Austria Salt Mines

I have only been to the one in Hallstatt which is very interesting. I do not recall a lot of walking involved. You can slide down a couple of bannisters in lieu of taking the steps. Just be careful to have your belongings such as cell phones and car keys secured so they don't fall out of your pockets when slding down.

Tom, You didn't say which method of transportation you'll be using, but you could also consider the Salt Mine tour in Berchtesgaden (not far from Salzburg). As previously mentioned, the tour in Hallstatt is excellent (also not far from Salzburg). Happy travels!

We went to one in Hallein when I was quite pregnant. I don't remember if there was a lot of walking or not. There was a large mix of all ages of people. We happen to have been the only English speaking visitors at the time! It was so much fun.

We took our 2 kids (then 5 and 7) to the mines at Hallein. It was a lot of fun, but it is hard to imagine a salt mine tour that would be easy for those with impaired mobility. (Part of the descent is via chute.)

Why not contact the salt mines directly and ask if any of them are disabled friendly? If it's a case of not being able to walk far, getting back up from the depths of the mine is usually the problem. The one I went to you started in a small train, then went down chutes, difficult perhaps if you have problems with hips/legs/feet as you have to hold your legs up at an angle away from the floor, but no matter how 'easy' it may be to get down, you've still got a lot of steps to negotiate to reach ground level again. Some may of course have lifts (elevators?. Their web sites may tell you. There was a gentleman on our tour who was in his 80's and walked with a stick. Depends on the mobility of the person in question.

Tom, I missed the section in your post about a "great amount of walking". With those circumstances, the Salt Mine tour in Hallstatt would NOT be the best idea. In order to take the tour, you'll need to take a Funicular up the mountain, and then hike uphill about 15 minutes to reach the entrance of the Salt Mine. It's not a difficult hike, and could certainly be done at your own pace. The walks during the tour aren't difficult, although the terrain is a bit uneven at times. Exit from the Mine is via a small train, so no problems there. Visitors exit the mine at a considerably lower elevation from the entrance, so climbing stairs is necessary to get back to the building to turn-in your Coveralls and receive your "free" vial of Salt. I haven't taken the tour in Berchtesgaden, so can't comment on that. The entrance area is right at street level, but I don't know how much walking is required during the tour. Even if you don't take the Salt Mine tour in Hallstatt, should you happen to be in the area take the Funicular to the top and stop at Rudolfsturm (Castle) for lunch and of course a "beverage". The view over the town and valley is incredible! Good luck!