Not-to-miss in Salzburg Dec 12-15?

Head to the Salzkammergut. Cute little towns with Christmas markets and beautiful scenery.

Visit the Augustiner Brau on your first night there - because you'll want to go make more than once!

Christmas market!! Walk around in the evening, have goulash soup and gluhwein (they have a non-alcoholic kid version), see the ornaments, listen ro the music, visit the cathedral (right next to the market)

During all my searching, I never came across Salzkammergut. That's why I love this forum.

And as far as the Christmas market goes, does it take place every day during this time? And is it where we will see it?

Yes, definitely plan to do Augustiner Brau! Looks like it's more fun in the non-winter months when you can sit outside, but will visit and enjoy some good beer and food.

Thanks all!

Check out the Salzburg christkindlmarkt webpage for details -- market runs from mid-November to Christmas eve, right in the middle of the Old Town. Near the fortress, Mozart house, ice skating ...

In addition to the Christmas market, look for a Krampuslauf in the area. Also, the Salzburg Card may be worth looking into. I cut and pasted some recommendations from an email that I recently sent a friend who will visit soon. Enjoy:

Augustinerbräu is an absolute must. I love this beerhall and have been there in 2000, 2013 & 2015. It's one of my favorite places in the world. As you enter, there's a bit of a food court. A la carte meals are delicious and inexpensive. For your thirst, buy your ticket, grab your bierkrug (no one calls them steins, a stein is a rock in German) rinse your bierkrug, then bring for a fill. The monks brew the beer.

http://www.augustinerbier.at/index.php?id=1&L=1

Bärenwirt- This is totally on my buddy's recommendation. We walked by it on the way to Augustiner but never stopped in. He went there a couple days after I went home last year. He claims it is in his top ten list of restaurants worldwide. I trust his judgment on this. According to their website, they have been around since 1663 so they've had enough time to get it right. I have to go back soon just to try it for myself.

http://www.baerenwirt-salzburg.at/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g190441-d694327-Reviews-Barenwirt-Salzburg_Austrian_Alps.html

http://www.yelp.com/biz/b%C3%A4renwirt-salzburg

Stieglkeller - We ate and drank here last year. It's near the funicular that runs up to the fortress. There are some great views from the restaurant. Highly recommend.

http://www.restaurant-stieglkeller.at/en

Zipfer Bierhaus - We went here in 2013- city center

http://www.zipfer-bierhaus.at/en/

You haven't been to Salzburg until you've eaten a Salzburger Nockerl. You'll want to order one and split between yourselves. We got ours at the Hotel Zur Goldene Ente (The Golden Duck) They changed the name to Hotel Goldgasse. I'm sure other places serve it as well.

http://www.dw.com/en/salzburger-nockerln/av-17361879 (to see what it is)

http://www.hotelgoldgasse.at/en.html

Andreas Hofer - This is a cool little wine bar on the Steingasse, It's only a few doors away from an upscale whorehouse that has been in existence since Mozart times. We visited in 2013 (the wine bar, not the cat house). I'm a guy so I prefer beer to wine. The place was cool though. There was an awesome, dank dive bar near there owned by a guy named Hannes. Stick to beer though. The rum drinks we drank added up really quickly. Hannes reminded me of Riff Raff from Rocky Horror somehow. I do love dive bars at times.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hofer-andreas-weinstube-and-restaurant-salzburg?search_key=75173

http://www.dieweinstube.at/

Gasthaus Zur Klause am Tor - On the last night our trip in 2015, we found this hotel bar by accident. It had a funky Bohemian vibe to it. Almost a dive, but fun. We all liked it, for drinks anyway. I'm having trouble finding any info on it in English, which is sometimes a hint that it is more of a place for locals. Not sure if it would be your scene but we had a good time there.

http://www.salzburg.com/wiki/index.php/Gasthaus_Zur_Klause_am_Tor

BOSNA - The most excellent street food in the world. Look for it. You will find it. Cheap and delicious.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosna_(sausage)

Nordsee - If you tire of schnitzel and wurst (I can't fathom that, actually) Nordsee (the Baltic Sea) is basically a fast food seafood restaurant. It's very good, actually. We need this chain in the US. It's surprisingly yummy. We also snuck in to use their restrooms a lot.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g190441-d6594580-Reviews-Nordsee-Salzburg_Austrian_Alps.html

http://www.nordsee.com/at/

"Mozart house"....which one? There are two of them in Salzburg that can be visited.

I do realize this, Fred, and read a bit more on the subject. Which one do you recommend? Thanks!

Hi,

On the Mozart houses, I would suggest seeing both if you have ample time and are a Mozart fan! Coming from the train station, you 'll see "Mozarts Wohnhaus" (residence) first, which is smaller, less visited (at least when I was there in the summer a few years ago), then you cross this small bridge, you reach Getreidegasse, on which " Mozarts Geburtshaus" (house of his birth) is located.

This one is larger, much more to see, more crowded, (of course, I was there in the summer amidst all the crowds), the one everyone goes to. The "Wohnhaus" has a small gift shop. Both the "Wohnhaus" and the " Geburtshaus" have these respective identifying descriptions on them in big letters.

Christmas Markets:

Salzburg - in the city and open every evening; early evening choir concerts in from of Dom (Cathedral)
Berchtesgaden - beautiful setting; check website for days/times when it is open; beautiful during the day and evening
Salzkammergut area - Strobl, St. Gilgen and Wolfgangsee markets; only open on weekends; check website for days/times

Mozart dinner concert - make reservations on their website as soon as you know when you want to attend. I missed out and should have reserved here in the States.

Hallstatt - long trip away; can be snowed in; maybe combine with Salzkammergut area stopping on the way back

I do not remember the Wohnhaus as being smaller than the Geburtshaus. The Mozart family moved into the Wohnhaus because it had a large salon that could be useful for making music - the salon had been used for dance lessons by a former owner.