First time solo to Europe, first visit to Austria

It is better to go from Gmunden to the Mauthausen Memorial (via Linz) as the direct Memorial bus only runs until October 26th. Going from Vienna means backtracking a lot.

If your happy place is mountains, Berchtesgaden fits. Take a short 10 min. bus trip to Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden. Take a stroll along the stream running through the village to the Church of St. Sebastian.

https://www.kirche-ramsau.de/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g635853-d6981713-Reviews-St_Sebastian-Ramsau_Upper_Bavaria_Bavaria.html

https://www.ramsau.de/en/

https://www.berchtesgaden.de/en/nature/ramsau-mountaineering-village

@wmt1 - Thank you for making that point clear. Appreciated. I am rethinking Day 4 and 5. I may skip Gmunden altogether.

@Paul - Thank you for the links. Ramsau looks beautiful!

I would not skip Gmunden. The town, the lake, the mountains and the surroundings (including Traunkirchen) are very scenic and beautiful.
Take the cable car to the top of Grünberg (Green Mountain).
https://www.gruenberg.info/en/hike-activities/gruenberg-cable-car
Explore one of the strangest museums, the Museum of Historic Sanitary Objects (aka Toilet Museum).
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g229453-d2330197-Reviews-Klo_So_Museum_fur_historische_Sanitarobjekte-Gmunden_Upper_Austria.html

@wmt

Thank you for your reply! My concern about Gmunden is that by mid-October the boats that traverse the lake won't be running. Seeing the lake by boat is a big attraction for me. According to this schedule (the pdf), if I'm reading it correctly, they stop on October 5. Maybe they operate in winter but just don't have their winter schedule available yet (I can contact them). I should consider this in my planning for any lake tour.

Maybe they operate in winter but just don't have their winter schedule available yet (I can contact them).

There is no winter schedule. The boats operate only on demand if a group books a tour. Should this be the case solo travelers are welcome to join. You need to inquire a few days ahead (best by phone) whether any tours are planned.

@wmt1 - Good to know! Thanks for clearing that up.

My two cents.

I think if you are doing Berchtesgaden, then it is ok to skip Gmunden. Assuming then that you will take the train from Salzburg to Graz, I see that the train will stop at Schladming, which is a gorgeous place on the south side of the Dachstein. Loads of hiking and mountains there, but in mid-October the weather might be a challenge.

In Vienna for WW2 history, I suggest visiting the Wien Museum (excellent and free with English descriptions) and the Military History Museum, which has a great display on the world wars also in English. If the weather is nice, you can't beat a day trip to the Wachau Valley. I also suggest downloading the Wien Mobil app for public transport in Vienna.

Thank you, Emily. This is really helpful and you make a great point.

I recently revised my itinerary to include two nights in Salzburg. I felt I was doing myself a disservice by only planning a day trip there then going back to Berchtesgaden. It didn't logistically make sense.

Day 1 - Arrive in Munich

Take train to Berchtesgaden. 3 nights @ Hotel AlpinaRos Demming.

Day 4 - Bus to Salzburg. 2 nights @ Mozart Hotel

Day 6 - Undecided - Graz? 2 nights.

Day 8 - Train in Vienna. 4 nights @ NH Hotel Belvedere (was hoping for Hotel Austria-Wien but sold out for final night per their own website).

Day 12 - Fly out of VIE

For those undecided nights.....last year I was in Netherlands and Belgium with my adult daughter. Den Bosch was very nice, albeit super busy as we arrived on a Saturday, stayed 1 night. We took a small boat trip around the old canals. The tour was in Dutch, which we don't speak, but I loved that boat tour underneath the town. I also loved Ghent, the old town area and St. Bavo's Cathedral. The similarity is enjoying quiet, reflective experiences in busy places.

That was a long-winded way of asking - what would you recommend for the 2 undecided nights? Perhaps Graz is the ideal choice.

As for VIE, I plan to do a day trip to visit the Wachau region. I appreciate the Wien Museum and Military History recommendations, @Emily. The Liechtenstein Castle and Seegrotte Hinterbrühl in Mödling look interesting but I may have to omit that. Will see how I'm doing and what's happening weather-wise once I get to Vienna.

Thanks in advance forum contributors for recommendations/suggestions. Very much appreciated!

The NH Belvedere is a block away from my apartment, so we will be neighbors. The sea grotto and the Liechtenstein castle are definitely third tier sights. I suggest spending your time elsewhere.

For your two extra nights, why not consider spending those days in the Wachau? Base yourself in one of the villages and have a great time. Then you can do Bratislava from Vienna as a day trip.

Emily,
that you live near the NH Belvedere I consider an endorsement for the hotel location.

I considered your suggestion for the two nights - I love the idea! Schedule amended:

Day 6 - Weißenkirchen. 2 nights @ Hotel Kirchenwirt

I read your report of this year on biking the Wachau Valley which seems like a really nice activity for me (weather permitting). I checked that NextBike has a drop/pickup facility in Weißenkirchen and there is one, assuming there will be a bike available. If not, presumably I can take a bus to where this is a bike, or just take a bus to wherever instead of biking?

I am really grateful for the help and suggestions from you Emily, wmt1, and Paul.