In early October 2017, my husband and I (in our 70s) ended our annual European trip in Hall in Tirol after visiting Gdansk, Warsaw, Krakow and Vienna. Living in the Midwest, it was nice to relax among the snow capped mountains at a small hotel in a town with a beautiful historic center where local people (and not many tourists) gather; and convenient for day trips to Innsbruck and Seefeld. Now we are planning our next adventure for September-October and hope to end the trip in similar fashion. Any suggestions for a destination like Hal, with mountainous scenery and a historic center, from which we could drive to Munich for our final night before flying home? Thanks for any and all suggestions!
Posted by
392 posts
Could try Kufstein?
Posted by
1895 posts
Try Gmunden at the Lake Traun in the Salzkammergut area. Gmunden has a nice historic center and the scenery at the lake is marvelous. If you use it at a base you can explore the other lakes and well-known towns easily, like Bad Ischl, St. Wolfgang, Hallstatt, etc.
Gmunden itself has a lot to offer, e.g. its renowned pottery, and derived of that, the "Museum of Historic Sanitary Ceramics" aka the toilet museum. There are passenger ships cruising across the lake, and a cable car goes up the mountain for a teriffic view.
We stayed there already three times for longer weekends and had enjoyed it very much.
Posted by
Niagara, Ontario
1548 posts
Yes, Hall is a pretty and a less visited place. You do not say how long you will be staying but Mittenwald (not Tyrol but close enough) might fit the bill for you, an attractive village, lots to do close by and a short drive to Munich.
Kufstein is also nice, as are Zell and Kitzbuhel. I'd still stump for Mittenwald.
Posted by
OP
St. Paul, MN, USA
42 posts
Thank you for the interesting suggestions. Right now, our plan is to take the train from Berlin to Munch or another Bavarian city to rent a car. We will have 6 nights in Austria or Bavaria. The 7th night will be near the Munich airport. We also would like to drive the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Before Berlin, we will have visited the capitals of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. We are looking for some time to relax. My husband doubts driving the Grossglocker qualifies as relaxing. I have planned many European trips in the last 10 years, but I am having difficulty with this itinerary. Not sure of a route to make efficient use of our time.
Posted by
Niagara, Ontario
1548 posts
I do not worry about routes so much as I base in one place for at least one week at a time. From there, most places in the Bavarian Alps or the Tyrol will hold enough interest for a week, some close enough to the airport - 2 hours or less, depending on the time of your flight. I do not like staying in hotels as a rule. Ruhpolding would be good for a base around the Berchtesgaden-Salzburg- Chiemsee area, and fairly close to the start of the Grossglockner drive. Check for the weather the morning of, a thick mist will ruin your drive.
Mittenwald is a good base for the Innsbruck -Garmisch-Fussen area, though Oberammergau is more practical in terms of mileage.
Posted by
1895 posts
Try Gmunden at the Lake Traun in the Salzkammergut area.
Driving from Munich to Gmunden is about 2:30 hours, 95% of which is "Autobahn" (highway).