July 2024

Thoughts.

I always wanted to go to Salzburg because of the Sound of Music. Even though Austrians don’t even know the movie. And as the only superfan in my house, I was afraid of the ridicule. 😉

But also, the nature. I can now vouch that the technicolor green rolling hills and mountains and iridescent turquoise lakes are exactly as I dreamed of.

We will find ourselves back in that part of the world one day. There was much to see, and it’s not overcrowded in that part of Europe. There’s no stress about dinner reservations, tickets selling out, or ridiculous heat. Still tourists, but also locals. For that reason, I liked the Lake Wolfgang and Leogang Valley areas more than Salzburg itself. We were there for just a few hours but that was the right amount of time. 

Stay. 

• Hotel Peter / Lake Wolfgang. I found this place during my first travel planning experimentation with ChatGPT (!). It was the perfect spot on the perfect lake. Even the cloudy, cool weather didn’t dampen the beauty of the place or the kindness of the staff. The food was great too. We laughed how there were more vegetables to be had in our first 4 hours in Austria than in 9 months in Spain. 
• NaturHotel Forsthofgut / Leogang. I can only credit finding this stunning hotel to a brilliant social media strategy. The place constantly showed up in our feeds and was promptly bookmarked on the “dream of staying” list. It was our splurge hotel but I’m not sure we’d go back. It was just as beautiful as the IG photos and the staff were incredible helping us with logistics. Maybe we’re just learning that the big-ish resort experience with a massive activities program doesn’t feel totally right for us. That said, with younger kids, I can see this being a great option. Milo and Nola will vouch for the water slide. 

Eat.

• Almstadl Schwarzensee / Lake Wolfgang. This tiny spot off of Lake Schwarzensee has fondue, candlelight and Austrian folk music. So yes!   
• Genussschmeid / Lake Wolfgang. A Spanish restaurant serving Mexican food in landlocked Austria. There’s a riddle in there somewhere. But the restaurant was fun and funky, and the food was good.

Play. 

• Pro Travel Radverleigh / Lake Wolfgang. Traditional bike rental and the start of a super fun family ride despite my flat tire. We rode around ¾ of the lake and then took a ferry back from St. Gilgen. I recommend the ferry experience almost as much as eating Kaiserschmarrn and apple strudel in St Gilgen for lunch.   
• See-Biker / Lake Wolfgang. E-bike rental. I am a bit of a purist, but my first real e-bike ride clarified why people love it. It allowed Milo and I to ride up a 17% grade and around Lake Schwarzensee. This wouldn’t have happened without the assist. Definitely a highlight. 
• Original Sound of Music Tour / Salzburg. You already know I am a Sound of Music nerd. I love this movie, and I know every song. So to visit many of the film locations was so much fun, especially because the kids got really into it and the guide was great. And yes, you get to sing on the bus!  
• Peter-Wiechenthaler Hutte / Leogang. Hiked up to the mountain refugio. It was the first major hike since David’s knee surgery, and we didn’t expect it to be so tough. Great views tho and next time we stay for a beer at the top. 
• Senses Park / Leogang. Creative mountain park for families. Just taking the cable car up and seeing the view was enough for me, but the kids also loved the different sensory experiences using water, sand and art installations.