In September, Ben and I took a whirlwind trip to Eastern Europe. In true us fashion, we spent 2 weeks seeing as much of that area as we could, and ultimately hit 4 different counties and 5 cities. If you’ve been following along for a bit, you know that the country dance is kind our MO. It stemmed from me and my inability to sit still, and from some deep down fear that I may never get to see these places again (so must take advantage)!
So on this trip, we flew into Prague, took the train to Vienna, Salzburg, Budapest and Bratislava before returning to Prague for our flight home. I’ve been procrastinating blogging this trip because I just felt like there was so much to tell – call it blogging paralysis if you will, but I’m slowly trying to break out of it and so we’re going to start with Salzburg since it was my absolute favorite part of this trip.
If you’re a Sound of Music fan and/or if you are going to be within, say, 3 hours of Salzburg, it’s 100% worth the trip – even if it’s just a day trip or a quick overnight. It was definitely out of our way, but I knew we were going to be in Vienna, and Salzburg was just a 2.5 hours away so, why not? What if we were never in the area again? See how fast that logic happens 😉
I mean, how could I miss seeing where Maria splashed through the fountain, where the Von Trapp kids all rode their bikes, or the place that the Captain and Maria called home?
So to Salzburg we went and it was incredible. If you’re contemplating a trip, I promise you will not be disappointed. We were there for 24-hours and below are the three things I would do 1000x over.
Stay at Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron
We stayed at Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, which has been infamously dubbed the Sound of Music Hotel. Not only were the grounds of the hotel used as the Von Trapp’s backyard (eeeeekkk), the main room in the palace was perfectly replicated on a back lot to be used as a film setting. The white gazabo (IYKYK) was also originally on the grounds, but it unfortunately had to be moved after years of Liesl’s and Ralph’s trying to dance on its benches.
The hotel and grounds are gorgeous and also inaccessible to non-guests – another perk of staying there. When you’re inside the walls and see the grounds for the first time, your jaw will undoubtably drop. It’s the most insanely beautiful thing I have never seen and we’re comparing it to a view of the cliffs of Positano, the entry way to the Taj Mahal, and Bellagio at sunset from a boat on Lake Como. These eyes have seen a lot over the years, and I put this up there as one of my top views ever.
Outside of that, the staff was really sweet and the dining area and on-site bars were top notch. While the hotel isn’t right next door to town, it is still walkable or bikeable and Ubers can also easily find you.
The only down-ish side to the hotel and the experience were the rooms. I believe all of the rooms, if not most, are in a pink annex building next to the main one. I thankfully did some research, but I think a lot of people go thinking they’ll be in in palace, so I think there’s this immediate ping of disappointment when you get there and realize…no, you’re palace adjacent.
I personally didn’t mind the annex, but I also don’t want to sugarcoat it – the conditions aren’t the best. The carpeting is old, the rooms seem a little sad and dark and musty, and there is no AC. The bed was comfortable though and we had no issues with the bathroom, shower, etc. I think there’s just such a stark difference between that and the rest of the hotel that it makes the annex shortcomings even more noticeable. And then tack on a $200-$300 per night price tag, and things can feel a little bait and switch-y.
At the end of the day, regardless of the annex, I would say here again and again. I LOVED it. I do think you’d only find true value in the cost if you were a Sound of Music fan OR if the grounds and amenities are more important to you then the room you’re in.
Join The Fraulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour
With only a single day in Salzburg, we had to cover a lot of ground….fast…so I booked this tour after seeing over 700 5-star reviews online. I told Ben that I booked a “Sound of Music bike tour,” but accidently left out that it was a 10 mile, 4 hour bike tour that took you from city to country side and up and down some pretty aggressive hills. To be fair, I booked it last minute and wasn’t actually aware of the time frame or distance, so we found out that fun fact together 🙂
The tour started off a little rough – we were on manual bikes, so getting them set-up and getting used to the gear shifting and such took a minute. I also hadn’t ridden in a bike in years, so I briefly panicked wondering if the skill really does stay with you. Thankfully there were no casualties and I’m happy to report that once a bike rider, always a bike rider.
The tour began in downtown Salzburg, so it was quite busy at the meeting spot and for the first hour or so of the ride. At first it was a little terrifying – there were just so many people and the group was large and we found it hard to all stay together, but after 30 minutes or so, things started to get much easier, we understood the flow and could really enjoy the experience.
We saw the famous garden, the monastery, the Von Trapp homes, the concert hall, the gazabo. We rode in the hills and listened to The Hills Are Alive on a tiny speaker that sat in tour guides basket. It was fun, it was wholesome, it was interesting, and I felt like it was the perfect way to see as much as Salzburg as possible.
Even if you’re not a Sound of Music fan, I would recommend this tour. I feel like we saw EVERYTHING and since the Von Trapp family was a real family, there was just so much history mixed in. It was an experience that would capture the heart of even the biggest bike tour skeptic.
Have Dinner At Maier’s
If you’re going to have one meal in Salzburg, let it be this one. Maier’s is a small restaurant located on a picturesque pedestrian only street in Salzburg. Even though it’s one of the best restaurants in town, its name isn’t plastered all over the internet – you won’t see many TikTok’s on it or Instagram Reels telling you “you have to go” and chances are it won’t be listed on many Reddit threads. Even though it’s popular, it’s managed to keep some anonymity and stayed small town. It makes it feel special and secret even though it’s been around for 17 years.
Maier’s is known for it’s steak and it’s hospitality and it delivered on both. Imagine a small cozy space, dimmed lighting and a custom menu written on a chalkboard where they cross off items as they run out (rip the Caesar Salad).
A reservation is definitely needed and I would suggest you make one a few weeks out if you can. We had some pretty incredible meals on this trip, and I would easily put this in the top two.
Final Thoughts
Salzburg is such beautiful and quaint city and I’m so glad we were able to make the stop. There’s of course so much more to see and do, and also some incredible day trips (Hallstatt looks AMAZING) if you have the time!
And now that I’ve officially broken out of my blogging paralysis, keep an eye out for more from this trip!
