# October ED: most scenic places in Bavaria/Austria?



## SamS (Jan 17, 2011)

Hi guys,

My wife and I will be enjoying our second ED from October 15-24th of this year. We first went in Oct 2011, and had a great time enjoying Munich, Austria, Lake Como, and Switzerland. This time we'd like to more deeply explore Bavaria and Austria, as we really love the scenery, culture and food.

Here's my itinerary so far:
Day 0: Fly from Dallas to Munich
Day 1: Munich
Day 2: Munich
Day 3: Munich
Day 4: Munich - take delivery in the A.M. and head out of Munich
Day 5: ?
Day 6: ?
Day 7: ?
Day 8: Need to be back at MUC for 4pm car drop-off at LogInOut
Day 9: Fly home

For Day 4, I was thinking just heading Southeast from Munich, but to where? We already did Fussen and the Neuschwanstein Castle last time, but that is the type of drive and scenery that we enjoy.

What about Hallsatt? I could be convinced to go as far East as Vienna (stay a day?), as long as there is plenty of beautiful stops along the way.

We don't need fancy hotels (but not really interested in hostels), or western-style shopping, and we definitely like the out-of-the-way hidden places that showcase the best culture and geography of the region. And tourist-friendly!


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## frank325 (Dec 29, 2005)

Where did you see in Austria last time?

I'd highly recommend Hotel Bloberger Hof in Salzburg, about 10 minutes south of the city. It is close to the city, but feels so far out in the country. It's a very quiet area and the small restaurant in the hotel is great for dinner. Scenic mountain view right out the balcony windows. There is also another nice restaurant just a few minutes walk across the main street. I talk a bit about both the hotel and that other restaurant in my ED post in a few threads, starting here:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9031777&postcount=11
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9032079&postcount=12
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9032079&postcount=20

The drive to Hallstatt was beautiful, and the little town itself is very nice, so I'd recommend Hallstatt if you don't want to have to drive too far away. Spending one day in Vienna seems like a lot of driving. We thought about a day trip there, but quickly nixed it. I have pics and I talk about Hallstatt as well in my ED post.

I'd suggest at least a couple days in one spot because you have no idea what the weather will be like. If it rains one day and is nice and sunny the next, you can plan your trips accordingly. We had a day of rain in Salzburg, so we did the salt mine tour instead of Hallstatt. We saved Hallstatt for the sunny day. Because we stayed there 3 days we were able to plan it out that way. One day only in Salzburg would have been a huge disappointment because of the weather.


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## SamS (Jan 17, 2011)

frank325 said:


> Where did you see in Austria last time?


We spent a day/night in Austria last time. The towns I recall were Innsbruck, Fussen, Pfunds, and of course there were several smaller ones along the way.



frank325 said:


> I'd highly recommend Hotel Bloberger Hof in Salzburg, about 10 minutes south of the city. It is close to the city, but feels so far out in the country. It's a very quiet area and the small restaurant in the hotel is great for dinner. Scenic mountain view right out the balcony windows. There is also another nice restaurant just a few minutes walk across the main street. I talk a bit about both the hotel and that other restaurant in my ED post in a few threads, starting here:
> 
> http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9031777&postcount=11
> http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9032079&postcount=12
> ...


That looks incredible, right up my alley! I would have a total of 4 days (1/2 day drive out of Munich, a Tues/Wed/Thurs, then a 1/2 day to drive back to MUC. Would you recommend a couple of days in Salzburg, 2 days in Hallstatt, then one final night somewhere else before heading back to Munich?

Your ED thread is great BTW. I appreciate the link.

Forgot to mention in my original post.... I love beer! So suggestions for great beer gardens and similar activities are much appreciated


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

I would stay three or four nights in Salzburg or Berchtesgaden. There is plenty to do in the area.

Salzburg itself can occupy a full day especially if you do the sound of music tour, the Hohensalzburg Fortress, Gertreidegasse and Mozart's birthplace, the cathedral and the rest of the town.

Hallstatt is a great day trip from Salzburg - just be sure to read up on parking in Hallstatt before you go.

In Berchtesgaden there is the Eagle's Nest with a spectacular view of the Berchtesgaden and the Salzburg area. It closes on October 25 so it should be open when you are there.

The Documentation Center in B'gaden is a very interesting presentation of Hitler's impact on the Berchtesgaden area. Plus it allows access into the Bunkers built for the Nazi bigwigs.

Lake Konigsee is a pleasant half day boat trip or hike.

Herrenchiemsee is King Ludwig's version of Versailles and worth a half day. Herrenchiemsee is not far from Salzburg.

At some point I would plan to drive the Alpenstrasse which connects Berchtesgaden with Fussen. The prettiest stretch of the Alpenstrasse (IMO) is between Bad Tolz and Berchtesgaden. When you leave the Welt just go south to Bad Tolz and pick up the Alpenstrasse and head for Salzburg. Stop in Ramsau to see the church (left pic in my sig). Here is a map of the Alpenstrasse prepared by *NotM2*:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zw4BfkR3hmzo.knzr0qxbXVXY


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## SamS (Jan 17, 2011)

Trinitony said:


> I would stay three or four nights in Salzburg or Berchtesgaden. There is plenty to do in the area.
> 
> Salzburg itself can occupy a full day especially if you do the sound of music tour, the Hohensalzburg Fortress, Gertreidegasse and Mozart's birthplace, the cathedral and the rest of the town.
> 
> ...


Excellent! Sounds like I could head out of Munich around lunch, and hit Bad Tolz, and aim towards Berchtesgaden to spend the night (Monday). Next day (Tuesday) spend in Berchtesgaden, then to Salzburg for a day (Wednesday). Finally towards Hallstatt for all of Thursday, then leave Hallstatt Friday around lunch to hit MUC by 4pm.

Good plan?


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## contactjj (Jul 29, 2011)

If your flight is not very early in the morning, get an 8:30 AM drop-off appointment via email to Log-In-Out. The drop off process should not take more than 30 min. 15 min most likely. If you fly United or Lufthansa, Terminal 2 is literally a less than 5 minutes walk away. My flight in this July was 11:00 AM. We had plenty of time left after the drop off. This way you don't have to rush to MUC by 4 pm.


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## frank325 (Dec 29, 2005)

I'm not sure you'd necessarily want to stay in Hallstatt over night, but others that have maybe done that and think it's a good idea could chime in. It was just a day trip for us.... a few hours was all we needed to see it.


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

SamS said:


> Excellent! Sounds like I could head out of Munich around lunch, and hit Bad Tolz, and aim towards Berchtesgaden to spend the night (Monday). Next day (Tuesday) spend in Berchtesgaden, then to Salzburg for a day (Wednesday). Finally towards Hallstatt for all of Thursday, then leave Hallstatt Friday around lunch to hit MUC by 4pm.
> 
> Good plan?


That would work. I hate checking in and out of hotels, unpacking and re-packing so my preference would be to choose a hotel in either Salzburg or Berchtesgaden and stay there for all four nights. Salzburg is about a half hour drive from Berchtesgaden and a little over an hour from Hallstatt so day trips are easy.

In our two EDs we stayed in Marktschellenberg at the Kugelmuhle. It's about half way between Berchtesgaden and Salzburg. The Kugelmuhle is inexpensive (70 to 100 Euros/night for two people) and we stayed in a south facing, mountainview room, with a balcony. It also has safe parking and a good breakfast. Here is its website:
http://www.gasthaus-kugelmuehle.de/gaestezimmer.php


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## eazy (Aug 20, 2002)

Hallstatt is absolutely beautiful the photo below was taken from my crappy iPhone4s


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## sno_duc (Sep 3, 2008)

Trinitony said:


> In our two EDs we stayed in Marktschellenberg at the Kugelmuhle. It's about half way between Berchtesgaden and Salzburg. The Kugelmuhle is inexpensive (70 to 100 Euros/night for two people) and we stayed in a south facing, mountainview room, with a balcony. It also has safe parking and a good breakfast. Here is its website:
> http://www.gasthaus-kugelmuehle.de/gaestezimmer.php


+1 :thumbup:
We have stayed there and will again. Wonderful family run place.


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## SamS (Jan 17, 2011)

contactjj said:


> If your flight is not very early in the morning, get an 8:30 AM drop-off appointment via email to Log-In-Out. The drop off process should not take more than 30 min. 15 min most likely. If you fly United or Lufthansa, Terminal 2 is literally a less than 5 minutes walk away. My flight in this July was 11:00 AM. We had plenty of time left after the drop off. This way you don't have to rush to MUC by 4 pm.


Unfortunately my flight out of MUC is at 7:30am 



frank325 said:


> I'm not sure you'd necessarily want to stay in Hallstatt over night, but others that have maybe done that and think it's a good idea could chime in. It was just a day trip for us.... a few hours was all we needed to see it.


Good to know.



Trinitony said:


> That would work. I hate checking in and out of hotels, unpacking and re-packing so my preference would be to choose a hotel in either Salzburg or Berchtesgaden and stay there for all four nights. Salzburg is about a half hour drive from Berchtesgaden and a little over an hour from Hallstatt so day trips are easy.
> 
> In our two EDs we stayed in Marktschellenberg at the Kugelmuhle. It's about half way between Berchtesgaden and Salzburg. The Kugelmuhle is inexpensive (70 to 100 Euros/night for two people) and we stayed in a south facing, mountainview room, with a balcony. It also has safe parking and a good breakfast. Here is its website:
> http://www.gasthaus-kugelmuehle.de/gaestezimmer.php


Good point! I will check that place out now. I'm certain my wife would appreciate staying in the same place for several days. On our last ED, we hopped from hotel to hotel, except for our Lake Como and Munich stays. While the adventure is fun, that definitely makes it less relaxing.



eazy said:


> Hallstatt is absolutely beautiful the photo below was taken from my crappy iPhone4s
> View attachment 523866


Awesome! Looking at views like this is EXACTLY how I want to spend my trip :thumbup:



sno_duc said:


> +1 :thumbup:
> We have stayed there and will again. Wonderful family run place.


Will check it out!


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## Gluhwein (Aug 21, 2011)

On your way back from Hallstatt I recommend heading back to Salzburg via Mondsee and Fuschl to see the Red Bull HQ (http://www.clcworld.com/blog/2012/04/11/mondsee-home-of-red-bull/). Beautiful business campus in a lovely setting. At Salzburg airport the Red Bull sports museum is also worth a visit. Absolutely include Berchtesgaden and Hallstatt in your plans. The ride to and from Hallstatt is breathtaking with plenty of highly photogenic spots along the way. The wife and I have been visiting Berchtesgaden almost yearly for the past 35 years and we never tire of the area. So much natural beauty combined with tons of history. If you stay in Berchtesgaden and access Salzburg and Hallstatt via the local roads there is no need to buy an Austrian highway vignette.

If it's not crowded on the Obersalzburg you might consider parking the car near the Dokumentation Center and just exploring the nearby woods and fields. We discovered empty WWII pillboxes, ventilation shafts for the underground bunkers and a plaque denoting the location of Martin Bormann's home. Years ago the whole area was part of the US Armed Forces recreation area and there are still a few remnants of that presence hidden in the weeds. Hiking around the nearby Konigsee offers myriad possibilities for exploration.

We also enjoy heading up toward Bad Reichenhall to partake of the thermal baths. Along the way diverting from the main road can often lead to an old castle or Cold War radio/radar station or compound. There is an endless list of accommodations in the area ranging from 5 star hotels to Zimmer Frei (rooms in a home for the night). Farm stays are another fun option. Anywhere you eat you will get fresh local products often at a great price.

Our current favorite hotel is the IV Jahreszeiten in Bad Reichenhall (http://www.vierjahreszeiten-hotel.com/uk/index.htm). Nice family run hotel with a marvelous breakfast buffet in a quiet location. Rooms are under $100/per night. The hotel sells discounted spa tickets and also issues you a coupon for discounts to many other local attractions. Just a few minutes away from Salzburg.


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## SamS (Jan 17, 2011)

Gluhwein said:


> On your way back from Hallstatt I recommend heading back to Salzburg via Mondsee and Fuschl to see the Red Bull HQ (http://www.clcworld.com/blog/2012/04/11/mondsee-home-of-red-bull/). Beautiful business campus in a lovely setting. At Salzburg airport the Red Bull sports museum is also worth a visit. Absolutely include Berchtesgaden and Hallstatt in your plans. The ride to and from Hallstatt is breathtaking with plenty of highly photogenic spots along the way. The wife and I have been visiting Berchtesgaden almost yearly for the past 35 years and we never tire of the area. So much natural beauty combined with tons of history. If you stay in Berchtesgaden and access Salzburg and Hallstatt via the local roads there is no need to buy an Austrian highway vignette.
> 
> If it's not crowded on the Obersalzburg you might consider parking the car near the Dokumentation Center and just exploring the nearby woods and fields. We discovered empty WWII pillboxes, ventilation shafts for the underground bunkers and a plaque denoting the location of Martin Bormann's home. Years ago the whole area was part of the US Armed Forces recreation area and there are still a few remnants of that presence hidden in the weeds. Hiking around the nearby Konigsee offers myriad possibilities for exploration.
> 
> ...


Much thanks, Gluhwein! This is an incredibly useful post. My wife will love the the thermal baths. I will be checking out that hotel, too. Hikes like you're describing is exactly how we'd like to spend our trip.

I am compiling all these posts to plan my route, and will be printing them out as well. HUGE help here guys, and I really appreciate your comments. :thumbs:


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## beware_phog (Mar 7, 2003)

So why so much Munich?


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## SamS (Jan 17, 2011)

beware_phog said:


> So why so much Munich?


Legit question. It was some combo of flight availability, and my wife wanting to not feel rushed while there.

I spent 3 days in Munich during my last ED so I got a decent feel for life around the Marienplatz. But honestly I'm not sure what we'll do for 3 whole days there (Friday/Saturday/Sunday). I have done the Welt, factory, and museum tour before. But I wouldn't mind doing the factory tour again. Maybe I can kill most of Friday with the factory tour and quality time at the Welt? Very open to suggestions for Sat/Sun in Munich. We're staying at the NH hotel close to the Marienplatz. My wife has no interest in Dachau.


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## beware_phog (Mar 7, 2003)

SamS said:


> Legit question. It was some combo of flight availability, and my wife wanting to not feel rushed while there.
> 
> I spent 3 days in Munich during my last ED so I got a decent feel for life around the Marienplatz. But honestly I'm not sure what we'll do for 3 whole days there (Friday/Saturday/Sunday). I have done the Welt, factory, and museum tour before. But I wouldn't mind doing the factory tour again. Maybe I can kill most of Friday with the factory tour and quality time at the Welt? Very open to suggestions for Sat/Sun in Munich. We're staying at the NH hotel close to the Marienplatz. My wife has no interest in Dachau.


We went to Nymprhenburg Castle. It is your typical massive estate where you can take tours, walk around, grab some food. It's a time killer more than anything else as I wouldn't go back. But if you are into that thing. I'd probably bar hop a little and check out some out of the way non-tourist areas.


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## SamS (Jan 17, 2011)

beware_phog said:


> We went to Nymprhenburg Castle. It is your typical massive estate where you can take tours, walk around, grab some food. It's a time killer more than anything else as I wouldn't go back. But if you are into that thing. I'd probably bar hop a little and check out some out of the way non-tourist areas.


That estate looks nuts! But, I'd be more interested in bar-hopping in non-tourist areas of Munich :angel:


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## sactoken (Apr 4, 2004)

On my ED in November, I'm planning on visiting the Deutsches Museum (reputedly one of best science and technology museums in the world) and its transportation annex, the Verkehrszentrum. They're both open on the weekends.


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## Northcar (Sep 21, 2005)

beware_phog said:


> We went to Nymprhenburg Castle. It is your typical massive estate where you can take tours, walk around, grab some food. It's a time killer more than anything else as I wouldn't go back. But if you are into that thing. I'd probably bar hop a little and check out some out of the way non-tourist areas.


Great responses on this thread that merit pinning or Wiki placement since I am sure many have a similar question.

As to what to do in Munich I second the Nymphenburg Castle suggestion, especially if you found the other Ludwig II castles of interest. It was here that King Ludwig II was born and spent his winters. The Hall of Beauties is unique and the gardens (in the back) are spectacular. You would likely be there for the autumn color changes.

I have edited to add a link to a past ED reporting that include photos of the sights there at Nymphenburg. In the meantime here are a few photos from my archives that include the exterior front, the interior entry, and the room in which King Ludwig II was born:




























Link to ED report including visit to Nymphenburg Castle:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219037


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

Nymphenburg and the Deutsche Museum are great suggestions. 

Walking distance from the Marienplatz is the Residenz. It is kind of a combo of seat of government, kingly palace, museum and gardens. We enjoyed their museum of crowns and jewels as well as the palace and gardens. One possible problem is that some of the rooms of the palace are closed for conservation.


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## CE750Jockey (Nov 8, 2011)

Andech's brewery/monastery! Yummy!! :thumbup:


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## SamS (Jan 17, 2011)

CarSwami said:


> Since you said that you were interested in beer, I would definitely recommend the monastery at Klosters Andechs where the monks have been brewing beer for centuries. It is on the outskirts of Munich and you can get there either on the U-Bahn or by car. The monastery is on the way to Salzburg so you can go there either on your way to Salzburg or on your way back. But just keep in mind that drinking and driving don't go well together, so my recommendation would be to go there on one of the evenings that you spend in Munich and take the U-Bahn. You can get directions at their website. Highly recommended!





Wine-O said:


> Actually, it's the S-Bahn - the S8 to Herrsching. From the train station, either take the bus or you can walk (about 40 min uphill).


This is great, thank you both. I will head there Saturday or Sunday!


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