My husband and I along with another couple will be traveling in Austria in June 2006. We plan to stay in Vienna and Salzburg, but would also like 3 or 4 nights in a relaxing mountain setting. We would like to do some hiking and enjoy the natural surroundings. Any recommendations for a well-run service-oriented inn/chalet/hotel would be much appreciated. A friend recommended Briol in Italy, which looks great, but if we could find something in Austria (and hopefully with modern bathroom/shower facilities) that would be preferable. We will be traveling by car. Thanks in advance for suggestions!

Look at the small town of Alpbach-
At the end of a valley about 2 hours by car from Salzburg ( direction Innsbruck) All types of accomodations from mountain huts, farms to 5 star hotels.
Many hiking trails nearby in one of the most beautiful areas of Austria.

Look at - www.alpbach.at
also in english for information and lists of lodging

Thanks for the helpful suggestion! I'll check it out!

Consider the many beautiful hiking areas just outside of Salzburg, in the Austrian and German alps. You could stay in or near Berchtesgaden. Day trips to Hallstadt, St. Johann, Salzburg, or many other areas if the spirit moves you!

Okay, I'll look at that, too...thanks!

Since you're a year away from going, I suggest that you request the full color 300-page Accommodations Book be sent to your home...

[email protected]

That's how we found the lovely Haus Blum'reit above the village of Marktschellenberg, about halfway between Salzburg and Berchtesgaden.
We stayed there for a week and did the things EmilyC suggested and more.

We too stayed in the Berchtesgadenland region and loved it. I found out about this region from EmilyC and others who highly recommended it, and it definitely didn't dissapoint. We stayed at a wonderful vacation apartment in Schonau am Konigssee, about 3 km from the Koniggsee (Kings Lake). The region is absolutely gorgeous and about 15-20 minutes from Salzburg and, as EmilyC said, offers plenty of daytrips within Austria. Hallstatt is wonderful, of course, but there is also the Wolfgangsee and St. Gilgin.

Tracy

I will definitely send for a brochure. Looks like there are many wonderful options. Thanks so much!

We love both Vienna and Salzburg and have stayed there several times. One of our favorite mountain setting chalets is in Inneralpbach, Austria, between Innsbruck and Salzburg. If you care to have more details I would be glad to share our experiences with you. Diane Moll. [email protected]

We really enjoyed our 2 stays at the Jagdschloss Graf Recke in Wald im Oberpinzgau (Austria). The area was beautiful.

http://www.ila-chateau.com/jagdschl/

I stayed for a week in an apartment in Langenfeld-Astlehn. The apartment was very nice, and we had a great time exploring the Austrian alps in the vicinity of Sölden, Hochgürgl, and the Timmelsjoch (pass to Italy, very steep).

Ötzi, the Iceman, who resides now in Bolzano (Bozen) was discovered in the ridges around Hochgürgl. There are many very nice vacation apartments in that area and Sölden has some nice hotels.
The are year round ski runs on a glacier west of Sölden which is reached by an alpine toll road. We were there in September and the grooming machines were hard at work even then.

It gets cold up there in those hills. It was September 8 and we were not dressed warmly enough. My polarfleece and Goretex rain parka and pants were barely enough.

The Ötztal is located west and south of Innsbruck. It is a long, beautiful north-south glacialvalley that terminates with the wall of the mountains that separate Italy from Austria. The steam that runs north through it joins the Inn to the west of Innsbruck.

Another quaint little place south of Salzburg near Lienz is Heiligenblut. There is a very good hotel in the town. We, however, stayed in a more average place called Landhaus Christof. It is a B and B type of place which, at the time, was run by the Kramser family.
We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant 3 times, and found the food to be excellent. The chef at the time could do Wienerschnitzel better than what we paid big bucks for in Vienna.

Heiligenblut is on the south side of the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse which is something an adventure to drive. The highway usually opens by mid June, but the exact opening date depends on snow accumulation during the winter.

I hope you had a great trip- 4or 5 of us plan to spend 2 weeks easy hiking in Austria in June 2007. Would like to know what you did. Thanks