Look at St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee.

Hmmmmm - I wonder if this suits your desire;

http://tinyurl.com/czjdt33



or maybe this;

http://tinyurl.com/ckoplgb



or this;

http://tinyurl.com/bmrfsga

Hallstatt is the place for you, one of the most scenic villages in Austria.

We love both St. Gilgen and Hallstatt but for drop dead gorgeous I would go with Hallstatt. The nicest hotel on the Lake is the Seehotel Gruner Baum. There is a salt mine you can tour as well as a wonderful museum that shows the 7000+ yr history of Hallstatt. The restaurant at the Gruner Baum is lovely as is the Zauner Hotel restaurant.

http://www.hallstatt.net/home-en-US/

http://www.gruenerbaum.cc/nc/en/home.html?cid=1

http://zauner.hallstatt.net/restaurant.php?lang=en

http://www.hallstatt.net/about-hallstatt/sehenswertes-en-US/familienerlebnis-salzwelten-en-US/

http://www.hallstatt.net/about-hallstatt/regenprogramm-en-US/world-heritage-museum/

We also like the area around Berchtesgaden and Lake Koenigssee. You can take a steam boat trip on the lake, visit Hitler's Eagle's Nest and the Documentation Center.

http://www.berchtesgadener-land.info/index.cfm?B7DE77163923488DB81A71EAC9BC5CAF

http://www.kehlsteinhaus.de/en/index.php

While we have never stayed at the Hotel Bavaria, it gets good reviews here and on TripAdvisor.

http://www.hotelbavaria.net/en/content/welcome-hotel-bavaria

I know you'll have a fabulous trip. Austria is one of my favorite countries. It is truly beautiful.

Just a nit pick: he Ko0enigsee prides itself for its electric boats; no steam boats.

Other than that, you got a lot of good advise. Suggestion: If you drive from Munich to Salzburg, go the following route and include a stop in the Herrenchiemsee Palace of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the Ludwig of Neuschwanstein fame.

Munich on the A-8 Autobahn east toward Salzburg,,preferaby early in the morning and not on a weklend. Get off the Autobahn at the Bernau Exit, when you first see the Chiemsee Lake. From the off-ramp turn right toward Prien; at the first traffic circle take the first exit, following signs to Chiemsee, or See. Park car in Stock and take boat to Herrenchiemsee Island. From boat landing walk to palace. Return to car and A-8 at Bernau. Allow 2 1/2 hrs for this detour. Keeo going on Route B-305 (don't get onto Autobahn). Follow the B-305 to Grassau, Marquartstein, Unterwoessen, Reit im Winkl. All very scenic, easy driving. In Reit, the B-305 becomes part of the Deutsche Alpenstrasse network (German Alpine Higway). Follow the B-305 all the way to Berchgtesgaden. All important turns on the B-305 are clearly marked toward Berchtesgaden. Once there, follow the signs to Salzburg, 45 minutes away.

I didn't check all the recommended websites, so some may have covered this: Be sure to read up on the need to acquire an Austrian Autobahn Vignette (toll sticker) BEFORE you enter your first autobahn is Austria, such as if you were to drive the A-8 from Munich directly to Salzburg.

My suggested route will avoid any Austrian autobahn.

Yes, treplow, of course, you are right!! I believe I was getting the Koenigssee boat confused with the paddlewheeler on Wolfgangsee.

Thank you all for this valuable information.

I need your advice about adding Vienna to my route from Salzburg. Do you suggest a stopover before vienna? I need to know in which hotel you recommend to stay that is near shopping centers and street caffees. what to not miss in Vienna.

After Vienna I will head to Hallstatt and then Zell Am ee. can I go then to Venice Italy by train? is it available? and if yes which hotel do you recommend? Please note that my travel will be from Aug 27 to 20 sept, 2012

When I was in Munich and Vienna, my best impression were restaurants and cafes. I booked a table in different restaurants every day via comfortway.com (because I don't know German, this service helps to book tables online) and enjoyed typically German and Austrian food. Strongly recommended!

I am not sure of your planned route. It sounds like you want to go Munich -> Salzburg -> Vienna -> Hallstatt/Zell am See -> Venice. That would not be the best route because trains to Venice from The Salzkammergut area (Hallstatt) require connections and take much more time than from Munich and Vienna

I would suggest Munich -> Salzburg -> Hallstatt/Zell am See -> Vienna - > Venice.

train from Vienna to Venice is still a long route - it takes about 8.5 hours. There is an overnight option that takes longer but requires no changes.

You are now going for 224 days? Originally you said 12. That makes a difference as to whether I would recommend any stops between Salzburg and Vienna. In 12 days, if you wanted to include I would say you had very little to stop outside your planned cities. If you are going for 24 days you have more options. Take a look at the towns of the Wachau Valley (Google it), on the Danube, west of Vienna, especially the stretch between Melk and Krems. It is very beautiful and serene.

In Vienna, you probably want to book a hotel in the "Innere Stadt", (town center), or some place just west of it outside "The Ring", which is a grand boulevard circling the Innere Stadt.

Try www.booking.com and selecting the Innere Stadt as the district.

is there any other city in Austria that has a shorter and easier train access to Venice?