Salzburg and Salzkammergut, Austria

Salzburg

The land of Salzburg in the center of Austria has great opportunities for tourism, including skiing. The Lake District in the north of the region attracts tourists in summer, while the high Alps in the south host many skiers in winter. Here is the famous European sports region, which includes the villages of Zell am See and Kaprun with the glacier of the same name. To the south are the thermal and ski resorts of Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein (Gasteinertal valley). Each of the local ski resorts is equipped with modern lifts and has all the necessary infrastructure.

According to cachedhealth.com, the capital is the city of Salzburg.

How to get to Salzburg

Flight to Vienna or Munich, then domestic flight to the airport. Mozart or train to Salzburg, and from Salzburg – either by taxi or by rental car to the selected resort.

Lakes of Salzburg

Also on the land of Salzburg is comfortably located most of the lake region of Austria – the Salzkammergut (Salzkammergut). In total, there are about fifty lakes, large and small, with water as clear as crystal. There are five large (and most popular) lakes: Wolfgangsee, Mondsee, Fuschlsee, Attersee and Hallstattersee.

The depth of the lakes reaches 400 meters, and the water in them warms up to +26 °C. Small towns with a long history and architectural monuments are scattered along the banks.

In addition to the lakes of the Salzkammergut, on the territory of Salzburg there is another popular holiday destination not only among the natives – Lake Zellersee. Another resort, Bad Ischl, due to its location, allows you to combine relaxation on the Wolfgang See lake and treatment on local waters.

Entertainment and attractions of Salzburg

Many interesting sights are located in the south of Salzburg. These are Leopoldskron Castle, designed in the Rococo style, which is one of the main filming locations for the film The Sound of Music, as well as Hellbrunn Castle, located in the park of the same name, built in 1613-1619. in the early baroque style. On the territory of the park in 1750-1753. a puppet mechanical theater was created in which 256 wooden figures depict everyday scenes of a medieval city to the sounds of a water organ. And in the commune of Anif, the old city church and the local zoo are remarkable.

The lake district in the north of Salzburg attracts tourists in summer, while the high Alps in the south attract many skiers in winter.

4 km west of the city of Salzburg is the Baroque Klesheim Castle, where the casino is now located. In Salzburg, you can also visit salt mines, such as Salzwelten, located in Bad Durrnberg. The price of the Salz Erlebnis Ticket, which is sold at the railway station, includes round-trip train and bus travel, as well as a guided tour of the mine.

Local travel agencies organize a tour of the filming locations of The Sound of Music. Tours start daily at 9:30 and 14:00 and last 4 hours. The cost will be 42 EUR for an adult and 21 EUR for a child. The same agency offers tours to the Berchtesgaden Valley (Germany), where the Berghof is located, in 1928-1945 the former residence of Adolf Hitler.

Also interesting is the tour to the Ice Caves, which are the largest system of ice caves in the world. The tour is organized from May 1 to October 26, duration 5 hours. The caves are located 40 km south of Salzburg and if you wish, you can visit them on your own. The caves can be reached via the A10 motorway in the direction of Tauern or by train to Werfen station.

Salzkammergut

The Salzkammergut is a very picturesque lake district in Austria, located at the junction of three lands: Upper Austria, Salzburg and Styria. It is best known for its lakes, which are in abundance here: clean, deep, mountainous, some almost icy, surrounded by small villages, historic medieval towns and snow-capped peaks.

The Hallstatt community is especially famous in these parts. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its ancient salt stakes, as well as for its “postcard” views of the Alps.

How to get there

First – to Vienna or Munich, then an internal flight or train transfer to Salzburg, and from Salzburg – either by taxi or by rental car to the selected resort.

Resorts of the Salzkammergut

This is a lake district surrounded by majestic mountain peaks. Here is the ancient town of Hallstatt, where salt was mined four thousand years ago, located on the Hallstatter See lake. In total, in this region there are about fifty lakes, large and small, the water in them is transparent, like crystal.

There are five big lakes:

• Wolfgang See(Wolfgangsee)
• Mond See(Mondsee)
• FuschlSee
• AtterSee
• and Hallstatter See.

Entertainment and attractions of the Salzkammergut

The main attractions of this region are the lakes. In summer you can swim in them, and in winter you can enjoy the views. In total, there are 24 lakes in the district, of which 19 are suitable for swimming. The largest lakes, on which tourists and the Austrians themselves usually prefer to relax, are Attersee, Traunsee, Mondsee and Wolfgangsee. They are considered the most beautiful.

On the banks of the lakes there are small towns with ancient architecture. For example, the Church of St. Egidius in the late Baroque style, built at the end of the 18th century, the Church of the Epiphany, which was built on the site of a cemetery chapel and dates back to 1270 and others.

The Gassel-Trofshtein cave in the foothills of Erlakogel is also worth attention. It was opened in 1918, and in 1931 became the national treasure of Austria.

The remains of a cave bear, which died out many years ago, were once found in the Gassel-Trofshtein cave.

On the territory of the Salzkammergut there are many equipped ski resorts where you can go skiing and snowboarding in winter. In the warm season, there are many cycling and hiking routes, as well as hot air ballooning, horseback riding, and numerous lakes have boats for rent and all the conditions for water sports.