Travel

3 Day Salzburg Itinerary…

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A few weeks ago we spent the weekend in the Austrian city Salzburg. It is know for the famous piano player and wunderkind Mozart as well as many cultural landmarks and castles. I have planned this whole trip for my MIL´s birthday present. She turned 60 in Feburary and we decided to gift her a carefree weekend in a cute little city with a fully planned itinerary. She got tickets, vouchers and gift gards for sights and activities as well as restaurants. 

We all (my husbands siblings and their partners as well as our little family) decided to surprise her on the first evening and went to Salzburg as well, so today I am sharing you some insight on our trip and our whole weekend plan.

It was in the first week of April when we visited and everything was in full bloom. The magnolia trees have been magnificent and almost around every corner has been a very old and huge one. Very beautiful.

 

3 Day Salzburg Itinerary

Day 1

Zoo Hellbrunn

This is a really nice zoo. It is very clean and I loved that the monkeys are free to move so you can find them at any place at any given time. Their are several playgrounds and play areas as well as a restaurant. Zoo Hellbrunn is definitley one of the scenic ones. You can find snowy mountains in every direction you are looking. My favorite animals have been the leopards, flamingos and otters. You can buy your tickets here or at the entrance.

Fortress Hohensalzburg

I have gotten tickets for my inlaws and they went and toured all the buildings plus got up with the gondola ride (we decided to skip this cause with a double stroller it is not recommended, there isn´t enough space but if you have a single stroller with you I think you are totally fine).

The fortress is one of the main attractions of the downtown Salzburg area. It almost a thousand years old and sits up high on one of the hills that surround the city. You can read more about it here and get your tickets as well. When we first visited 9 years ago without children we went up by foot. It is possible but very steep. 

Check-In to our Hotel

The City Hotel Meininger – great for bigger families cause you can book rooms for up to 6 children plus 2 adults.

Dinner at The Sternbräu

Traditional Austrian kitchen. We all ordered different meals and everyone loved it. Also very affordable dinner prices for the area and type of restaurant. Stay clear of the hard liquors and your check will stay low too. Look at the menu and order your table here. They have also been very kid friendly. The girls got pens and some paper to draw right away.

 

And this has been our first day of exploring Salzburg. We like to keep our first day as low key as possible no matter how long the drive has been, cause it is still a new area to get used too and we have to unpack, find a parking spot and mostly some snacks too and unpack a little. 

 

Day 2

Castle Mirabelle 

Castle Mirabell had one of the prettiest gardens I have seen. The huge magnolias trees are so pretty and all the other flowers and fountains. It is free to enter and open from Mondays to Fridays. Located about 5 minutes away from the city centre. You can enter for free and wander around. The castle has a huge marble hall where you can get married as well.

 

Ship cruise on the Salzach 

I personally love to take a cruise in a city I have never been to. It is the perfect way to relax and take a break from running around and also gathering facts and sight of building and history you would´ve never noticed from the shore or way up high. If it is possible I can guarantee you, you´ll find me on a boat. Unfortunately this time the water levels have been so low we could only do half of the tour. Nevertheless it was a great way to rest and gather some strength for the rest of the day. We booked the premium tickets which means you get a front seat and a free drink. They had a childrens area with a steering wheel. Our double stroller fit perfectly in the entrance area. There are steps down to the boat so you will definitely need someone to help you carry down the stroller. You can book your river cruise here. We booked the 40 minute route. This would also be a nice bad weather activity in case it rains.

 

Famous Salzburger Nockerl enjoyed at Café Mozart

The typical dish to eat when you are in Salzburg are the „Salzburger Nockerl“. It is made of egg whites and very fluffy. Served with raspberry sauce. The three Salzburger Nockerl are a symbol of the three hills around the city.

 

 

The Getreidegasse

The Getreidegasse is the most famous and also the biggest street in Salzburg. It is located right in the centre of Salzburg. You can shop and find restaurants here as well as cute little hotels. 

 

Christmas in Salzburg might be one of the most iconic stores  have ever been too. It has been 20 years since the first time I went in there (back in the days with my parents) and I have never forgotten about it, ever. This store sells easter eggs (real fragile eggs, but empty) painted with the most beautiful patterns or picutures. The eggs are suitable for every season or holiday so make sure to wander around a little and let it sit. They are fairly expensive but the more complex the print is the more it costs. They are all hand painted.

 

Mozart´s Birth Place

This bright yellow house located in the Getreidegasse is the Wunderkind Mozart´s birth house. You can find lots of information about his life, his music and much more in the house. It is not barrier-free so you can not enter with a stroller or wheelchair and has several storeys to explore. Buy your tickets here.

 

Dinner at Yuen

Dinner at the best Asian place we have ever been – I had the Terryaki Wok Chicken and it was the best Asian dish I have ever eaten. 

 

Day 3

Hellbrunn Castle

A cute little castle on the outskirts of Salzburg. It has a big garden you can tour with a guide as well as the first water powered moving pictures and music systems.

 

 

You will find tons of stores and all sell the red and black Mozart chocolate balls, but there are only two shops which will sell the blue and silver ones. These are the first and original Mozart chocolate balls. Don´t be fooled by the others.

 

Our hotel was called Meininger and it was located in Schallmoos a better part of Salzburg city. Since we where located about 2 km outside of the city centre and we had a huge stroller and one toddler who had to walk, we decided to take the bus in and out of the city centre and it was a great decision. The bus system is fairly easy and you can buy tickets for a day or several days (depends on the lenght of your stay). The busses come abou every 10 to 15 minutes no matter the day. It is easy to get in with a double stroller, cause the end of the busses are all dedicated for strollers and bikes. 

 

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Travel

How to plan a city trip….

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Booking a city trip is connected to a lot more work and arrangements than an all-inclusive stay at a gorgeous hotel. First of all you need to pick a place you want to visit and a time frame. Then you have to find a way to get there and also transport from the airport / train station to your destination.

For our trip to Vienna we went by car cause it is only about 4 hours away from our home and way easier. Before passing the border you need to get a vignette to be allowed to use the foreign streets but that´s about it. Always check the local customs first like how fast you are allowed to go and so on. 

Accomodations

Booking an accomodation isn´t also always that easy. Do you want to stay at a hotel with breakfast or do you take an AirBnB and do the grocery shopping all by yourself. 

We went with a hotel for ourselves cause with the girls staying and their grandma´s I didn´t want to have anything to do with any kind of meal prep so hotel with breakfast it was. It was a little outside of the main sights and I probably would not pick it again. The hotel itself was fine but in a very questionable neighborhood. Do your background check on city parts before you book anything. 

Transport

If you visit by car you have to find a hotel with a garage or a parking spot and if you are there by train or plane you need to find some kind of transportation to your hotel. Vienna has a metro and a tram so it is fairly easy to get around. You just need to study the plans a little and make yourself familiar with the routes you need. There are sights everywhere and mostly each sight has its own exit. You can also rent bikes or socooter via app to get around. I definitely would have rented a scooter if I wasn´t this pregnant. It is the fastest way to get around. 

We had a parking garage near our hotel and we took the tram on our second day to get out exploring. Navigating the tram was pretty easy and we mostly only sat about 5 to 10 minutes. A daily ticket costs 8 Euro and you can use it for 24 hours. We booked it online and payed via PayPal.

Sights / Guided Tours

You can pick some sights upfront you definitely want to visit and get lower ticket prices if you book online in advance. Of course there will always be some things on the way you want to squeeze in cause you find it interesting when you are there. We visited the museums quarter and there are plenty of things to see without paying any entrance. There is a wonderful garden between the national history and art museum where you can rest. On the backside is the justice building you can visit for free as well. Definitely worth a visit. Never have I seen such an abundance on beautiful and decadent huge buildings like in Vienna.

We visited the building of justice on our first day and had lunch on their panorama terrace. I would definitely recommend to get up high somewhere so you can have an idea on where you are and how far away everything is. You will also find interesting buildings you haven´t seen before and maybe a few more sights you definitely want to visit.

Afer that we went on a guided tour and then had some time left and explored the beautiful gardens and buildings in the museums quarter and also got a New York Roll filled with pistacchio. Then we headed a little outside and went to the very hyped Rollercoaster restaurant for dinner on the Prater area. 

On our second day we took the tram and headed out to city hall. From there we went to the Hofburg and then strolled around Volksgarten. All three of those are for free to visit. Then we went to the National History Museum and had a famous Bosna sausage in a bread as a late lunch. Then we headed back to our hotel and took a long nap cause it was so so hot on that that and just enough walking for me. Afer that we headed to a nearby Indian restaurant. Food was very good. The streets a little sketchy and the restaurant definitely needed an update. 

The third day was mostly dedicated to gettting back home to our girls but we visited the Prater in the morning and took a ride on their famous ferry wheel. It was very nice in terms of views but super hot and I sweat so much it was really embarassing. 

As far as it goes for guided tours I would definitely book these upfront and build your day around them. 

We booked a guided tour into the underground of Vienna and while I was thinking about if we should really go tickets went fast so I got them and it was so so cool. The entrance was through a trap door in the backroom of a very old pharmacy. 

Restaurants 

There are many visitior in Vienna and lots of great food recomendations so if you count two and two together I would suggest to decide your restaurant upfront and definitely reserve a place for you or your group.

I always like to look on Instagram for food recommendations. You can definitely find a ton of different types and price ranges for every city plus you´ll mostly have pictures of the food and drinks and a little review within. It is fairly easy to find what you are looking for just type in the name of the city and food into the search bar. After choosing some I would like, I visit the website to have a closer look at the menu and reservation options. 

 

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Travel

A 3 Day City Trip to Prague – What we did, ate and what I wore….

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In the middle of March my husband and I went to Prague for a 3 day city trip. It has been the first time we went somewhere without our two girls and while it was bitter the very first day we had a great time together as a couple and lots of fun.

It was a very short road trip, only took us about 2 and a half hours to get there (but this always depends on where you are coming from). There was no toll on the road but you have to get a vignette before crossing the border (this is a little sticker you need to have in you car to make sure you are allowed to drive on the interstate).

 

Where we stayed

This was our second time in Prague (we have been there eight !!!! years ago) and we stayed at the Astoria Hotel, a cute little boutique hotel. There was parking in front of the hotel but we ended up reserving a parking spot in the parking garage around the corner. Breakfast was included and our room was pretty big and the best it was right across the street from an awesome Indian restaurant.

The staff at the hotel was very nice and helpful. Also our hotel was very central. It was just about 5 minutes walking distance to the astronomic clock (right in the middle of the city).

What we did

Day 1

Rooftop Bar TerasaUPrince for Lunch

Saint Nicholas Church (one of the prettiest churches I have ever been too – the chandelier !!!!)

Speculum Alchemiae

Ribs of Prague for Dinner

 

Day 2

Castle of Prague 

Wenceslas Square

Lunch at Restaurant SV Vaclava for traditional czech beef stew

Astronomic Clock – it plays a music and the figurines move every hour

Indian Jewel for Dinner

 

Day 3

Carl´s Bridge

Trdelnik – the sweetest czech treat

 

What we ate

BBQ marinated ribs at Ribs of Prague

 

Traditional beef stew (Gulasch) at Restaurant SV Vaclava

 

Chicken Tikka Masalla at the Indian Jewel

 

Pistacchio Trdelnik with vanilla ice cream

 

Outfits I have worn

It was a little cold when we got there but the weather improved throughout the first day. Nevertheless we still had Winter coats with us and ended up wearing them at night.

I had a full plan of outifts and loved everyone I was wearing. Initially these have been planned for Rome but we switched cities last minute cause I didn´t want to fly this early in pregnancy. 

 

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Travel

City Trip – A Guide to Verona, Italy…

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Oh Verona you are one little Italian city with so much charme and flair. I just don´t know what it is with all of the Italian cities. With the old buildings, the croocket pathways and small alleys. Maybe it is La Dolce Vita or just the delight of being on vacation that everything seems so dreamy and perfect.

How to get there / where to park

This depends on where you are coming from. You can go directly and stay in the city if you are planning on staying more than one day but we are always visiting when we stay at Lake Garda. It is a 35 minute drive from there and costs about 2 Euros of toll.

We like to park as close as possible so we always go to Parcheggia Arena di Verona or Parcheggio Saba Arena. Both are about 2 minutes by foot from the Il Portoni della Brá away – the huge stone gate you will enter to get to the biggest piazza with all the restaurants and the Arena di Verona.

What to see

After you pass through the beautiful Il Portoni della Brá you are in middle of Piazza Brá, the biggest piazza in Verona. To your left is a very long row of cafe´s and restaurants who sell authentic and delicious Italian food. It is a little pricier than in other streets cause you pay for the front row, but in my opinion it is worth it to take in the Italian flair and the hustle and bustle of the city.

To your right is a huge garden area – the Giardini Vittorio Emanule II and right behind it the biggest sight of all. The Arena di Verona.

The Arena di Verona was built 30 after Christ and mainly used to amuse the people with animal or slave fights. It is used until today but of course not for fights anymore. In the Summertime there are many operas and concerts.

Of course you can visit during the day as well and have a look back in time. You can check out the cells where the slaves and the animals had to wait to enter the arena as well as the steps inside and the viewing platforms high above. The entrance fee is about 10 Euro but you can stay and explore the whole day.

Now you can choose between two directions. You can go shopping at the longest and most exclusive street in Verona – the Via Giuseppe Mazzini. It has everything the heart could long for. From Luis Vuitton to Pinko and Sephora. 

At the end of the street is another piazza to your left, the Pizza della Erbe. Here you can have lunch or enjoy a cool Spritz Bianco. The beautiful Fontanella Storica can also be found on this piazza as well as a weekly market.

From here you could go back or follow the street down to Casa di Giulietta. Crowds here are always huge so I would suggest to go there right in the morning when the city is still empty. You can get a lot done before 10´o clock. The ticket to Guilietta´s balcony costs 1,10 Euro but therefore you can stand upon there all by yourself and get a cute pic without any strangers. Of  course you can still have a look at the balcony without going up and buying a ticket.

 

After we have checked all the boxes from the sights above there is one thing left. Leaving downtown and taking the scenic route along the river Adige (about 20 minutes by foot) with the goal to visit the Basilica san Zeno di Maggiore. It is one of the most important and biggest churches in Verona and was built hundreds of years back in the 12th century. I personally love the big round window on the front the most. 

You take a left before the first coffee shop of Piazza Erbe and go down Via Roma until you see the river. Then you follow the river Adige and the signs to the Basilica.

If you decide to do everything at once you take up a few others of the day but it will surely be a great expericence and so many interesting things to see and learn.

Food to try

This is a whole other category and a very delicious one I might add. There are tons of Italian foods you could or should try but I am sharing three of the best things I have eaten there in quite a while.

Minuto di Bauli – These have been the most amazing little cakes I have ever had. They where soft and moist and filled with so much cream of your choice. We had lemon and pistacchio in the picture above but they also have chocolate of course as well as jam and hazelnut.

Forneria Mazzini – We got slices of pizza and paninis for take-away to eat at our apartment. It was very very soft, tasty and overall delicious but it is expensive. I think I paid about 30 Euro for 5 things.

Grom Gelateria – Our girls got a strawberry gelato from here and it was fair to say that this was the best one I have eaten ever.

Where to shop

Via Mazzini is your first stop for high fashion and affordable pieces as well as food and drug store products. Souvenirs are also available at every corner and the piazzas. 

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