Central Europe [Part 7]: A Day Trip to Innsbruck From Salzburg

 << Previous Post: Hello Salzburg Again! <<

Austria is one of the countries in Europe that I don't mind going back over and over again. Being a landlocked country in Central Europe lying in the Eastern Alps, Austria offers sunny alpines meadows, snowcapped sky-high mountains and sparking turquoise lakes. Besides that, there is an abundance of castles, palaces and buildings, among other architectural works along with classical art and music can be found within the nation. 

To date, I have been to Austria three times.

First time back in 2008 where my friends and I had brief and short trip to Tyrol. 

Second trip in 2017 where I did my solo trip to Vienna, Salzburg and Hallstatt. 

Third trip in 2022 with my husband where we covered places like Hallstatt and Salzburg. And I managed to tick off another city of Austria which is Innsbruck. This has been one of my wishlists. 

FROM SALZBURG TO INNSBRUCK 

We chosen Salzburg as our base as the journey to Innsbruck takes nearly 2 hours via train. 

SWAROVSKI KRISTALLWELTEN

One of the main reasons why Innsbruck is in my wishlist is because of Swarovski Crystal World museum (Swarovski Kristallwelten). Saw few of my friends had been to this place and immediately added into my travel bucket list. However, this crystal museum is not situated in the city centre of Innsbruck and you either need to take shuttle bus or take another train ride.  

Opening Hours: 9am to 7pm (Last entry is 6pm)

Admission Fee: You can check out the latest fee here. It's best to purchase online for cost-saving. 

1) Shuttle Bus Service 

 

2) Taking trains

We opted for this means of transportation and the following is the route: 

• Train ride from Salzburg Hbf → Wörgl 
• Then, change train at Wörgl → Fritzens-Wattens Bahnhof
• From Fritzens-Wattens Bahnhof, we walked for almost 30 minutes to Swarovski Kristallwelten

(This is the cheapest option where we don't have to fork out any single cents of money as our train rides were covered under Eurail Global Pass)

Another bucket list ticked off 

Cinderella Slipper 

The Art of Performance - Elton John from the movie Rocketman 

Studio Job Wunderkammer 

Crystal Cloud & Mirror Pond

CAFE MUNDING

Established since 1803, Cafe Munding is the oldest cake shop in the very heart of Innsbruck. Not far away from the famous landmark of the Golden Roof, this cafe serves variety of cakes, pastries and even ice-cream. 

Opening Hours: 8am to 8pm

This is my pick - Raspberry with pistachio cake  

ALDSTADT VON INNSBRUCK (OLD TOWN) 

Exploring the city's medieval old town is one of the things I will always do in any part or city of Europe. Here in Innsbruck, you will see row and row of colourful buildings set against the Austrian Alps. 

The Golden Roof, one of the most recognised landmark in Innsbruck

Stadtturm, the town hall tower with an observation deck 

Hard Rock Cafe 

Triumphpforte, one of the best known sights in Innsbruck  

15 minutes walk from Innsbruck Hbf to Aldstadt (Old Town)

Can't leave any city without getting any magnet - It's a must for me. How about you? 

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Central Europe [Part 6]: Hello Salzburg Again!

<< Previous Post: My Second Visit To Hallstatt, Austria <<

After spending 3 days and 2 nights in Hallstatt, my husband and I moved forward to the next city of Austria which is Salzburg. This is my second visit to the birthplace of the world's greatest classical composer, Mozart but it's first time for my husband. You can read my previous post of my first visit to Salzburg back in 2017 here.

GETTING FROM HALLSTATT TO SALZBURG

#1: Scenery train view from Hallstatt to Salzburg 

Because we bought Eurail Global Pass from Klook, therefore we're heavily relied on taking trains from one point to another point. And we used Rail Planner apps to plan the entire of our trip. 

There are no direct train servicess from Hallstatt to Salzburg and some require at least one or two transfers.

The following are the route we took:
1) Hallstatt → Attnang-Puchheim 
2) Attnang-Puchheim → Salzburg Hbf 
(All these train rides are covered under Eurail Global Pass)

#2:

OUR STAY IN SALZBURG

Previously during my maiden visit to Salzburg, I booked and stayed in International Youth Hostel Salzburg but I would love to experience staying in different hostels. Hence for this round, I picked The Key Eco Rooms - sits in between Salzburg Train Station and city centre. 

#3

#4

The Key Eco Rooms  

Date Stayed: 28 October - 30 October 2022 (2 nights) 

Total Room Rate: RM576 for Private Twin Room with Shared Bathroom (Booked from Booking.com) 

Things I Like About This Accommodation:

• Within 10 minutes of walking from Salzburg Central Station, Mirabell Palace and Gardens, etc   
• Communal kitchen where guests are allowed to cook their own meals  
• Even it's shared bathroom and toilet, but it's pretty clean. 

Things I Dislike About This Accommodation:

• Very few toilets to be shared among many rooms and there are few floors without any toilet, especially the floor we're staying. So it's quite inconvenient where we need to purposely walk down the stair just to get to the bathroom and toilet.

THINGS WE DID & SAW IN SAZLBURG

The ideal way to get around Salzburg is on foot because the city is a compact city with most of the main attractions are just within walking distance.

The first place we visited when we arrived in Salzburg is Mirabell Palace & Gardens as the distance from our accommodation to here is less than 10 minutes walk. Mirabell Palace is open to visitors for free of charge. 

#5: Mirabell Palace and Pegasus Fountain 

#6: Top photo took back in 2017 and bottom photo took in 2022

#7: One of the shooting location for "The Sound of Music" where the song Do-Re-Mi was filmed here

#8: Beautifully manicured Mirabell Gardens 

From Mirabell Palace & Gardens, we walked to Altstadt (Old Town). 

#9: Makartsteg Bridge (Love Lock Bridge)

#10: What a great day to spend at Salzach River

#11: Everything is about Mozart in Salzburg; Cafe Mozart, Mozart's Birthplace and even on Swatch

#12: Altstadt (Old Town)

#13: Walk up to Hohensalzburg Fortress for the best view of Salzburg 

#14: Kapitelplatz, a huge square in the center of old town 

#15: First gelato we had throughout our trip

#16: One of the best views on our way back to our accommodation 

That's pretty sum up our day in Salzburg. As our age are catching up, we try to avoid our itinerary being too packed with visiting too many places and attractions. What matters the most is spending quality time with your loved one.  

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Europe (2017): Salzburg, Austria

After spending a night in the world's music capital of Vienna, I embarked to the next city - Salzburg. Woke up early morning to pack my bags and straightly check-out from the hostel. Bidd goodbye to a Malaysian lady who I met last night staying in the same hostel and right after that, I walked to the train station which not far away the hostel I stayed.

From Vienna to Salzburg
Getting from Vienna to Salzburg, there are two cheapest options; either by bus or train. In terms of fare, both options are not much different with advance purchase fares from €19. I chosen to ride on the train because besides admire riding on the train, the journey time is lesser comparing to taking the bus.

Two competing operators link Vienna with Salzburg:

• The State-owned OBB (Austrian Federal Railway) - run twice an hour between Wien Hbf & Salzburg main central station. 
• Private operator WESTbahn - run every hour between Wien Westbahnhof & Salzburg main central station. It also run every house between Wien Praterstern, Wien Mitte, Wien Hbf, Wien Meidling and Salzburg. 

For more info about these two operators, check out "The Main in Seat 61" for more details.

Economy class on RailJet of OBB. The comfortable open saloons with large picture windows. Some seats are around table, some unidirectional. The best part is there is free WiFi connection in all classes. 

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