dsmoljanovic
Zagreb
svetoslav
Varna
I only went to Salzburg, and I’m afraid that I had no time to visit the surroundings. However I can give you some pointers about Salzburg.
You will be mostly interested in the old part of the city. You can visit Mozart’s birthplace. It is now turned into a museum. You definitely have to see the Hohensalzburg Fortress. It was build nearly a millenia ago. Take a walk on
Getreidegasse – a remarkable shopping place. Little streets full with numerous small shops, most of them preserving the renaissance style. If you like history visit the St. Sebastian Church and Cemetery. This is where Mozart’s father grave is located. And when speaking of religious sight, pay a visit to the Salzburg´s Cathedral.
I think there are some beautiful lakes outside of the city. But I’m afraid I can not recall their names.
Oh, and one last thing. There is a Salzburg Card. I don;t know how much it costs, but if you are for some serious sightseeing you will need one in order to enter free into museums and some historical sights.
I wish you a nice vacation!
lucialammermoor
New York State
I give a big second to the above information. If you pick up a Fodor’s guide and follow the walking tour, you’ll pick up most of this as well as the information I couldn’t fill in below. If you are there while the farmers’ market is open, it was fun to just walk through, browse, and haggle for a healthy and rather inexpensive meal.
As far as outside the city visits, I was able to visit Mondsee while in Salzburg. Well worth the visit, and I can recommend the cafe opposite the church where they filmed the wedding for The Sound of Music. In fact, if you take Panorama’s tour for The Sound of Music (great), you’ll get to Mondsee, but it won’t give you time on the lake there. You should be able to catch a bus on your own. If you are there in good weather, it’s great for a swim, and there are boat tours. FWIW – if you rent The Sound of Music, it will basically show you what you are in for – the lake in the opening credits is Mondsee, and the “I Have Confidence” and “Do-Re-Mi” segments are like a mini travel advert for the city.
Check out Hellbrun Palace for some fun:
http://www.hellbrunn.at/hellbrunn/english/start/index.asp
There are also salt mines near Salzburg that have been highly recommended to me, but I didn’t get there.
http://salzwelten.at/cont/salzwelten/salzwelten_home.aspx
Hope this helps – have fun!
ksevans
Plymouth
If you can handle the heights then the Untersburg mountain is well worth a visit. It is a cable car up the side and the views are amazing, plus there is a bar and cafe at the top to enjoy some cold German beers!
On the way there (I went by bus but I am sorry I dont rememebr which number – it wouldn’t be too hard to find out from Tourist Info) there is an old stately home and the gardens are lovely. It has the summer house from the Sound Of Music in them as well as a brilliant water garden which sprays you from unexpected places (!) and the house does tours.
zenala
Somerville
This might sound cheesy, but the Sound of Music tour takes you to a lot of the country-side. Some people get upset, though, when they learn that some of the movie characters weren’t real… If you’re not familiar with the movie, it would probably still be an interesting tour, since they cover a lot of the nearby countryside.
joiedemusique
Walnut Creek
All of the above suggestions are wonderful, but to them I’m adding my personal favorite food/coffee places:
1. Cafe Tomaselli which is a bit of a touristy spot in the center of town, but its a great place to people watch and enjoy some incredible pastries and coffee. I highly recommend sitting on the upstairs balcony for more privacy and less hustle and bustle.
2. Hotel Stein’s rooftop restaurant. This place is a bit pricey but it’s got a gorgeous view of the river and its pretty quiet and romantic.
3. Hotel Sacher, indoor or outdoor cafe on the river. Very upscale and home of the famous dark chocolate Sacher Torte. This is where all the glamourous opera singers and socialites stay during the summer music festival. It’s pricier too, but fun for the sake of doing something classy, even if its just dessert.
4. Cafe Republic. Trendy and modern cafe by day and bar/club where they have salsa dancing some nights. It’s a bit more “real Salzburg” than “tourist Salzburg”.
5. Der Dom (aka Salzburg Cathedral). If you don’t mind sitting through a catholic mass in german they have gorgeous music with professional musicians (usually something by Mozart). It’s a gorgeous space, very peaceful, and historically interesting.
6. Augustiner Keller. A very fun biergarten where a lot of locals hang out. Good cheap food (think bratwurst and sauerkraut) and excellent beer (of course!)...I recommend a raspberry radler (half beer half raspberry lemonade…surprisingly good!).
7. The Salzach. Just go for a walk around the paths lining the river. It’s free and so beautiful at sunset :)
Have Fun! Viel Spaß!
LisaLuvsItaly
Columbus
Wow, great answers above! I agree with the above listings of restaurants. The Sacher Torte is wonderful! We really enjoyed the Augustiner Keller!
Surrounding area…the lake region is beautiful. We visited Hallstadt, Wolfgang See, and Konig See which is just on the border of Austria/Germany in Berchtesgaden, Germany. Visit Eagle’s Nest for a gorgeous, breath taking view. You feel like you are on top of the world! Enjoy!
