We will be spending 8 days in Vienna and Salzburg (4 +4) in late May early June. The Vienna part of the trip is more or less clear. Any recommendations for lodging in Salzburg and how to spend 4 days in and around it?
We will have a rental car if needed.
We are a couple in mid 50s, active, want to experience local culture, food, and nature. Our bucket list includes also concerts in Salzburg.

Thanks

Dimitry

Just east of Salzburg is the lovely Sound of Music Country - the Austrian Lakes District - lots of tours go there for a day or it is easy to do yourself by a short postal bus ride:

https://www.google.com/search?q=aust...ih=625&dpr=1.5

Or take a short day trip to the Salt Mines from which Salz ('salt') burg gets it name - slide down on slides and tour the mines:

https://www.google.com/search?q=salz...w=1280&bih=625

From Vienna, a wonderful day out is to take a boat down the wonderful vineyard-strewn Wachau Valley - first take a short train ride to Melk - tour the Uber famous abbey near the station and waltz down to the boat dock for a few-hour ride past cute wine villages and slopes carpeted with vineyards to Durnstein - one of the nicest wine towns with the ruins of a medieval castle where Richard-the-Lion-Hearted was once held for ransom after returning from or going to some Crusade. Great town to sit at outside cafe - then take bus to Krems - nice larger city and train back ton Vienna - buy an all-inclusive ticket for train, boat, abbey entrance I think and boat:

https://www.google.com/search?q=wach...w=1280&bih=625

Another nice day trip from Vienna takes you in 1 hr by train to Bratislava and another country - neatly restored old town with an imposing fortress towering above it.

Be sure to go out to Grinzing one afternoon or evening to experience the wine stubes which serve local wines:

https://www.google.com/search?q=grin...w=1280&bih=625

Take a tram out there from the center of Vienna - bordering the famous Vienna Woods you can waltz thru that famous forest too.

Prost!

Salzburg is a beautiful and walkable riverfront city. Some use the Sound of Music theme and tours to get around, but many landmarks from the film are also places worth visiting (Mirabell Palace & Gardens, for example.) Our favorite walk is from the fortress above the town across the mountain to Augustiner Braustubl, a monastery/brewery. Less than an hour and follow the mug symbols. A notable and huge beer garden. We were there once when one of the several indoor halls was rocking with 60’s American music, and the drinking was led by the abbot.

There is beautiful countryside around Salzburg worth exploring. Mondsee, where the wedding scene took place in the sound of Music film is one nice little Austrian town. Near the airport, you can just about eat off the floor of Hangar 7, an airplane hangar with a cafe, bar and restaurant, and collection of planes, race cars and other over the top machines, as part of the Red bull world headquarters.

We have been several times and always stay with our friends at Villa Trapp, the real home (not the movie home) of the famous von Trapp family in the Aigen area of Salzburg. It’s now a beautiful bed and breakfast that has been featured in shows like Amazing Race and a Diane Sawyer special on ABC. If you have any interest in Sound of Music stuff, this is the real thing in a quiet residential neighborhood, and a place that is not part of the tourist thing.

This past September, we also did a day trip to Lake Hallstatt on a scenic rail trip from Salzburg. Here is our trip report: 3 Countries, 8 Places, 8 Nights, Awesome!

We decided to extend our stay in Salzburg area to 6 full days. What is the best location in Salzburg to look for hotel or B&B?
Thanks.

Ice cave at Werfen
Salt mine at Hallein

One of our favorite day trips from Salzburg is Hallstat. The drive to get there is as picturesque as the town itself. I can second the Hanger 7, which is pretty cool. Another nice drive and visit is Berchesgarten (sp?). You can get a great panoramic view from there.

The concerts in the fortress are nice in the evenings, too. We've always stayed in Grodig, just outside of Salzburg. www.sallerhof.com

Why not base say a couple of days in The Lake District - can easily do day trip to lovely Hallstatt from say St-Wolfgang by bus and train.