On his visit to Salzburg Austria for The Sound of Music Gala, Mark Bibby Jackson discovers Hallstatt and SalzburgerLand and is amazed by their beauty.
SalzburgerLand Autumn Landscapes
It’s not often that a bunch of travel journalists are left speechless. We are a pretty garrulous bunch in general. But as we leave the city of Salzburg, where we have just embarked on a brief The Sound of Music tour, and we enter the countryside around the Austrian city, collectively we take an intake of breath. The colours are staggering. How many shades there are between yellow and red I do not know but all are evident in the trees in this most beautiful corner of the world.
Bad Ischl Imperial Summer Retreat
We spend our first night in the spa town of Bad Ischl spa town which Franz Josef chose as his summer retreat. However, we leave too early the following day for me to comment on the Emperor’s choice.
Dachstein Krippenstein Ice Cave Tour
The Dachstein Krippenstein Cable Car takes us to an Ice Cave, where we are led on a tour for an hour and a half in which the highlight was seeing a brown bear suddenly appear from the gloom. Apparently, the skeleton of one was discovered here.
In truth I can’t wait to escape such is the beauty outside. Afterwards we take another cable car to the top of the mountain where we have a simple lunch. But this part of our trip is not about food, but the spectacular scenery.
Five Fingers Over Hallstatt Lake Views
The Five Fingers platform provides the most amazing views across the valley and down towards the lake where we see the village of Hallstatt, which we will visit the following day.
This year has been a tough one for me personally, but sitting here listening to the silence of the hills and soak up the views stretching out to the lake, I feel at peace. So much so that I do not complain about the Australian film crew delaying our return down the mountain.
Hotel Goiserer Mühle in Bad Goisern
In the evening, we check into the Hotel Goiserer Mühle in Bad Goisern. This is the sleepy sort of town you might easily miss. After a few enquiries I managed to discover the Maislinger bakery where all locals gather for a drink.
The hotel is blessed with a beautiful setting on a small river noted for its excellent fishing and with the most spectacular hills as a backdrop.
It also has a great kitchen which prepares much of its own food and drink, including a house cola. The range of jams and conserves on offer at breakfast the following day was quite staggering.
Hallstatt Village Austria
Hallstatt is a tiny village, some 800 or so people live here, which has become collateral damage in our collective obsession with selfies. At the peak of summer, 10,000 visitors descend upon it daily. People come here to take the photo of the lake. Rather, they come here to take photos of them beside the lake.
Recognising the potential damage of such mass overtourism, the authorities are trying to curb numbers. There is a maximum of 50 tourist buses per day and their time is controlled. In Roatan Honduras, a local told me that cruise tourism was a “necessary evil”. I hear his words as I follow all my fellow tourists through the ancient streets. Of course, tourism does bring in much needed revenue but at what cost? At least the town is relatively quiet in the evenings when the last tourism bus has departed.
Hallstatt Salt Mining History
Before tourism, Hallstatt thrived on salt. Hall means salt in Old German. There is archaeological evidence they have been extracting salt here for 7,500 years, and started mining 1,200 years ago.
In addition to its amazing views, Hallstatt has the lovely St. Michaels chapel which has a 12th century Bell Tower, and Bone House. The early 14th century market was burned down, and the current buildings date back to the 1790s buildings. Now it has become the epicentre for Hallstatt tourist group shots.
Golling Traditions and Edelweiss Choir
Pretty though Hallstatt is, I am most pleased to return to the hills as we drive to the tiny village of Torren, and the beautiful church of St. Nikolaus, which appears for a few seconds in the opening sequence of The Sound of Music.
Here we sip prosecco while the Golling church choir sings Edelweiss. This is repeated inside the church which I admit is quite a special moment even if like me you are no great fan of the film. What is evident is the warmth of the people and the sense of community spirit. We chat with the locals while tasting the original von Trapp family apple cake before walking to Golling waterfall.
There is a sense of pride that is all too evident, as well as traditional hospitality. The waterfall is a short walk from town and very pleasant. I can only imagine what it must feel like in summer to come here and take a dip. But this being October, I manage to resist any temptation to go au natural.
A horse-drawn carriage takes us to Lake Egelsee and the town of Golling, which has a pretty 14th century castle where they have a summer arts festival. Dinner at Döllerer’s Wirtshaus is outstanding. The hotel also has a two star Michelin restaurant, which must be a culinary delight.
Salzwelten Salzburg Salt Mines Experience
The following morning, we descend into the depths of the history of the region.
Salt is important here. Salzburg was founded on salt – after all it’s in the name. The salt from the nearby salt mine generated the wealth which created the city under the control of the Archbishop of Salzburg.
However, I am not expecting much from our morning visit to Salzwelten Salzburg. I have experienced mines before and I find them claustrophobic and also frankly boring. Neither can apply to this salt mine.
Initially I felt like sitting outside and enjoy the never ending spectacular views, but agree to join my companions down the mines. Hey ho, hey ho, it’s off to work, we go – apologies wrong movie.
Frist, we have dressed in a costume that reminds me of Logan’s Run, then we are transported to the mine on a wooden-bench train that could have come straight from a Bond movie. Finally, a slide transports us into the depths of the mine where we were told about the history of salt mining from the Celts some 2,600 years ago. The mine was only closed in 1989.
The whole trip is educational and fun, as good education should be. We even cross the border into Germany while underground and return without our passport being stamped. At the end of it we emerge to the surface and enjoy the views of the world.
Tasting Local Flavors in SalzburgerLand
After our visit we are treated to lunch at the amazing Aaron’s Genusskrämerei restaurant created by Aaron Priewasser. We experience many a fine meal on our short trip through SalzburgerLand, but none compares with this light, delightful and wholesome food.
Sound of Music Gala in Salzburg
We have been blessed with the most beautiful weather on our brief stay in SalzburgerLand. However, as we don are best clogs for The Sound of Music Gala the heaven’s open.
The Gala event was a beautiful conclusion to our brief stay here. Many people just come for Salzburg, which is one of the most amazing cities in Europe. But equally amazing, especially in autumn, are the hills surrounding it.
In the morning, our taxi takes us the short drive to Salzburg Airport. I discover I am still as bewitched by the beauty of the trees as I was on that first afternoon. A light flurry of snow has fallen overnight. If anything, it makes the landscape even more astounding. It’s so amazing, perhaps they should make a film of it? What do you think?
