In December Nick, Ryan, Mel, and I spent Christmas in Salzburg with Nick’s family.

Nick and I drove to Salzburg, which at first I wasn’t keen on, as the idea of driving almost half way across Europe with a two year old did not sound ideal.

However, to make it doable, we took a road trip to and from Salzburg, which allowed us to make a few much needed stops along the way, and after our trip was finished.

Another benefit of having our car meant that we could easily do a few day trips from Salzburg, which included the following locations. 

HALLSTATT, AUSTRIA

This was by far my favourite day trip from Salzburg, and it only took 1.5 hours to get there.

The drive to Hallstatt was packed with Chalet’s covered in snow, and trees that looked like they were dusted in icing sugar.

Walking around Hallstatt was like walking through a movie set. It was so beautiful that it looked fake.

In the centre of Hallstatt there was a large lake that was as still as a mirror, and which I imagine would be buzzing with water sport opportunities in the Summer.

The lake was surrounded by cafés, souvenir shops, clothing stores, and restaurants.

We took the cable car up to the salt mines, which unfortunately were closed, but we were able to get clear views of the town. We were lucky to be there on a day where there was snow, as it made the town look even more magical then it already was, and Ryan got to practice his ice skating skills

I definitely recommend Hallstatt as a day trip. It’s simply stunning, there’s plenty to see and do, and it only takes a few hours to get it all done.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

It took four hours to drive to Vienna from Salzburg, due to traffic, but luckily Ryan slept for most of this time.

We got to Vienna at 4.15pm on a Saturday, but as we were staying overnight we didn’t mind that we got there so late.

Our first stop was the Christmas market at Maria-Theresa-Square, which was in between the Art History Museum and Natural History Museum. It was a small market so it didn’t take us long to walk around it.

Once we were done we walked to the even larger, and more impressive Christmas World at Rathausplatz. The entrance was lit up, there was a large tree with red hearts on it, an ice skating rink was situated in the centre, and there was plenty for children to do in an area that had a carousel, train, and ferris wheel, but it was packed with people.

It was here that I tried Eggnog finally, but I can’t say that I’d try it again.

The next day we got to see Vienna in daylight, and we saw just how pretty a city it is.

The first thing we did was try Vienna’s specialty dessert, the Sacher Torte at a place called Aida. The Torte was chocolate with jam inside, and it wasn’t sweet at all. I really enjoyed it.

After our dessert stop, we walked around the city taking in the sites, which included The Opera House, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Plague Column, and St. Peter’s Church.

Just around the corner from St. Stephen’s Cathedral were some Christmas stalls, one was selling potato with speck on it called an Erdapfel-puffer, which I’d seen at the Maria-Theresa-Square Christmas market. It was like eating a soft, but lightly fried potato, complete with sour cream. It was so delicious, and so garlicky.

Next we went to Hofburg Palace, and then St. Charles’ Church, which had another Christmas market attached to it. This Christmas market was a little different to the others, as it contained mainly food. I had a pasta dish, which is food that I hadn’t yet had on our trip.

INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA

It took us two hours to get to Innsbruck, a town that I didn’t know much about, but am so glad I visited.

It took over 30 minutes to find a car park, and during this time we almost didn’t visit the city, as it didn’t look like there was much to do, but boy were we wrong.

The centre of the city had the most gorgeous gothic buildings, it felt like a Harry Potter movie set.

I’d recommend only a couple of hours here, as the appeal is mainly the gorgeous buildings, and quaint little side streets.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My favourite day trip from Salzburg was definitely Hallstatt. It was just so pretty, and unlike any other town I’ve ever seen.

One place I’d love to revisit is Vienna. Although we stayed overnight, I really think we needed at least two full days to fully explore it, and learn about its history.

What are your favourite European day trip locations?