My wife and I actualy did this trip a few years ago. While it was a little expensive, we had a blast, saw a lot of amazing paces and would do it again in a second. In fact, we are planning a repeat for our ten year anniversary.
Here's what we did - a two week adventure.
We flew into Munich to get things started and immediately after checking our bags into the hotel went straight to the Hoffbrau Haus. What a place, full of history and lots of great German beer. This is the same beerhall from which Hitler gave his famous speech that really geared things up for the Nazis. It was a bit strange sitting in a place where you knew he was. I didn't mention the hotel we satyed at as there are many good ones, just try and stay close to downown. There are a pile of cafes and a huge park to see on top of the great museums. You will not be stuck for things to do but do try and find time for a long walk around the city. We spent two days in Munich then moved on, by train, to Innsbruk. One thing that surprised us was that there are no border stops between countries. We were used to travelling between the US and Canada and were pleasantly surprised by this.
We didn't stay long in Innsbruk, jut longenough to pick up our car rental.
This was done over the Internet from thousands of mile away but when we showed up for our appointed time the car was waiting for us in the driveway with most of the forms pre-filled. What service!
From Innsbruk we headed to the hills. Tyrolean Alps. What scenery! We settled in a place called Mandarfen. I don't even think it was on the map we had.
There are many highways that just wind up into these huge valleys, climbing some of the most impressive mountain ranges. Many of them just end once they near the tops of these inclined valleys. Most of these small towns have great hotels, great food and an abundance of walking trails. The Austrians really like their walking. And the food is hearty enough to fill that stomach you emptied on a hike. We found a ski lift that brought us up another thousand feet to a high alpine lake, magnificent. Did two days there.
Next it was driving across Austria to Zell Am See. A beautiful little town on a sparkling lake. The lakeside hotel was charming. The following day we took the ski lift to the summit and decided to walk back to the base. Be prepared for a very long walk if you do this.
Next stop Hallstatt. I could right a whole book on this charming, picturesque village. Three days were spent there. Look for Mr. Zauner's fish restaurant and ask for his famous homemade soup (bring a few tissues). I've never seen such a beautiful spot in all my travels. It is a Must!. Take a leisurely walk up the sparkling creek from the center of town into the forest.
Then it was of to Salzburg for a few days. Every spot we visited was cozy, charming, with great food and very hospitable hosts. Salzburg is no different.
Try and get a hotel in the old town. As in Hallstatt there is a terrific cemetary that is worth visiting. Go at sunrise. You'll have the place to yourself and the light will make for awesome photographs.
From Salzburg we spent a full afternoon at Mauthausen. It was a cncentration camp and has been kept fairly intact with the ovens and all. Pretty somber but well worth the time. This was on the way to Vienna. To be honest after spending so much time in quaint villages and walking around the countryside, Vienna was a bit of a shock. We live in a large metropolis so it wasn't just the noise and pollution. The tourists were pushy, the advertising everywhere was aweful and it was raining. We did get to see a fantastic museum but left town right afterwards. Decided to go back to Hallstatt for one last day.
The trip ended by taking the train back to Munich from Salzburg. What a trip we had. Anyone who loves nature, hiking, beer and friendly folks could do a lot worse that a trip to Austria. Bruce Hollingdrake buys his travel gear at http://skyhighoutfitters.com He also enjoyes reading books and uses the dealers found at http://bookshopblog.com He Also collect Vintage Coffee Tins found here http://mecoffee.com
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