Hallstatt & Salzburg input appreciated.

Well you going to do it, you might as well take it all in. Relax and enjoy it all. Maybe a boat trip on the Hallstätter See. I always wanted to go up the Bergbahnen Dachstein Krippenstein.

The view from the Museum der Moderne Salzburg Mönchsberg is pretty good.

No way out of it now. The boat huh? I will start googling

I dont remember any Hallstatt names, but we picked one of the several lakeside restaurants serving fresh lake fish and made a dinner reservation for later. There's the viewing platform up on the mountain, which is hikable, but it was too crowded to spend much time there. The church of skulls is interesting if you've never seen one.

Rick's walking tour of old town Salzburg is good, there are many things to see and it doesn't end up being all that far. I would also suggest you cross the river and go up the Linzer Gasse street, which is calmer and a little bit less touristy but has a good selection of restaurants and shopping. Be sure to cruise the St. Sebastian cemetery.

The city is very Italian so that's the most common cuisine you'll see. We had a nice and relatively cheap Italian meal at Beccofino, apparently there is a well-known beer garden just a block away.

Felt obliged to go the Mozart Museum and ... well it was just OK. You could probably watch a vlog of it and be satisfied. Walking north along the river is very pleasant once you get past the section where there are very busy streets right alongside it, and the grounds around the Mirabell are nice as well.

I actually liked the Mozart Geburtshaus if nothing else to show how people lived in the 1700s.

While Salzburg does have some Austrian cuisine to try they also have more vegan and vegetarian restaurants with modern food. That's where most of the young people hang out.
You can go to the Fortress for a classical concert and meal but I liked getting the free concert with my Salzburg card at the Mirabell Palace Church. And don't miss the lovely garden-where some of the Sound of Music was filmed.

Thank you.....

Mr. É, I have to refurbish your assumptions about train travel a little bit.

For some reason I thought I would have to go through Vienna and that was once of the marks against the trip.

The shortest route from Budapest to Hallstatt is via Vienna. And the train connection you have chosen (RJX 60, REX 4410) is doing so, needs 7:44 hours, and has a 1:25 hours layover in Linz. To make the best out of the waiting time I recommend going to Leberkas-Pepi in the main hall. There is the best Leberkäse (in 10+ flavors) served in Austria.

Then to discover the only direct train was at 8 in the morning and I still needed to reach Vienna from Budapest meant a night in Vienna.

Referring to the only direct train means between Vienna and Hallstatt, there is no one from Budapest. If you were willing to depart early in the morning (dep. 5:40am), then you are on the fastest connection from Budapest to Hallstatt (EC 40346, IC 1018), having one change in Vienna and a travel time of 6:14 hours. No need to stay a night in Vienna.

Dumb me, should have gone to the Hungarian rail service on day one. So I have a nice SEVEN HOUR! train ride with a change in Linz, but at least its all in one day and does not involve Vienna.

Not quite right, though. The OeBB website gives you the exact same information, Vienna is involved, and there are numerous connections between Budapest and Hallstatt in one day, most of them having two changes.

The only connection which does not go through Vienna is when taking the south route via Graz (IC 312, IC 518, REX 3427), having a total traveling time of 8:16 hours.

Maybe you remember: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/graz-and-hallstatt-planning#2289408

Wmt1, by golly you are correct.

My train goes Budapest to Linz (through Vienna I assume, but no stop - for some reason I assumed I would have to change in Vienna was my earlier point) and the change time in Linz is 30 minutes. Total time 7 hour - 7 minutes. I dislike trains .....

But we forgot the ferry! By the time that's all said and done, another hour of travel. But I will call the ferry "tourism" and not count it.

My train goes Budapest to Linz (through Vienna I assume, but no stop - ...

The train does stop in Vienna (as in 8 other places), but you just stay in the train. :-)

I dislike trains .....

IMHO, trains are more comfortable than busses or cars. You can have a nap, you arrive relaxed, you have WiFi, a restaurant car, a bathroom, etc. With the growing network of high-speed rail tracks the train is faster than any car.

But I will call the ferry "tourism" and not count it.

The ferry is synchronized with arriving/departing trains. No matter how fast your train was, it adds about half an hour "traveling" time.

12 September after lunch the driver comes to take us to Salzburg.

Maybe you can go earlier and have a stop and lunch in Bad Ischl, very famous town and one of Europe's Culture Capitals in 2024. Austria's emperor Franz Josef I. stayed here for more than 40 years every summer, dragging his entourage and a gaggle of nobles and celebrities with him. Go to the Café Zauner and eat/buy the eponymous Zauner Stollen, a dessert practically nowhere else available. (During a visit in Vienna some years ago I detected a shop which imports it from Bad Ischl.)

Thank you Stan. So if anyone out there has a restaurant that they like in Hallstatt, please let me know. Salzburg too…. Please.

Phred, thank you. Getting out of the mainstream would be nice.

Heather, Mirabel Palace Church it is.

Wmt1, just what can I say. I sifted through it all again and pulled out the recommendation to stop in Bad Ischl. Of course I am concerned about anything that begins with “bad”.

So, my possible stops for lunch are (any suggestions other than the bad place?)

• Sankt Gilgen
• Bad Ischl
• Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut
• Hallein

Then to see Salzburg I thought I would just rely on this sort of thing.

https://www.outdooractive.com/en/city-walks/salzburg-and-surroundings/city-walks-in-salzburg-and-surroundings/10229789/

But for Hallstatt, I need more help.

Of course I am concerned about anything that begins with “bad”.

Very funny, indeed.

For those not so familiar with the German language, the prefix Bad before a name of a town denotes that it is well known for having a spa, some already since centuries.

So we rule out the bad spa town?

I thought everyone had been to Hallstatt?

It looks like you will be leaving Salzburg a few days before we arrive for a 4 night stay. Hopefully we can meet up in Budapest.

So, there’s not much to do in Hallstatt except the salt mine or walking along the lakefront or relaxing with a view. You can take the funicular up as far as it goes and have lunch with a view (but note the kitchen closes about 2:00 until dinner time) if you don’t want to continue on up (walking) to the salt mine. I know you are sightseeing on the ferry, but there are also little boats you can rent to go out on the lake.

So on your full day relax, sleep late, have coffee on your balcony, breathe, and enjoy it. Walk over and take the funicular up for either lunch or dinner. Simple 169 stayed open later than everywhere else last July, if you want a drink in the evening. Your first evening you could walk from one end of the town to the other end. It really is pretty.

Edit: I agree with wmt1 you should leave Hallstatt earlier and stop along the way for lunch (Bad Ischal sounds good to me). There’s more to see in Salzburg, so getting there earlier isn’t a bad idea. With a lunch stop, you should still be able to check in around the time you arrive (or soon).

I'm confused by why you are feeling so negative about Hallstatt. (Or do you object to the long train ride getting there?) It's quaint and lovely but very small. If your hotel is Seehotel Groenbaum, it's terrific. Perhaps not but if your hotel is near there, a wonderful location. Since you aren't exactly oozing enthusiasm, I do remember the church bells ringing loudly at night. It was quite a surprise but beautiful for those with a warm heart! We took a boat tour of the lake; took the funicular then walked uphill from there to the salt mine. Toured the salt mine (very interesting); looked in the quaint shops in the village, ate a nice meal, and that pretty much covered it. You can have a drink and walk along the lake in the evening. I would say that gives you plenty of time, and there's no reason to stay until after lunch on 12 September. I'd head out first thing in the morning for Salzburg unless that suggestion falls under the category of schedule change.

It was stunningly beautiful when we were there. I dare you not to like the scenery there! (:

TTM thank you.
Walking to a salt mine. Sounds like my job for 40 years. I might skip that …. Unless that’s what it comes down to.
Breathing is always a good thing on holiday. I will try and do more in Hallstatt.
Simple 169 apparently stays open till 20:30!! Fantastic. And its Pizza and Burgers so that’s unique.
I suspect I will be doing a lot of walking back and forth in town.
Yes, wmt1 showed great wisdom in getting out of town faster. I was trying to stretch it because this is someone else’s “dream” and I wanted them to think I took it seriously. Breakfast in another town is starting to sound good.
I am still hoping to get some first hand input on these

• Sankt Gilgen
• Bad Ischl
• Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut
• Hallein

Salzburg wasn’t even on the friend’s wish list. I just wasn’t going to make a 14 hour round trip for a day in Hallstatt. I suspect Salzburg may save the day when reality kicks in. Well, reality and one of those towns listed above.

KD, thank you as well.
I am just having a little fun with this. But yes, I dont enjoy trains the way some do, and I am looking at 12 hours on a train for a beautiful view (when I could be fishing).
The Seehotel looked ideal; but they wanted just shy of $600 a night, so I moved on. But I did find one very close for just shy of $300 a night.
Fortunately I do love the sound of church bells. Sounds in the night rarely bother me.
The boat tour of the lake sounds ideal. I see there are a couple of vendors. I need to figure out which to use.
And since everyone says to see the salt mines that is on the list. I guess I need to find the website and check out times, tickets, etc.
And I will take your advice and move on at sunrise.
KD, I appreciate your time to respond, despite my attitude. But half the attitude is my playing.

Andrea
We should meet and compare notes. Have a safe and enjoyable trip. You are still coming 25 September?

Bad Ischl

As Emperor Franz Josef I. decided 1849 to spend his summer vacation in Bad Ischl - including commissioning a befitting residence - the town became a hotspot for noble and rich people who wanted to be close to the emperor. They had villas, mansions, townhouses designed for them, a theater and congress center was built, etc. The center of the town emanates the ambience of the 19th century.

A part of the Habsburg family still live in the emperor's summer palace, but the wing which was used by Franz Josef I. is now a museum and can be visited, including the desk where he put his signature 1914 on the most consequential document of his life, namely the Declaration of War against the Kingdom of Serbia. This triggerd WWI, doomed his empire, and terminated the reign of his family after having ruled Austria for more than 600 years. This happened to be his last summer in Bad Ischl.

wmt1, thank you. Background is always interesting

Wmt1, we have a lot of experts on gettingʻ from A to B but few take the sort of time you did and for people like me, that's a shame. Kèep it up and you will continue to do a good service to the forum. Thanks.

I can't help with Hallstatt, it having been 30 years since I last visited and that was enough, but I like Salzburg and go more often. I have been staying at the Boutique Hotel am Dom since 2010 and have been very happy with the location and the staff. I do tend to walk, and during the day I'll usually grab something from an Imbiss by the University or just find a open table on one of the squares for a beer and cold plate. For a meal in the evening let me recommend Cult IM; if the weather's nice you can sit outside and watch the castle catch the last of the sun before they turn on the lights. A bit further afield, try Restaurant Brunnauer around the fortress hill from the old town, by Donnenberg Park.

I enjoyed the Dwarf Garden in Salzburg, if nothing because I am petite and the statuary is purportedly life size. YMMV. It's close to the SOM garden.

Sorry no recs for food there, I had a fried fish sandwich at a place that had a tree growing in the middle of it. At the time it hit the spot.

PS looks like you're in Salzburg for the "Take the A-Train" jazz festival. Venue is at/around the train station.

KGC, CL: Thank you. But I think the proper term now is "little people". It's a start. If it were just me, I would go and wing it and have fun. But I am entertaining, and one who has enjoyed the opportunity for very little Western European, so I am trying to do it right. Albania or Bisnia I could plan with my eyes closed, but this is a challenge.

What do you like for breakfast? I can live with a coffee, Croissant and salt free fresh butter. Good honey helps. Get some Alpen honey. I like a full breakfast, but you probably only get that at a good Hotel or Café. Earlier is better.

It's not exactly traditional, but I was pleasantly surprised by the meal I had here. I believe it's even in Rick's book although I didn't know that, good food in a pleasant environment

https://www.ludwig-burger.at/salzburg/burger.html

Yes, we are still arriving September 25th. Prior to that will be 4 nights in Salzburg and 3 nights in Vienna. We already had 3 nights each in Salzburg & Vienna booked, but after I cancelled the first 4+ weeks of my very long trip we are now flying into Munich and the flight was better the day before we had intended to leave. So 4 nights it is. We’ve actually been to Salzburg 4 times, but always as day trips and have never stayed there. I really like it there and am looking forward to having more time. We spent a week in a small town not too far away in 2016 so have seen a lot of the area. We plan to do a day trip somewhere, but not Hallstatt. We went there in 2016. We will have another day trip to Munich for the opening day of Oktoberfest and one day in Salzburg. I’m looking forward to comparing notes.