Salzburg & Hallstatt

Mozart's hometown and the filming location of The Sound of Music, paired with the postcard lakeside village of Hallstatt: the combination Chinese travelers love most in Austria.

Salzburg lies in northwestern Austria right on the German border and is the capital of the state of Salzburg. The Salzach River divides the city into the Old Town on the left bank (the fortress, the cathedral, Getreidegasse) and the New Town on the right bank (Mirabell Palace, the train station). The Old Town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, and is also Mozart's birthplace and a filming location of The Sound of Music. About 70 km to the southeast begins the Salzkammergut lake district, where more than a dozen alpine lakes, including Wolfgangsee, Mondsee and Traunsee, are scattered among the mountains; at the far end lies the World Heritage village of Hallstatt, administratively part of Upper Austria. The climate is a temperate continental mountain climate, with temperatures of 15–25°C from May to September, the loveliest season in the lake district; during the Salzburg Festival from late July to August accommodation is tight and should be booked months ahead; snow is possible in the mountains by October, and in December the Christmas markets and a snow-covered Hallstatt are equally charming, but most lake boats stop running from late October until April. Getting there: Salzburg Airport has flights from major European cities, and the train takes 1.5–2 hours from Munich and 2.5 hours from Vienna. There is no direct train from Salzburg to Hallstatt: take bus 150 to Bad Ischl, then a train to Hallstatt station and a ferry across the lake (about 2.5 hours in total), or take Postbus 150 from Salzburg train station to St. Gilgen and see Wolfgangsee along the way. Driving is the most flexible; cars are not allowed in Hallstatt itself, so park at lots P1/P2 and walk in. We suggest 3–4 days: 1.5 days in Salzburg's Old Town, 1 day at Wolfgangsee/Schafberg, and 1 night in Hallstatt (early morning and evening are quieter). Note: Hallstatt has fewer than 800 residents but receives over ten thousand visitors a day; the municipality limits the number of coaches and some viewpoints have barriers, so please stay out of private courtyards and keep noise down. The Salzburg Card (24/48/72 hours) covers the fortress, Mozart's birthplace, cable cars and city public transport, and pays for itself if you visit three or more attractions.

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