Food Tours/destinations/experiences in Austria

In Salzburg, we had a wonderful time at the Edelweiss Cooking School. We did the strudel and cookie class and just loved it!

Ask your hotel desk clerk where the best local places are to eat. Many restaurants are typical German foods.

One thing we really enjoyed in Austria was the 3 Lakes tour on Grundlsee (Salzkammergut). You get on a small boat on Grundlesee and pass many beautiful sites before they let you off in a tiny hamlet that you walk through (some local farms sell things like their own honey), then you get on another boat to cross a smaller lake before leisurely hiking to this amazing little restaurant on the 3rd lake that’s serving fresh fish caught from the lake.

https://schifffahrt-grundlsee.at/en/3-lakes-tour

http://www.toplitzsee.at/

There is an old monastery/estate that’s been turned into an organic brewery and slow food restaurant that you can also stay at — https://www.wildshut.at/

If you are slow travelers with time and don’t mind detouring between Vienna and Salzburg, I’d highly recommend the Logar Valley in Slovenia. The food culture there is amazing and is set apart from anywhere else we’ve been in Europe. All the farms in the Valley serve their fresh farm to table organic food to you in their own unique settings and you can literally hike or drive to dozens of amazing farms that serve you very unique, authentic dishes. We’ve tried so many foods there that we haven’t had anywhere else and because it’s so off the tourist radar you get a really special experience. We’ve spent a month in the Logar Valley over our trips there and have had experiences like being cooked a 5 course meal with local wine at a farmhouse for 10 euros a person.

Austria has great food culture too, but Slovenia blew us away in that regard.

A podcast I really enjoy as a cultural foodie — http://www.thefeastpodcast.org/archive

See Vienna resident Emily's post on her top food experiences in Vienna: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/my-top-ten-food-experiences-in-vienna

Thank you so much! Edelweiss Cooking School looks like a great option while we are in Salzburg!
Wanderweg- we must be kindred spirits because all of your suggestions were just perfect, thank you!
I also appreciate the link to Emily's suggestions in Vienna.
These are just the kind of tips I was looking for, keep them coming!

You should PM Emily directly, she has tons of info and knowledge

Styria is a foodie heaven. I took a girls' trip last year to the southern part of Styria, specifically for food.

Highlights:
Zotter Chocolate - Probably my #1 food place in the entire country. Absolutely amazing.
The Cheese Artist (next door to Zotter) - try the butter sampler (https://www.thecheeseartist.at/)
Vulcano Ham - famous in Austria (https://www.vulcano.at/en/vulcano-tour/)

Southern Styria is also famous for apples, wine, pumpkin seed oil, thermal spas and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Be on the lookout for Buschenschanke, small restaurants typically serving cold cuts operated by wineries where you eat in a vineyard - https://www.steiermark.com/de/Suedsteiermark/Region/Kulinarik-und-Wein/Buschenschaenke.

Lots of lovely rolling hills, wine routes - https://steiermark.wine/weinregionen/weinstrassen/suedsteirische-weinstrasse/, https://www.steiermark.com/de/Suedsteiermark/Region/Wein-Themenstrassen/Suedsteirische-Weinstrasse.

I recommend staying in one of the thermal spas in the area in Bad Blumau or Loipersdorf.

Thank you, Emily!! These all sound lovely, especially the Cheese Artist and chocolate shop!

It is so much more than a chocolate shop. It is a huge factory and the tour takes a couple of hours. Don't miss it.