Austria – Salzburg & the Eastern Alps

Itinerary

• Day 1
  Fly to the Eastern Alps - Touch down in Munich or Salzburg, before transferring to your hotel. Upon arrival, you can enjoy a welcome drink and the rest of the day at leisure, perhaps making the most of the hotel’s wellness facilities. This evening, settle in for dinner with your fellow guests.
• Day 2
  Included visit to Zell am See and tour to Schmittenhöhe - Enjoy a leisurely start to the day with breakfast at the hotel and a relaxed drive to the idyllic Zell am See. This charming alpine town is bookended by the alpine peaks and serene Lake Zell, one of Austria’s cleanest lakes, and you can soak up its breathtaking vistas as you drive.   Upon arrival, join your tour manager for a light-paced stroll around the historic old town. Here, you’ll find a warren of colourful 16th-century buildings, cobbled streets and the grand Rosenberg Castle, which has been used as Zell’s town hall since the 1970s. As you wander, you can stop for a coffee and cake in one of the local pavement-side cafés or perhaps take in the area’s striking natural beauty with some time on the waterfront promenade.   This afternoon, you’ll have some free time to explore Zell am See, ahead of an included cable car ride to the summit of nearby Schmittenhöhe mountain. This grand peak, towering more than 2,000 meters above sea level, is the home mountain of Zell’s thriving ski resorts and boasts some of the finest viewpoints in the Austrian Alps. After some time spent soaking up the breathtaking natural landscapes, head back down to Zell am See via the Schmittenhöhebahn (cable car) and travel back to the hotel.   This evening will be entirely at leisure, and you can enjoy a buffet dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. 
• Day 3
  Included Salzburg excursion - This morning, have breakfast at the hotel and head out for one of your holiday’s undeniable highlights, a guided tour of elegant Salzburg. This delightful alpine city, which was the setting and filming location of Julie Andrew’s The Sound of Music, is a treasure trove of baroque landmarks.   Accompanied by an expert local guide, you’ll explore the city’s UNESCO-listed old town, which will introduce some of the northern Alps’ most impressive historical highlights. Stop at Mozart’s Birthplace, a museum housed in the legendary musician’s third-storey childhood home (entrance not included), before continuing along the Salzach waterfront to three of the city’s medieval public squares, Residenzplatz, Mozartplatz, and Domplatz.   Here, you’ll see the Old Residence, an impressive palace building which has stood for more than 900 years, and Salzburg’s magnificent Baroque Cathedral. If there’s time, you might have the opportunity to browse the Cathedral’s collection of religious artwork and relics, before finishing your tour with a visit to Höhensalzburg Fortress. This majestic landmark, which watches over the city from a mountaintop vantage point, is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, and you can soak up panoramic views of Salzburg from its ramparts.   After a memorable day’s exploration, head back to the hotel for dinner and the rest of the evening at leisure.
• Day 4
  Day at leisure with optional Höhenwerfen Castle visit and eagle show - Today will be entirely at leisure, and after breakfast, you can spend it however you see fit. If relaxation is on your mind, make the most of the hotel’s Finnish spa and wellness facilities or venture out into charming Werfenberg under your own steam.   Alternatively, join an optional excursion to Höhenwerfen Castle, a dramatic building overlooking the scenic Salzach Valley. Nestled between the charming market towns of Tenneck and Werfen, this fairy-tale building embodies late-medieval architecture and has stood watch over the region for almost 1,000 years.   While exploring the castle’s antique collections, preserved chambers and narrow corridors, you’ll get an insight into the region’s medieval history. If you’d like, you can also delve into the castle’s dungeons for a glimpse of the darker side of the building’s history. Here, an assortment of prison cells, reconstructed torture chambers and exhibits highlight the building’s use as a state prison and its role in the Austrian witch trials.   After exploring inside, you’ll visit the Höhenwerf’s famed Falconry Museum, which showcases the age-old art of hawking. Based in the castle’s lower courtyard, the museum offers daily flights and displays from the resident birds of prey, and you’ll watch them take to the skies with a thrilling eagle show.   After the show, head back to the coach for the drive back to the hotel, where you’ll be served dinner. 
• Day 5
  Included trip to Salzkammergut - Once you’ve had breakfast, join your tour manager for a scenic coach trip and take in some of Europe’s most unspoilt vistas as you drive.   You’ll then arrive in the charming village of Mondsee, home to a wide array of pastel-coloured buildings and a pretty market square. It’s here that you’ll find St. Mark’s Basilica, another of the buildings used in the filming of The Sound of Music, and you’ll have some free time to soak up the lakeside attractions and pavement-side cafés. Afterwards, continue to Wolfgangsee, a glacial lake surrounded by some truly spectacular scenery, where you’ll pass through a number of pretty, rural villages and waterfront viewpoints. Your final stop today, which is perhaps the most impressive of all, will be the idyllic town of Hallstatt, nestled on the banks one of the Salzkammergut’s smaller lakes, Hallstatter See. This pristine harbour town, renowned for its traditional alpine architecture and steeply layered mountain-side buildings, has inspired the wanderlust of Europe’s travellers for generations, and you’ll have ample time to explore at leisure. Among the town’s main attractions is its historic salt mine, which is home to an underground saltwater lake, while the region’s finest views can be found at the Skywalk viewing platforms.  This evening, after time to explore Hallstatt, you’ll head back through the beautiful Salzkammergut to Werfenweng for dinner at the hotel.
• Day 6
  Day at leisure with optional Großglockner excursion - It’s another free day today and once you’ve had breakfast, you’ll be free to spend it as you wish.   Alternatively, you can opt continue your exploration of the Austrian Alps with an excursion to Großglockner, the country’s tallest mountain and one of its most impressive peaks. A coach will collect you from the hotel for the scenic drive south, culminating in a thrilling ascent along the 36-hairpin bends of the mountain’s High Alpine Road. As you travel along this winding path, you’ll enjoy unobstructed views of the Höhe Tauern National Park, which sits in the valley below.   At the summit, you’ll stop at Kaiser-Frans-Josefs-Höhe, Großglockner’s main visitors’ centre, with its views of the Pasterze Glacier down below. The centre also features a number of intriguing museum exhibits, showcasing everything from the history of the region’s glaciers to Austria’s highest automobile collection.   While here, you can also visit the Wilhelm Swarovski Centre, a towering glass observation deck which is perfect for spotting the local marmots and mountain goats that graze nearby. Look to the skies too, and you might even spot Höhe Tauern’s native golden eagles.   Later this afternoon, you’ll return down the High Alpine Road’s 36 turns and drive back to the hotel for dinner.
• Day 7
  Included Gastein Valley excursion and Schnapps tasting - Get ready for your final day in Austria with breakfast at the hotel and join your tour manager for a journey in the bucolic Gastein Valley, a hub of thermal spas and elegant Belle Epoque towns.   You’ll stop in Bad Gastein, a captivating alpine resort that sits on the verge of a nearby waterfall. As you meander through the town, your tour manager will introduce you to some of the most impressive Belle Epoque sights, including the hotel-lined Staubingerplatz, once a popular retreat for Europe’s rich and famous, and the 10-storey Grand Hotel de l’Europe. The town’s 19th-century parish church is another memorable sight, and after some time to soak up Bad Gastein mist-laden streets, you’ll continue to the Rauris Valley.  Here, surrounded by magnificent mountain scenery, you’ll visit a traditional alpine lodge and learn about the traditional distillation methods of Schnapps, one of the region’s most popular exports. After learning about the production behind these local delicacies, you’ll have the opportunity to try them alongside smoked bacon served on a freshly baked cheese bread, a popular alpine treat.  Afterwards, head back to the hotel for a final buffet dinner and your last evening at leisure in the Austrian Alps.
• Day 8
  Return to the UK - After a final breakfast at the hotel, travel back through the Austrian Alps to Salzburg for your return flight to the UK.