Many hotels do not accept a one night (sat. night) reservation during the music festival in July. Blaue Gans(blue Goose) on Getreidstrasse near Mozart's house does and the Sheraton across from Mirabell Gardens. Anyone stayed in either? Any comments or recommendations? <BR>

The Mirabella Gardens area is very nice; <BR>but be wary of construction. I used the following site to plan last year. It has <BR>excellent resources. If it loads in German, look for the English button in the column on the left. <BR> <BR>http://www.salzburginfo.at/topic_rest/frame_outer_e.htm

Just a thought: If you have a car, try neighboring Berchtesgaden, Germany. It is a beautiful, quieter town and an easy close drive over to Salzburg. We have stayed at the Watzmann and the Post in Berchtesgaden and have driven over to Salzburg for the day many times.

We're going that way, and have reserved a room in Bad Reichenhall... The train ride is only about 20 minutes into Salzburg, where I hear it's difficult to have a car anyway. We're also staying at the Watzman in Berchtesgaden for a night. Are the ice cave and salt mine tours worthwhile, Bob?

Found the salt mine tour entertaining and educational. Worth the time.

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I agree with Joe about the Salt mines, they are educational and fun. It is hard since the tour is doine in German. How many other mines do you get to dress up and go down big wooded slides ? <BR>Hotel wise we stayed in a pension in the new side of the city about a 15 min walk from the center. If you are driving, find a hotel to park the car and forget about it until you got to the salt mines or elsewhere. You will not need the car when you are in the city. IF you like beer, make sure you go to the Augastiner bierhall along the river. Also the tour of the castle is worthwile, a great view of the city and the english tour is pretty good. Try a bosna, a thin sausage on a flat roll, it is a local specialty. <BR>

Kate- You'll find the Watzman is an excellent choice in Berchtesgaden. The staff is excellent. At check-in, the clerk spent a good half hour with a map pointing out where to go and what to see. It was like getting an AAA Triptek done. He even pointed out where to get the best photos on The Rossfeld Road and the best times of day to peer from Germany into Austria and beyond. The breakfasts were fantastic and the rooms were ultra-quiet. <BR> <BR>I agree - don't take your car into Salzburg if you can avoid it. They have the screwiest roads. You can see the Fortress straight ahead of you, but as you drive down the road toward it, it ends up getting further and further away. Parking is pretty bad, although the big underground lot in the mountainside does have pretty many spaces. It's just impossible to get to it. If you can find it (follow signs to Casino) it'll leave you right near all the action - by the Horse Fountain and the Festhall. Have a Bosna for me.