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A few weeks ago my husband and I (and our littlest of course) spent some time in Salzburg. We stayed for exactly 24 hours from arrival ´til departure. 

But first things first. We got the big girls fed and dressed and brought them to Kindergarten and then we packed all of their things and about 20 stuffies and drove those things to my inlaws. Then we headed out to Salzburg.

Our 24 hrs in Salzburg

Check in at our Hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Hyperion, a 5 star hotel at the backside of Castle Mirabell. You have very quick access into the city from there. Just walk through the parc by the castle and cross one bridge and you are downtown Salzburg. We were able to bring up our luggage to our suite cause it was already ready when we arrived. 

After a quick refresh and a diaper change we headed out into the city to start explore. 

Our first stop in the city was lunch. When you enter at the Sternbräu entrance you find yourself in a courtyard. Some would say a food court. There is a Italian restaurant, several Asian restaurants, the Sternbräu and a little Biergarten. We got ourselves some food there. When in Austria you can never go wrong with a Bosna (a special type of sausage). 

Next stop on our list and inevitable when you are on your way to the Festung Hohensalzburg is the Getreidegasse. The main shopping street of Salzburg. They really have everything from Luis Vuitton to H&M and Spar. 

I made a stop at my favorite store – Christmas in Salzburg. It is a huge store full of real Easter eggs that are handpainted. The prices range from 5 to 15 Euro per egg. I got 4 green ones with a ditsy floral paint.

Afterwards we continued our way up the city and again found some things we hadn´t seen before. Wandering around with no clear goal is one of my favorites (only on vacation) cause you can find some real charming places in a city people don´t rave or even know about.

This time around we took the tram up the steep hills of Salzburg. You can get a ticket that includes the entrance of the tram and all of the buildings here. We bought the all-inclusive ticket with furnicular. It gives you access to everything including the prince´s chamber.

After we took the round-trip (we went one after another cause you can not take the stroller with you and I doubt it would be highly interesting for our youngest) we had coffee and the original Salzburger Nockerl (the most famous dessert you can get everywhere, it represents the 3 hills Salzburg is built upon, made of eggwhites and sugar) at the Festungscafé. The view down into the city has been impeccable. 

Now it was time to get back down into the city. Got some pretzels and wandered around through the university area, did some more shopping and headed back to the hotel to freshen up for our dinner reservation. 

We made a reservation for the Asian restaurant Yuan. I had the Chicken Wok Terriyaki. It was insanely good. We went there last year as well. I know the Austrian food is delicious too, there is no need to tell me that but if you have one meal to spare where it doesn´t matter the restaurant I would suggest this place. It is the best Asian food I have ever had.

The next morning we got up early (not by choice !!!) and got ourselves ready to head out to Garden Mirabell. There is a very old and huge magnolia tree and I wanted to take an outfit picture there. 

This was at half past eight and nobody was there. Super timing. Afterwards we headed back to our hotel for breakfast.

We packed up and checked out and went back downtown one last time. Unfortunately it rained the whole time so we looked for dry places and went inside two gorgeous churches. 

This one was called the White Church of Salzburg and you can probably guess why??!!

Next stop – the Dom of Salzburg. While all the other churches are free to visit, the Dom of Salzburg has a entry fee of 5 Euro. It is stunning inside. If you are interested in church concerts you should probably visit their site as they offer quite the different shows.

After that we went back down the Getreidegasse. Our little baby fell asleep and we split up. I went into H&M and my husband went into the Mozart Haus. This is the exact building where Mozart the famous piano player and Wunderchild was born and lived in his early years.

The last stop of this Salzburg trip was Café Sacher. Maybe you have heard of the world´s most famous chocolate cake  – the Sacher Torte. There is a whole business behind it with luxury hotels and cafés all over Austria.

It is a coffee house made of my dreams. Red velvet seating, old pictures from royalty and so much gold details everywhere. Also they offer many different little cakes besides the Sacher cake. I had the Esterhazy cake and it tasted like a giant Giotto. So so so good.

Now it was time to head back home to get our girls and spend the rest of the weekend together.

Two other suggestions I have:

If you are only looking for a quick and filling snack without loosing much time or money over lunch in a restaurant, I´d say go for one of those giant pretzels. We had the pizza pretzel twice and it was really good. You can find these all around Salzburg.

People often like to bring the significant treats back home of the city they visited. Make sure to buy the silver and blue Mozartkugel. This is the real one, the one and only . 

XO Kati

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It has been a while since I have shared our travel content but I always fee like people aren´t really interested in Summer travel in late Fall or Winter. Maybe I am wrong about this and you all start dreaming of warmer weather and being outdoors as soon as it gets cooler. 

Anyways this is only part 2 (I have already posted about our Mallorca stay last month) of 4 outstanding travel posts. These have become my favorite posts to write (besides fashion of course) cause I can share so much with you and give you some tips and recommendations. 

Where we stayed

I always wanted to stay in a Chalet and we finally found one available and it was the cutest ever. I have loved every second in there. We stayed at  Mountain & Lakes Chalet Village. It was a tiny village with 9 chalets. The owner was very nice and looked after us if everything was okay. We would definitely stay there again. The girls also loved it there. 

We had a living room, kitchen and one bedroom on the 1rst floor. The two small girls and I slept downstairs and my husband and our big girl slept upstairs. A very small and high ladder took you upstairs to a big bed and a great view.

Day 1

We headed out at 5 in the morning and almost drove through. Only made one stop cause no one wanted to make a break. It was about 4 hours to our final destination. We stopped at Castle Landskron. A old medival place high upon the hill. They do have all the really cool birds of prey and an awesome bird show as well. You can have some food and coffee and wander around the castle grounds. The most gorgeous views are there to find.

Admission is 17 Euro per Adult and 9 Euro for children. Kids under 6 years are free. You can read everything about it here and everything about the Burg Landskron. There are 3 shows a day so you´ll be definitely able to catch one. Stroller and dogs must be kept away from the tribunes during the show.

Day 2

On our second day we visited the Affenberg. A place full of monkeys. You can walk through with a guide and look at the monkeys in their natural habitat. They play and interact with the other monkeys as well as the guide (but that´s probably only because he has food in his pocket). There is a small playground as well as a little restaurant and you can also buy some souvenirs like stuffed animals – monkeys of course. A really nice experience for toddler as well as grown ups. I mean where can you see monkeys this close!!! 

You can go on guided tours only but there are at least two or three per hour. It is 17 Euro per Adult and 9 Euro for children. Kids under 4 years are free. You can read everything about it here.

Since we checked out the monkeys in the morning we went to town in the afternoon for some coffee and a little ice cream cone. Downtown Villach is very beautiful. Tiny but beautiful. There is one main shopping street with stores and restaurants and cafés and then you have a few sights. 

One of the is the St. Jacobs church. It is beautifully made with terracotta columns and black and white flooring. There is the church tower right next to it with a seperate entrance. If you are not to late in the afternoon (like we were) you can pay a small fee and walk up the stairs and have the most beautiful view of Villach. We got some ice cream, wandered around a little and then headed back to our chalet for the rest of the evening. 

Day 3 

This was by far the worst day. It rained cats and dogs all day long. Initially we had other plans but with 3 little kids there was no way we would spend any time outside in the rain so we went to the Kärnten Therme. A huge indoor swim area with wellness, restaurant and so much more. 

We spent some time in the kids area. The kids pool was really nice. Strollers have been accepted and they offered several changing / toilet areas just for little ones. It was also possible to buy swimming diapers for your baby in case you forgot them. 

But let´s talk about the main attraction – the restaurant. I have never had better food at a swimming pool than there. Maybe it´s because the focus lies on wellness and spa and mind and body??!! I guess that´s it. So delicious, fresh and so much to choose from. Of course the girls stayed true to themselves and had fries and nuggets 😉

My only downside – it is super hot inside. I was so overheated after some hours in there and not even the air conditioning in the restaurant nor the cool water could save me, I was just over it.

Side tip – there is a self-service bake shop outside of the Kärnten Therme which is amazing. The bread was so tasty and the cookies filled with currant jam – marvellous !!!! Don´t skip on that.

Day 4 

Our last day wasn´t as nice either but at least it stopped raining during the night. I have to admit I thought that we would be able to bath outside in the lake or so but it was way too cold at this time of the year.

We headed out and visited Ossiach, a nearby city and name giver of the biggest lake around there – the Ossiacher See. You can take the ferry and go from place to place or you can even go swimming in the lake. It is very clear and so green. Just beautiful. We have wandered around a little and looked for a nice spot to have lunch but we ended up ordering food at L´Osteria like we did two days before cause it was just so convenient with 3 little kids but before that we visited the Family Wald. 

I have been searching up and down for activities when the weather isn´t too good and have found this (there was also a stalactite cave nearby we wanted to visit but the girls have been too young for it). The concept was pretty cool and I wanted to check it out. The whole area was built into the forest with paths to wander around, playgrounds and a super cool treenet area you could wander around and climb up real high into the trees. This was so so cool but you had to be barefoot for this and we got cold pretty quick. The idea is amazing and I really was in awe of how you could transforma little forest into such a nice and interesting place.

You can read all about it here. Admission is 28 Euro for an adult and 16 Euro for a child. Kids 3 and under are free. You can get some drinks and ice-cream at the entrance. The also have a highline which is like a little rollercoaster but this costs an additional 9 Euro and it won´t be available if it´s very wet outside. No strollers allowed inside. It is a short but pretty steep walk from the parking space up to the entrance of the Family Wald. They also offer a Kletter Wald for climbing only with different difficulty levels, but it has to be paid seperate.

Food and Dining

To be honest I can not recommend you much. We went along with the food that was offered at places we visited and we had take-out on 3 nights (2 times from L´Osteria- pizza and salad and once from a restaurant called Racer´s – Ceasar salad and burger and fries) which have been delicous and we didn´t mind. My husband and I could enjoy a meal in peace and the girls ran around the chalet or outside. This was very easy cause we had a full equiped kitchen and a coffee maschine in our chalet. Never would have done this at a hotel.

XO Kati

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This was our families first true beach vacation and also our first flight with the kids so I have been unsure from the start about all of this but I told myself this will be fine, everyone does this and you know what !!! It was amazing!!!! Also preparation is key and you know that this is my forté !!!!

We had truly a great time with very loose schedules and no stress of going somewhere and see all the sights or do all the things. A relaxing six days of sunshine (minus one rainy day) and beach. 

Where is Cala D´Or

Cala D´Or is a small town located in the south east of the island Mallorca. We have stayed at the south end of the town. Mallorca is one of the if not THE most famous island for Germans. Many of them come here several times a year or own a condo or a house and spend the Winter here. Also many of them come here only to party and stay drunk for time they are here. We have avoided this area with all costs. It is only a very small part of Mallorca but it is unfortunately very famous for this.

Mallorca has only one airport right in its capital city Palma. From there you can go in every direction and the distance is almost the same no matter the direction. There are palm trees everywhere and so much greenery plus the cute old houses I love so much – a little crocket and a little ruinous but with so much charme. The ride to your finca or hotel is equally pretty as the stay there.

How to get there 

We took a flight from Munich to Mallorca and it took about 2 hours (little less) to get there. I have booked a private transportation with Mallorca Transfers to get us to our destination cause they offered car seats for every age and I did not want to take these with us.  We definitely had enough luggage (also one piece of luggage got lost but we had a smart tag inside so it could be relocated pretty quick by the Lost and Found and was delivered the next day). Our transport took about 45 minutes. Although they had mixed reviews the service and the transport was amazing. We paid a little over a hundred Euro which was just fine. I booked them online and will again this year cause I think everything was great. Mallorca Private Transfers book here.

Where we stayed 

We stayed at the Ona Village Cala D´Or at a house. We booked a whole 2-storey house with 2 bathrooms and 2 bedrooms and it was amazing. We had so much space and separate rooms and everyone was sleeping so well. There was no chaos and no stress. The resort had mini golf, a playground for small children and a swimming pool included. We ended up at the beach most days but it was nice to have this as an option as well. I loved the house a lot. It was clean and spacey and the perfect home away from home. The kitchen had everything you could possible need. The owner also visited us on the second or third day to make sure we had everything and that there wasn´t a problem.

Where we ate / shopped

– Dining

We stayed near a lot of really cool restaurants, all with different types of foods. I actually wanted to get some things for breakfast so I could make some every morning but we ended up going out for breakfast every morning cause we have found a delicious spot.

The supermarket was just right around the corner so I went there and got snacks and fruit for lunch and the afternoon and for dinner we went out again. So here are some restaurants we ate at and what they offered:

Nevada – Amazing breakfast plates for a unbelievably affordable price. We always took two big plates (pictured below) and two sweet dishes like pancakes or filled croissants and it was enough for our family of five. The girls loved the mushrooms and beans (something I would have never considered) and have been very happy. We went there every morning cause it was close, delicous and super affordable. 

Western Steakhouse – I haven´t had tuna in while but this steak was amazing. Cooked in terryaki sauce it was so soft and tasty. Definitely a recommendation. My husband had a steak and was equally satisfied. The girls of course ate fries and chicken nuggets.

Indian Johns – Indian Cuisine. We really love Indian food and always appreciate a good Indian restaurant. Ate Chicken Tikka Masalla (you can get this everywhere around the globe) and love every bit about it. The girls had just plain chicken and rice and have been super happy. 

Lima & Limon – Crépes, Ice-Cream, Waffles and Frozen Joghurt. On some days we went there twice cause it was just too good, also one of the cutest little ice shops I have ever seen.

Restaurant Beatriz – Steak House & Tapas – I had the lasagna and it was delicious but so unbelievably hot I had to wait until all the other already ate before I could start eating. A very nice restaurant with a beautiful terrace. You can sit comfortably when it is raining or the sun is shining. A lot of space for the stroller too.

– Shopping

Right around the corner of our vacation home was a little promenade with all the restaurants and lots of shops. Most of them have been just souvenir shops with lots of beach supply and the usual fake stuff but you could find really pretty linen dresses there. I have gotten some and they have been super affordable and so beautiful. The girls got some jewelry and key chains. 

There might have been more shops in the center of Cala D´Or but we never looked. It was enough for us (also had pharmacies and supermarkets and shops with great quality leather pieces) and we didn´t come to shop anyways. Although I was very happy they had a ton of a selection cause I got my own luggage on our second day of vacation as it got lost. 

What we did

There wasn´t much around. Everywhere we went was by foot cause we had a booked transport from the airport to our house but we visited the old fort Es Forti one morning. It was about 15 minutes away by foot and showed a very rough coast line. Looked like the whole area had once been under water cause the rocks were all hollowed out. I definitely wanted to go inside the fort, but of course we choose the one day of the week were it was closed. But nevertheless it was a cool location. Little dirty in some corners (why do people have to throw their garbage everywhere) but the view out on the open water was really worth the walk. 

Other than that the beach was all we did and it was amazing – our place was called Calo d´es Pou. About the half was in the shade it also had an area with beach loungers and umbrellas. Coffee and food like fries and sandwiches are available at the beach restaurant (food is definitely pricey there so you either don´t mind our you take some with you).

Starfish Glass Bottom Boat – We did not do this cause the girls are a little too small and I think they wouldn´t last hours on a boat but this would be definitely cool to do some day. I mean everyone loves dolphins am I right!! 

Since we loved the ocean so much we only went to the pool twice, but it would have definitely been a great option cause it was right in front of our house.

The Weather

The weather was amazing. It was warm and sunny every day. We had about 26 to 30 degrees and almost no humidity. There was a thunderstorm on one evening but this didn´t change anything. Definitely very enjoyable at this time of the year. We are heading back in May so we´ll see how the temperatures are then. 

XO Kati