Trip report: Christmastime in Munich and Salzburg!
Jan 4th, 2009, 01:00 PM
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Trip report: Christmastime in Munich and Salzburg!
Hi, everyone! My husband, Ryan, and I have recently returned from a wonderful eight-day trip to Munich and Salzburg, with side trips to Hallstatt and the castles at Füssen. The weather was pretty chilly, but we had a GREAT time. We saw lots of wonderful sites and Christmas markets, learned a lot, and ate so many delicious things. Thanks to all who answered my questions in the weeks before our trip.
So, I typically take meticulous notes throughout our travels, but for some reason this time I didn't take a single note. So the following trip report is completely from memory, but I'll try to include my best guess at prices and other details. (If anyone wants specific price info, just ask - I saved most of our reciepts.)
Our itinerary included two nights in Munich, two nights in Salzburg, and then three nights back in Munich again. We stayed only at Marriotts using points for free nights - and it just so happened that the Renaissance in Salzburg was only available with points for two nights in the middle of our trip, so that determined our itinerary.
On to the trip report!
Dec. 23 - Day 0
We flew direct on Delta from Altanta (our home city) to Munich. Our flight was delayed by about an hour and a half, which had us worried - we were supposed to land in Munich just in time to scurry over to the Christmas markets before they closed at 2 p.m. for the holiday.
Dec. 24 - Day 1
Our flight did land an hour and a half late, but we managed to check in to our hotel, quickly shower, and get over to Marienplatz at noon on the dot. Coming up the subway escalator into Marienplatz on Christmas Eve was quite a sight! The markets were in full swing, people were everywhere, the glockenspiel was going off, and a live band was playing music from the balcony of the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), as well as from the top of the clock tower on the other side of the square. The Christmas spirit was definitely in the air! We were quite hungry, so we had the first of many, many bratwursts here in the middle of the Christmas market. Now, I have to say, here at home I am not much of a fan of sausage, and I downright can't stand sauerkraut. BUT, in Germany, I couldn't get enough of either! Yum.
So, feeling happy after eating our bratwurst sandwiches, we then beelined right over to the glühwein, the ubiquitous Christmas mulled wine. The wine is served hot in a mug - you pay about 2 euros, but then you get a euro back when you turn your mug back in. With mulled wine in hand, we wandered through the market and bought a few ornaments.
Next , we headed down the street to the Viktualienmarkt. One of our favorite things to do in Europe is visit the markets, and this one did not disappoint - although it was pretty quiet at this time, since it was Christmas Eve. We had heard that pretty much everything would shut down around 2 p.m., and we found this to be true. We were a bit worried about finding a place open for dinner this night, so we got some bread, cheese, and sliced meat at the market to take back to our hotel, just in case.
Next, we headed back to our hotel - the Courtyard Marriott, located near the Hauptbahnhof (main train station). We found this to be a great hotel - friendly staff, nice rooms, and a GREAT breakfast buffet. Being located near the main train station was really convenient, especially since we used the regional trains a lot. After dropping off our food in our room, we decided to go for a stroll around the train station. We headed north, toward the art museums, and just aimlessly walked. It was very quiet by now, and the only people we saw were those who were heading to church. We were also exhausted by now - neither of us ever sleep well on red-eye flights, so we're always like walking zombies on that first day.
Heading back to the hotel, we passed several doner kebab shops and decided to get two sandwiches to have for dinner along with the stuff we bought at the market. We visited Turkey last year and LOVE Turkish food, so we were very happy with our dinner. The area between the Hauptbahnhof and the Courtyard is clearly heavily populated with Turks, and it looked like all of the Turkish shops and restaurants were open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Back in our hotel, we ate our food and could hardly keep our eyes open. But, it was only about 5 p.m., and we decided to head down to the hotel bar just to delay sleepy time as long as possible! Here we had our first taste of German beer (well, obviously we have it at home whenever we want, but it just seems more special when you are actually in Germany!). After one beer, it was definitley time to call it a day. We were happily asleep by 6:30 p.m.
Tomorrow: Christmas Day at Dachau and around Munich
So, I typically take meticulous notes throughout our travels, but for some reason this time I didn't take a single note. So the following trip report is completely from memory, but I'll try to include my best guess at prices and other details. (If anyone wants specific price info, just ask - I saved most of our reciepts.)
Our itinerary included two nights in Munich, two nights in Salzburg, and then three nights back in Munich again. We stayed only at Marriotts using points for free nights - and it just so happened that the Renaissance in Salzburg was only available with points for two nights in the middle of our trip, so that determined our itinerary.
On to the trip report!
Dec. 23 - Day 0
We flew direct on Delta from Altanta (our home city) to Munich. Our flight was delayed by about an hour and a half, which had us worried - we were supposed to land in Munich just in time to scurry over to the Christmas markets before they closed at 2 p.m. for the holiday.
Dec. 24 - Day 1
Our flight did land an hour and a half late, but we managed to check in to our hotel, quickly shower, and get over to Marienplatz at noon on the dot. Coming up the subway escalator into Marienplatz on Christmas Eve was quite a sight! The markets were in full swing, people were everywhere, the glockenspiel was going off, and a live band was playing music from the balcony of the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), as well as from the top of the clock tower on the other side of the square. The Christmas spirit was definitely in the air! We were quite hungry, so we had the first of many, many bratwursts here in the middle of the Christmas market. Now, I have to say, here at home I am not much of a fan of sausage, and I downright can't stand sauerkraut. BUT, in Germany, I couldn't get enough of either! Yum.
So, feeling happy after eating our bratwurst sandwiches, we then beelined right over to the glühwein, the ubiquitous Christmas mulled wine. The wine is served hot in a mug - you pay about 2 euros, but then you get a euro back when you turn your mug back in. With mulled wine in hand, we wandered through the market and bought a few ornaments.
Next , we headed down the street to the Viktualienmarkt. One of our favorite things to do in Europe is visit the markets, and this one did not disappoint - although it was pretty quiet at this time, since it was Christmas Eve. We had heard that pretty much everything would shut down around 2 p.m., and we found this to be true. We were a bit worried about finding a place open for dinner this night, so we got some bread, cheese, and sliced meat at the market to take back to our hotel, just in case.
Next, we headed back to our hotel - the Courtyard Marriott, located near the Hauptbahnhof (main train station). We found this to be a great hotel - friendly staff, nice rooms, and a GREAT breakfast buffet. Being located near the main train station was really convenient, especially since we used the regional trains a lot. After dropping off our food in our room, we decided to go for a stroll around the train station. We headed north, toward the art museums, and just aimlessly walked. It was very quiet by now, and the only people we saw were those who were heading to church. We were also exhausted by now - neither of us ever sleep well on red-eye flights, so we're always like walking zombies on that first day.
Heading back to the hotel, we passed several doner kebab shops and decided to get two sandwiches to have for dinner along with the stuff we bought at the market. We visited Turkey last year and LOVE Turkish food, so we were very happy with our dinner. The area between the Hauptbahnhof and the Courtyard is clearly heavily populated with Turks, and it looked like all of the Turkish shops and restaurants were open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Back in our hotel, we ate our food and could hardly keep our eyes open. But, it was only about 5 p.m., and we decided to head down to the hotel bar just to delay sleepy time as long as possible! Here we had our first taste of German beer (well, obviously we have it at home whenever we want, but it just seems more special when you are actually in Germany!). After one beer, it was definitley time to call it a day. We were happily asleep by 6:30 p.m.
Tomorrow: Christmas Day at Dachau and around Munich
Jan 4th, 2009, 02:46 PM
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Keep it coming Meridith. We have spent several Christmasses in Munich and have stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott. Your report is bringing me back. Matter of fact we ended up picking up food from the shops at the train station on the way back to the room several times.
Jan 4th, 2009, 07:15 PM
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This is great Meredith! I've spent two Christmasses in Germany, and have taken two other winter trips there, including one this year from Dec 11 to 21! I look forward to reading the rest of your report (I'll be writing one - I hope - eventually!) Atlanta is our home city also.
Nancy
Nancy
Jan 4th, 2009, 07:18 PM
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Oops, I meant to say that most of those winter trips were to both Austria and Germany. On this year's journey I kept to only to the northern half of Germany. Different from Bavaria and Austria, but still fantastic at the markets and towns.
Nancy
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Jan 5th, 2009, 09:11 AM
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My husband and I are recently back from a very simialr trip. 6 nights in Salzburg, one in Vienna and three in Munich.
It was wonderful and I have already booked flights for next year.
Enjoying your report
and it is bringing back memories!
It was wonderful and I have already booked flights for next year.
Enjoying your report
and it is bringing back memories!
Jan 5th, 2009, 04:42 PM
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Thanks for all of the comments!! I will resume writing our trip report tomorrow, I promise.
Judy - yes, I figured you'd be reading! Have you finalized your itinerary yet?
Nancy, I hope you do post a trip report. I'd love to read about Christmas in northern Germany!
Judy - yes, I figured you'd be reading! Have you finalized your itinerary yet?
Nancy, I hope you do post a trip report. I'd love to read about Christmas in northern Germany!
Jan 6th, 2009, 02:02 PM
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Dec. 25 - Day 2
Just about every museum and shop is closed on Christmas Day, but I read here on Fodor's that Dachau would be open. Since we had gone to bed so early the night before, we got a good 12 hours of sleep and were still first in line for breakfast at 6:30 that morning. I already mentioned above that the breakfast buffet at the Courtyard was awesome. After having a very leisurely breakfast and taking our time getting to Dachau, we arrived shortly after the 9 a.m. opening time. Getting to Dachau is simple - it's about a 20-minute train ride and then another 10 minutes or so on a bus, which stops right at the entrance to the former concentration camp.
The weather this day was dreary, cold, bleak - perfect for the mood, really. Dachau does not run any tours on Christmas, so we opted for the 3 euro audio guides. We started off by crossing through the ominous gate that reads "Work makes you free," and then wandered down to the far side of the camp where the gas chamber and crematorium still stand. Although the gas chamber here was never used for mass murder, it's still intensely creepy. You can't help but look around and wonder about all the souls who came through this building - both the good ones and the bad ones.
The center of the camp is where the barracks once stood. Now, there are empty plots marking the foundations of these buildings, and two of the barracks were reconstructed to show how the prisoners lived in them. One of these barracks has a series of three rooms with bunk beds and living space - the arrangement of the furniture gets more crowded and more cramped as you walk through the three rooms to show how more and more prisoners were crammed into one living space as the camp grew.
By the time we finished exploring the outdoor areas of the camp, it was just about time for a showing of the museum's movie in English at 11 a.m. There are two other English showings later in the day, but I don't remember the times off the top of my head. The movie was excellent - I would definitely recommend that anyone visiting Dachau make a point of seeing it.
Next, we walked through the museum, which I found to be quite impressive. There is SO much information to read, and I especially appreciated the personal stories it shared of Dachau prisoners. The stories about human experiments performed on prisoners were just sickening. Finally, we walked through the bunker on the other side of the building housing the museum - this is where special prisoners were kept. It's essentially a loooooong, dark hallway with small prison cells on either side. Very creepy.
I think this goes without saying, but visiting Dachau was a sobering experience. I think everyone should visit a concentration camp at least once. We've all heard all of the horrible stories, but standing in one of the places where it happened is something I'll never forget.
I had originally thought we'd be at Dachau for a couple of hours, but we actually spent about five hours there (and that's with skimming over a lot of the museum's info when we realized we were getting hungry for lunch). So, we headed back into Munich, got off the train at Marienplatz, and began to wander the streets to the north of the square. We knew from research that the Hofbräuhaus would be open on Christmas, so we decided to pop in for some food and beer. It was getting into the late afternoon by now, so rather than eat a huge meal, we just split an order of a pretzel, some pork sausages, and sauerkraut. I was a little skeptical about the food here because I've read a whole range of reviews about it - but, I gotta say, we loved the food! We also ordered a round of beers (a big manly liter serving for Ryan and a wimpy half-liter for me). The atmosphere with the oompah band playing and lots of people (mostly tourists) drinking was lots of fun. We wondered what it's like there during Oktoberfest or the height of the tourist season - I imagine we'd probably not find the place too enjoyable at those times, but we had a nice afternoon there on Christmas Day.
Leaving the Hofbräuhaus, we strolled around the area surrounding Marienplatz for a bit. By now, dusk was coming on, along with snow flurries! Many, many people and families were out for a walk, and most of them were congregating around the window displays of a particular department store right on the square. The store had all of these adorable Christmas displays, with all kinds of cute stuffed animals moving and spinning about. It was very cute, especially with all of the wide-eyed children standing with their noses pressed to the glass.
Next we headed to the Frauenkirche, the twin onion-domed cathedral that you always see in pictures of Munich. I had promised my mom that I would visit a church on Christmas Day, and that old Catholic guilt got to me.
After heading back to the hotel to clean up, warm up, and rest for a bit, we eventually ventured back out into the snow for Christmas dinner. Prior to our trip, I posted here asking about recommendations for Christmas dinner. Thinking most restaurants would be closed, we had planned on making a reservation somewhere fancy. Well, we couldn't decide where we wanted to eat, so we never did make a reservation and decided we would just wing it. I'm glad, because neither of us were in the mood this night for a fancy dinner. Instead, we went to Paulaner im Tal, which we had scoped out earlier in the day. Frankly, this was the most disappointing meal of our trip. Ryan had a roasted pork dish, and I had the tafelspitz (a boiled beef dish). The food was just average, and the service wasn't good. It wasn't awful, but everywhere else we ate on this trip was sooo much better.
Tomorrow: Salzburg!
Just about every museum and shop is closed on Christmas Day, but I read here on Fodor's that Dachau would be open. Since we had gone to bed so early the night before, we got a good 12 hours of sleep and were still first in line for breakfast at 6:30 that morning. I already mentioned above that the breakfast buffet at the Courtyard was awesome. After having a very leisurely breakfast and taking our time getting to Dachau, we arrived shortly after the 9 a.m. opening time. Getting to Dachau is simple - it's about a 20-minute train ride and then another 10 minutes or so on a bus, which stops right at the entrance to the former concentration camp.
The weather this day was dreary, cold, bleak - perfect for the mood, really. Dachau does not run any tours on Christmas, so we opted for the 3 euro audio guides. We started off by crossing through the ominous gate that reads "Work makes you free," and then wandered down to the far side of the camp where the gas chamber and crematorium still stand. Although the gas chamber here was never used for mass murder, it's still intensely creepy. You can't help but look around and wonder about all the souls who came through this building - both the good ones and the bad ones.
The center of the camp is where the barracks once stood. Now, there are empty plots marking the foundations of these buildings, and two of the barracks were reconstructed to show how the prisoners lived in them. One of these barracks has a series of three rooms with bunk beds and living space - the arrangement of the furniture gets more crowded and more cramped as you walk through the three rooms to show how more and more prisoners were crammed into one living space as the camp grew.
By the time we finished exploring the outdoor areas of the camp, it was just about time for a showing of the museum's movie in English at 11 a.m. There are two other English showings later in the day, but I don't remember the times off the top of my head. The movie was excellent - I would definitely recommend that anyone visiting Dachau make a point of seeing it.
Next, we walked through the museum, which I found to be quite impressive. There is SO much information to read, and I especially appreciated the personal stories it shared of Dachau prisoners. The stories about human experiments performed on prisoners were just sickening. Finally, we walked through the bunker on the other side of the building housing the museum - this is where special prisoners were kept. It's essentially a loooooong, dark hallway with small prison cells on either side. Very creepy.
I think this goes without saying, but visiting Dachau was a sobering experience. I think everyone should visit a concentration camp at least once. We've all heard all of the horrible stories, but standing in one of the places where it happened is something I'll never forget.
I had originally thought we'd be at Dachau for a couple of hours, but we actually spent about five hours there (and that's with skimming over a lot of the museum's info when we realized we were getting hungry for lunch). So, we headed back into Munich, got off the train at Marienplatz, and began to wander the streets to the north of the square. We knew from research that the Hofbräuhaus would be open on Christmas, so we decided to pop in for some food and beer. It was getting into the late afternoon by now, so rather than eat a huge meal, we just split an order of a pretzel, some pork sausages, and sauerkraut. I was a little skeptical about the food here because I've read a whole range of reviews about it - but, I gotta say, we loved the food! We also ordered a round of beers (a big manly liter serving for Ryan and a wimpy half-liter for me). The atmosphere with the oompah band playing and lots of people (mostly tourists) drinking was lots of fun. We wondered what it's like there during Oktoberfest or the height of the tourist season - I imagine we'd probably not find the place too enjoyable at those times, but we had a nice afternoon there on Christmas Day.
Leaving the Hofbräuhaus, we strolled around the area surrounding Marienplatz for a bit. By now, dusk was coming on, along with snow flurries! Many, many people and families were out for a walk, and most of them were congregating around the window displays of a particular department store right on the square. The store had all of these adorable Christmas displays, with all kinds of cute stuffed animals moving and spinning about. It was very cute, especially with all of the wide-eyed children standing with their noses pressed to the glass.
Next we headed to the Frauenkirche, the twin onion-domed cathedral that you always see in pictures of Munich. I had promised my mom that I would visit a church on Christmas Day, and that old Catholic guilt got to me.
After heading back to the hotel to clean up, warm up, and rest for a bit, we eventually ventured back out into the snow for Christmas dinner. Prior to our trip, I posted here asking about recommendations for Christmas dinner. Thinking most restaurants would be closed, we had planned on making a reservation somewhere fancy. Well, we couldn't decide where we wanted to eat, so we never did make a reservation and decided we would just wing it. I'm glad, because neither of us were in the mood this night for a fancy dinner. Instead, we went to Paulaner im Tal, which we had scoped out earlier in the day. Frankly, this was the most disappointing meal of our trip. Ryan had a roasted pork dish, and I had the tafelspitz (a boiled beef dish). The food was just average, and the service wasn't good. It wasn't awful, but everywhere else we ate on this trip was sooo much better.
Tomorrow: Salzburg!
Jan 6th, 2009, 02:05 PM
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Oh, and our worries about finding a place to eat on Christmas were unfounded. While Christmas Eve was very quiet, Christmas Day was lively. It looked like most restaurants were open.
Jan 6th, 2009, 02:30 PM
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Enjoying your report--and to think you're doing this from memory. Wow. I have to take notes and sometimes have to look back over my pictures even to write my notes. You have a remarkable memory. And you write a fine report. Glad you enjoyed your trip.
Jan 7th, 2009, 04:44 AM
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I'm so glad that you posted your trip report. Ironically enough, just the other day I happened to mention to my husband that I would like to spend Christmas in Germany for a change (I'm getting tired of the rush here, rush there scenario).
We were concerned about where we would eat, so I was glad that you posted about the Hofbräuhaus being open.
I'm looking forward to your next installment.
Robyn>-
We were concerned about where we would eat, so I was glad that you posted about the Hofbräuhaus being open.
I'm looking forward to your next installment.
Robyn
>-
Jan 7th, 2009, 09:11 AM
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I am enjoying your report! I've been to Munich twice - once during Oktoberfest and the other just before Christmas.
My husband and I really like the Hofbrauhaus despite the negative reviews it gets. Our first meal there was during Oktoberfest and the place was packed but we found a spot out on the patio. We had a great lunch and I still think about those mashed potatoes! (Of course the beer wasn't too shabby either!)
My husband and I really like the Hofbrauhaus despite the negative reviews it gets. Our first meal there was during Oktoberfest and the place was packed but we found a spot out on the patio. We had a great lunch and I still think about those mashed potatoes! (Of course the beer wasn't too shabby either!)
Jan 7th, 2009, 01:49 PM
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Wonderful trip report and I love your writing/reporting style. We are doing a trip into Munich in Sept 2010, but your report has made me miss Germany so much that I just emailed my wife asking if she wants to go in May of this year. I'm glad to hear you are using the Marriott Rewards program. I've worked for Marriott for 7 years and I think its a great hotel and a great company.
Jan 8th, 2009, 05:19 PM
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Day 3
After enjoying the Courtyard buffet breakfast and packing up our bags, we checked out of the hotel and headed to the train station to go to Salzburg! The Bayern ticket is a great deal for anyone traveling on regional trains in Bavaria - for 28 euros, up to five people can travel all day long on one ticket. IC and EC trains are not eligible for this deal, but just about every other train and bus is, including those going to Salzburg. Because this was Boxing Day, we could leave as early as we wanted. (On weekdays, you can't use the Bayern ticket until 9 a.m. On weekends and holidays, it's good all day.)
The train ride was relaxing, beautiful, and lasted about two hours. (We could have traveled a bit faster on an express train, but we opted to save money with the Bayern ticket.) Arriving in Salzburg, it was just a short walk to our next hotel - the Renaissance. We didn't really care for this hotel, but free is free, right? The hotel is geared toward huge tour groups, and there were at least three of them there during our stay. There were always big crowds of people milling about the lobby and hassling the front desk staff. Also, the location of the hotel - right near the train station - isn't ideal. It's about a one-mile walk into the center of the city. We knew this ahead of time and don't mind walking, so it wasn't a big deal to us. But I could see how others would not like this location.
I wouldn't choose to stay at the Renaissance if I had to pay. On the bright side, though, they did upgrade us to a junior suite - yay!
Anyway, we couldn't check in right away, so we grabbed a few extra layers out of our bags (it was COLD this day) and headed out to explore. We made our way down to the Old Town and onto Getreidegasse (the popular pedestrian/shopping street) in search of lunch. We had hoped to try Bosna Grill, but sadly it was closed for Boxing Day. We noticed a few other places closed, including a schnapps store I wanted to visit, but the majority of places were open. And this pedestrian lane, with the lovely iron signs hanging above each shop front, was teeming with people. By now we were starving, so we opted for Nordsee, a chain seafood shop that enticed us with its mouth-watering window displays. We each had a simple sandwich - fish for Ryan, shrimp for me - and it was delicious and very satisfying. We saw Nordsees throughout Salzburg and Munich, so I assume it's a popular chain.
Now the Christmas markets were calling our name! We headed up to Mozartplatz and the series of squares that connect to it - each had a thriving market, with loads of people eating treats and drinking glühwein. We got a respite from the cold in the Salzburg Cathedral (with gorgeous ceiling art and an interesting crypt down below) and then proceeded to follow Rick Steves' walking tour of the Old Town. We've decided that we don't like to use Rick Steves to plan our trips, but inevitably we find ourselves using his books more than any other when we are actually on our trips. His self-guided walking tours always offer little nuggets of information that we wouldn't know otherwise.
By the time we finished walking through the Old Town, the sun had dipped behind the surrounding Alps, and it got REALLY cold. I actually had to put on a pair of thick wooly mittens over my regular warm gloves. This was clearly a sign that we should find a cafe for coffee and a snack. We chose the Cafe Bazaar just on the other side of the river and happily sipped on espressos and devoured our apple streudel.
With caffeine and sugar pumping through our veins and keeping us warm, we decided to visit the imposing fortress that keeps a watchful eye over the city's Baroque skyline. We took the funicular up to the top and spent about two hours wandering the grounds of Hohensalzburg Fortress and exploring its museums.
Back down on the ground, we wandered back through the Christmas markets one more time because the hot alcoholic beverages were calling our name! Instead of glühwein, we tried something that I actually liked even better - orangen punsch! I probably have the name slightly wrong, but it was hot orange punch, made of orange schnapps (I think) and I'm not sure what else. Whatever it was, it totally hit the spot and warmed my belly!
Now, back to the hotel to relax, shower, and choose a dinner spot. We decided on a place called Kuglhof, recommended in our Fodor's book. Kuglhof is about a 10-minute cab ride from the city center - definitely not walkable, but totally worth an inexpensive cab fare. We loved this place! It wasn't very crowded (thankfully, because we needed a lot of menu help from our waitress), but I think we were the only tourists there. Our waitress was so great - she spoke English fluently and was more than happy to help us translate the menu. I had printed out a menu translator at home, but it was useless. But our waitress was so friendly that she just sat herself down at our table and proceeded to tell us all about the food and Austrian specialties - she was so great! On her recommendation, we tried some unusual dishes that we would have never tried otherwise. I started with a fish mousse - delicious and tasted just like white fish salad. Ryan had a very, uh, strange appetizer... I don't have a clue what it's called, but I'd describe it as a jellied meat casserole. It actually tasted just fine, but I couldn't get past the texture. Ryan was a trooper and ate almost all three slices, but we didn't have the heart to tell our waitress that we weren't crazy about it since she recommended it so enthusiastically! Our meal also included a pretzel, a pork dish for me, a beef dish for Ryan, a fabulous apple pancake dessert, and an Austrian Junker wine. I LOVED the wine (also enthusiastically recommended by the waitress) and want to see if I can find anything like it for sale here at home. Overall, our dinner was in the 60 euro range, and everything was fabulous (um, except for that jellied meat thing). If you are looking to get away from the crowds of tourists, I would definitely recommend this restaurant.
Tomorrow: Hallstatt!
After enjoying the Courtyard buffet breakfast and packing up our bags, we checked out of the hotel and headed to the train station to go to Salzburg! The Bayern ticket is a great deal for anyone traveling on regional trains in Bavaria - for 28 euros, up to five people can travel all day long on one ticket. IC and EC trains are not eligible for this deal, but just about every other train and bus is, including those going to Salzburg. Because this was Boxing Day, we could leave as early as we wanted. (On weekdays, you can't use the Bayern ticket until 9 a.m. On weekends and holidays, it's good all day.)
The train ride was relaxing, beautiful, and lasted about two hours. (We could have traveled a bit faster on an express train, but we opted to save money with the Bayern ticket.) Arriving in Salzburg, it was just a short walk to our next hotel - the Renaissance. We didn't really care for this hotel, but free is free, right? The hotel is geared toward huge tour groups, and there were at least three of them there during our stay. There were always big crowds of people milling about the lobby and hassling the front desk staff. Also, the location of the hotel - right near the train station - isn't ideal. It's about a one-mile walk into the center of the city. We knew this ahead of time and don't mind walking, so it wasn't a big deal to us. But I could see how others would not like this location.
I wouldn't choose to stay at the Renaissance if I had to pay. On the bright side, though, they did upgrade us to a junior suite - yay!
Anyway, we couldn't check in right away, so we grabbed a few extra layers out of our bags (it was COLD this day) and headed out to explore. We made our way down to the Old Town and onto Getreidegasse (the popular pedestrian/shopping street) in search of lunch. We had hoped to try Bosna Grill, but sadly it was closed for Boxing Day. We noticed a few other places closed, including a schnapps store I wanted to visit, but the majority of places were open. And this pedestrian lane, with the lovely iron signs hanging above each shop front, was teeming with people. By now we were starving, so we opted for Nordsee, a chain seafood shop that enticed us with its mouth-watering window displays. We each had a simple sandwich - fish for Ryan, shrimp for me - and it was delicious and very satisfying. We saw Nordsees throughout Salzburg and Munich, so I assume it's a popular chain.
Now the Christmas markets were calling our name! We headed up to Mozartplatz and the series of squares that connect to it - each had a thriving market, with loads of people eating treats and drinking glühwein. We got a respite from the cold in the Salzburg Cathedral (with gorgeous ceiling art and an interesting crypt down below) and then proceeded to follow Rick Steves' walking tour of the Old Town. We've decided that we don't like to use Rick Steves to plan our trips, but inevitably we find ourselves using his books more than any other when we are actually on our trips. His self-guided walking tours always offer little nuggets of information that we wouldn't know otherwise.
By the time we finished walking through the Old Town, the sun had dipped behind the surrounding Alps, and it got REALLY cold. I actually had to put on a pair of thick wooly mittens over my regular warm gloves. This was clearly a sign that we should find a cafe for coffee and a snack. We chose the Cafe Bazaar just on the other side of the river and happily sipped on espressos and devoured our apple streudel.
With caffeine and sugar pumping through our veins and keeping us warm, we decided to visit the imposing fortress that keeps a watchful eye over the city's Baroque skyline. We took the funicular up to the top and spent about two hours wandering the grounds of Hohensalzburg Fortress and exploring its museums.
Back down on the ground, we wandered back through the Christmas markets one more time because the hot alcoholic beverages were calling our name! Instead of glühwein, we tried something that I actually liked even better - orangen punsch! I probably have the name slightly wrong, but it was hot orange punch, made of orange schnapps (I think) and I'm not sure what else. Whatever it was, it totally hit the spot and warmed my belly!
Now, back to the hotel to relax, shower, and choose a dinner spot. We decided on a place called Kuglhof, recommended in our Fodor's book. Kuglhof is about a 10-minute cab ride from the city center - definitely not walkable, but totally worth an inexpensive cab fare. We loved this place! It wasn't very crowded (thankfully, because we needed a lot of menu help from our waitress), but I think we were the only tourists there. Our waitress was so great - she spoke English fluently and was more than happy to help us translate the menu. I had printed out a menu translator at home, but it was useless. But our waitress was so friendly that she just sat herself down at our table and proceeded to tell us all about the food and Austrian specialties - she was so great! On her recommendation, we tried some unusual dishes that we would have never tried otherwise. I started with a fish mousse - delicious and tasted just like white fish salad. Ryan had a very, uh, strange appetizer... I don't have a clue what it's called, but I'd describe it as a jellied meat casserole. It actually tasted just fine, but I couldn't get past the texture. Ryan was a trooper and ate almost all three slices, but we didn't have the heart to tell our waitress that we weren't crazy about it since she recommended it so enthusiastically! Our meal also included a pretzel, a pork dish for me, a beef dish for Ryan, a fabulous apple pancake dessert, and an Austrian Junker wine. I LOVED the wine (also enthusiastically recommended by the waitress) and want to see if I can find anything like it for sale here at home. Overall, our dinner was in the 60 euro range, and everything was fabulous (um, except for that jellied meat thing).
If you are looking to get away from the crowds of tourists, I would definitely recommend this restaurant.Tomorrow: Hallstatt!
