see" sights, views, etc. My daughter and I are both landscape photographers and want to find some idyllic spots to photograph. She wants to go to Hallstatt (though I hear it's kind of dead at night, so probably won't stay there) and need to end in Venice. We'll have a total of 4 nights in Austria, and love small towns, green hills, and snow capped mountains - and we love hiking too.

Are there amazing huts up in the mountains like there are in the Dolomites? What towns would you recommend? I've heard some negative reviews on Innsbruck, heard some good reviews on Zel am See, and a few others. Would love some input!

Thanks so much. Also, will wildflowers still be blooming at that time of year?

Thanks-
Theresa

Posted by
32738 posts

Don't forget the IDP for each driver for both Austria and Italy, and be sure to buy and affix the Austrian Vignette to the windscreen before crossing the border. The Vignette covers most highways in Austria but not several tunnels or bridges and not the Grossglockner which is a private expensive toll road.

Posted by
4821 posts

Hallstatt may not have a lot to do at night, but it is drop dead gorgeous! Since both of you are landscape photographers, I strongly advise against skipping it. Some of the view from the cable car up to the salt mine are outstanding as they are from the town, the lake, and the other side of the lake.

Posted by
671 posts

Hallstatt is one of the most picturesque places I've been. We stayed over night (on a RS My Way Alpine Tour). While it is quiet, there was fabulous food while seated right at the lake, and it was wonderful waking up to this quiet town and taking pictures before it became crowded. I also found Innsbruck a beautiful stop; I would return in a heartbeat. With a short walk, you are at the funicular station that takes you up in the Alps for amazing hikes. And yes, we stopped at a "hut" for a beer to go with our picnic and had stunning views down to Innsbruck and across to the other mountains. I suggest you consider Innsbruck! (Oh, and we had amazing food while there too.)

Posted by
7026 posts

I enjoyed my short stay in Innsbruck, not sure why the negative reviews, unless people had too high expectations and therefore felt let down. I thought the area surrounding the city was beautiful, especially going up the funicular like the other posted mentioned. Also it's a decent place to base for drives to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald, Seefeld, etc, all beautiful places.

EDIT: Edited after reading David's post below. We drove from Villach to Innsbruck and stopped in Lienz for a lunch break. It's a beautiful place for a stop. We were there in the summer and the contrast of the almost tropical town (palm trees lining the park along the median of the road where we came in) with the mountainous surrounding area, was beautiful.

Posted by
703 posts

If you are in that general Hallstatt area, don't discount germany as well, ie: the area around berchtesgaden ( Rossfeld Rd, lake Konigsee, eagles nest, the list goes on.) we have toured around there and Hallstatt and are going back in May. I am sure you will find plenty of nice spots, that aren't too far apart.
BTW, Zell am See was not a 'standout' for us, but the general area is very nice.

Posted by
8138 posts

You've already spotted the Grossglockner. The most beautiful place we experienced when crossing the mountain specifically was on the south side--just north of Lienz, Austria.
Depending on where you start before going over the Grossglocker, getting to Venice might be a long day. We stayed in Udine and went into Venice the next morning.
Be careful if you drive into Venice, as the radar cameras don't give you 1 km leeway on the causeway going over to Venice.

Posted by
32201 posts

Theresa,

I'm also a photographer and IMO it would be a mistake not to spend at least one night in Hallstatt. That would give you the opportunity for not only some great night shots, but also early morning shots. While it is quiet in the evenings, that's part of its charm and Hallstatt is one of the most beautiful locations I've seen in Europe. You may enjoy having a look at THIS website for some photo ideas.

If you decide to visit Hallstatt, you may want to take a tour of the Salt Mines (reportedly older than Rome). One of the benefits of that is that you can stop at Rudolfsturm, which is at the top of the Funicular on the way to the Salt Mines. It used to house the soldiers guarding the mine as I recall, but there are some incredible views from the restaurant patio there. If the weather his nice, stop for a "cool one" or a lunch at the restaurant, and enjoy the view for a few minutes.

One point to note is that if you're driving, you won't be able to drive right into the town so will have to park in Lahn and then walk to your hotel, which could take about 15 minutes depending on where you stay. Arriving by boat from the rail station is somewhat better in that regard.

Posted by
145 posts

Thanks so much, everyone - this really helps!
We'll definitely add Hallstatt to our trip - One question though - is it totally dead at night, or is there somewhere to eat, get a drink, etc.?

What I heard about Innsbruck was that it was "disappointing". Sounds like that might not be the case.

How does the hiking/exploring around Innsburg compare to the Zillertal? Also, what is the "romantic road"?

Is there a particular place you get on the Grossglockner road from the Dolomites? Is it better in one direction or the other, view wise? Anyplace there that's worth stopping?

We're not driving straight back to Venice - we'd be heading there from Hallstatt.

Thanks again, and any more info would be wonderful!

Theresa

Posted by
12040 posts

First, to answer your original question... as long as you keep your eyes open (and the weather cooperates), you'll get amazing views on the Großglockner.

Also, what is the "romantic road"? If you mean the German Romantic Road (Romantische Straße), it's one of about a hundred themed tourist routes (Ferienstraßen) that criss-cross the country. It's a series of roads running from Würzburg to Füssen and it passes by some of the most well-known (if not necessarily most unique) historically preserved towns in Germany, such as Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl, Nördlingen and Landsberg am Lech. The Romantic Road probably is the most well-known Ferienstraße outside the country, mainly because it's been promoted so heavily for decades, it has an easy and irresistable translation into English, and it provides a non-Autobahn driving route part of the way between Germany's two most popular tourist regions, the Mittelrhein and the Alps. There's a common misunderstanding that the road itself offers particularly special scenery. In reality, it's just a secondary rural route that's no more or less scenic than any other in that part of the country. The intention was to visit the towns themselves, not simply to drive it. It's too far out of the way of your proposed itinerary, so I wouldn't bother.

Is there a particular place you get on the Grossglockner road from the Dolomites? Is it better in one direction or the other, view wise? Perhaps someone who has driven the route can comment, but on a map, it looks like the easiest way to reach it from the Dolomites would be via E66 to Lienz to Heiligenblut. Because you're headed to Hallstatt next, this seems like the only logical route. I've driven from the Dolomite region to Innsbruck and on another trip, from Innsbruck to Zell am See (near the northern terminus of the Großglockner) and the scenery is, of course, stunning. But I doubt it would be that much more amazing to justify such a long detour.

Posted by
21 posts

I drove the Grossglockner last year and it was one of the highlights of our trip. I could have spent more time there. There are many spots to pull over and take pictures. Heiliginblut is very scenic and has great photo opportunities. The visitor center is also worth checking out. We also stayed in Finkenberg in the Zillertal region. There are many cable cars and scenic roads that should provide plenty of great photo opportunities. The side valleys with the reservoirs are a must in my opinion. Enjoy your trip.

Posted by
145 posts

Is Heiliginblut an area? Or a town? Also, what is Finkenberg like? I was reading about the Zillertal region and it sounded great too. So hard to narrow down where to go when we only have 4 days in Austria.

Right now we have 4 nights in the Dolomites (will be getting there late afternoon, early evening, spending 3 nights in one of the towns, and the last night in a hut at Cinque Torri. Then on to Austria for 4 nights, ending with one night in Venice.

My husband doesn't really think Hallstatt would be worth it (he's a mountain-view guy), but my daughter and I do - so we're still undecided on that last night.

I need to get a better map to try to figure out what's doable without too much time driving.

Thanks, all!

Posted by
21 posts

Heiliginblut is a very small town on the Grossglockner. It would be a place to stop while driving the road. There is a beautiful church with a great mountain backdrop to photograph. Finkenberg isn't really a destination a just a nice place to stay in Zillertal. It sits above Mayrhofen the main town of the region. It would be a good base for exploring the area. We stayed at Hotel Pension Margit in Finkenberg and it was the best place we stayed on our trip.

Posted by
175 posts

Nancy mentioned Lienz. It is known as Sonnenstadt Lienz. As she said it is very lovely with a view of the Lienzer Dolomites from the town. Very popular with Italians as the border is not far away.

Posted by
171 posts

I would consider heading to Salzburg after driving the Grossglockner. It is much bigger than Hallstatt and may even have a night life. Salzburg is a relatively small town but there is a lot to see and do. If you are Sound of Music fans there is a tour of some of the movie's locations.

If you really would like a full day, when heading to Venice, you could leave Salzburg in the morning, tour Hallstatt for an hour or two and then head on to Venice via Lake Bled. The island church is very photogenic. Lake Bled (Julian Alps in background) can be enjoyed in a couple of hours.

https://www.google.com/search?q=slovenia+alps&espv=2&biw=994&bih=453&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjKmfv9idbRAhWC8YMKHTVfBYgQ_AUIBygC&dpr=1.38#tbm=isch&q=lake+bled+church

If Lake Bled does not appeal you could spend more time in Hallstatt. You might take the boat trip on the lake. From the boat you can get very pretty photos of the town.