Salzburg Two Day Itinerary

I lived in Salzburg years ago, but have never heard of Steingasse Lane. Do you mean the Getreidegasse in the old town? It is a narrow street of small stores, pastry shops, tabacs, etc. Mozart's birthplace is also there. You might want to plan to stop at Augustinerbrau to experience a Salzburg beer hall.

The Salzburger Dom is the cathedral, probably just a quick stop to look inside.

Leopoldskron is a schloss on the other side of the mountain from the old town. It's on a small lake. I went to school right next door, and when I lived there, it was not open to the public. Things might have changed since then. If they have a tour there, it won't take long. It's not that big a place.

The Salzkammergut is the lake region. There are several small villages there, notably Mondsee and St Wolfgang. Not sure how pretty it would be in December, unless there is snow.

Hohensalzburg Fortress is interesting, worth the visit. Never heard of Steingasse. The cathedral (Dom) was seen from the side in SOM, but other than that, is is just a church and was not really a part of the movie. The lakeside patio at Leopoldskron was copied for a temporary set in the SOM, but Leopoldskron, itself, was not used in SOM. There is a lot to see (Eagles Nest, Dokumentation Center, Königsee) in Berchtesgaden and it's a little closer to Salzburg than the Salzkammergut.

"Would appreciate some advice/guidance on whether our itinerary is a good mix of active/relaxed pursuits. Would you recommend anything else for a young active couple? " Do either of you ski? There's some great resorts not too far away, including Kitzbühl and Obertauern. Obertauern boasts some surprisingly inexpensive full-service hotels of very high quality, but there's not much to do if you're not there for the winter sports. Kitzbühl has a little more for non-skiers, but it's rather expensive.

Eagle's Nest, etc. will be closed in Dec.

Konigsee boat trip is open year round, as long as the lake doesn't freeze, which is rare.

Be mindful of the day of the week you plan on visiting either the Salzkammergut or Berchtesgaden area. The Christmas Markets in both are open Thurs.-Sunday only. The lake ships on the Wolfgangsee only run the days the Christmas markets are open. I say this because it will be extremely quiet in both area's without the markets open. Salzburg's Christmas Markets are amazing!

Between the 2 options, you can't go wrong either way. Me, I prefer the Berchtesgaden area. It's close though.

Paul

Salt mines at Hallein

We just returned from a Rick Steve's GAS tour and we loved the concert/dinner at the Fortress in the evening. The funicular up and down is included in the price. You can go up early and walk around the fortress and take photos of the beautiful view. We had dinner and it was outstanding with a great view of the city and the sunset. The concert follows after desert and is a small venue so all the seats are good. The concert was magical. We were two couples and we loved it. I vote for the Eagles nest, bunker, museum and salt mine tour on the second day. Another great view if you have a sunny day. Enjoy!

For those not familiar, here is info about Steingasse Lane:

http://www.visit-salzburg.net/sights/steingasse.htm

With just 2 days in Salzburg, I wouldn't try to go to Salzkammergut or Berchtesgaden. I think you are being ambitious on your Day 1 itinerary and some of these activities could be done on Day 2.

And there can be only one place to eat while in Salzburg -- Augustiner Brewery.

A very nice place for dinner in Salzburg is Alt Salzburg, located near the Pferdeschwemme (Horse Wash/Fountain) at Herbert von Karajan Platz. The restaurant is high end, the food was outstanding (traditional Austrian cuisine with a focus on local ingredients), the owner was welcoming, and the wait staff were very friendly. We ate there in May 2013, at the recommendation of our hotel concierge. Very nice place for an quiet and elegant dinner away from the crowds.