Austria with toddlers - Sazlburg & Vienna
Unforgettable moments, rain...and a few mistakes
On May 9, 2019, we and 2 other families from our town embarked for Austria left. The goal was a family trip to Austria (Salzburg region) for 9 days. We chose to fly in May to reduce the flights price, and assuming the weather wouldn’t be too sunny, but not really wintry. Well, the assumption turned out to be wrong.
So how is Austria with children? The trip was wonderful, fun, and full of experiences, on the one hand. On the other hand, it rained a lot, so it consisted a daily check on the weather the next day. This, is in order to find the few areas where it didn’t rain all day. And you know what? In the end, it came out to be a really successful journey. Below is a summary of our experiences, along with recommendations and things you can learn from mistakes we made along the way.
Table of Contents
A perfect stop between Salzburg and Vienna
Saturday – The open museum and the best apple strudel in Salzburg
Sunday – Swirling in the Water Park
Monday – A private Amusement Park
Museum of Nature and Technology in Salzburg and LOTS of Snow
Thursday – Back in The Womb – Vienna Music House
Friday – One last mistake and going back gome
Thursday - A day of mistakes
The original plan was to land at 2pm in Vienna, and take the rental vehicle. Then, take a 3 hour and 40 minute drive to the wonderful apartment we rented through Booking.com in the town of Wagrain, near Flachau. The first mistake was a rookie mistake. We paid for two drivers who rented the vehicle, but Adi didn’t bring the license with her from Israel, so she was prohibited from driving. That’s how it turned out that I was driving the whole trip. Conclusion: It’s not enough to have an international license, you must have your local driver’s license as well. The second mistake was planning to make the drive directly to Wagrain (what were we thinking ?!) .. but it was a mistake that led us to visit one of the most beautiful and less touristy places we saw on the trip.
For those who haven’t read about me and the blog, I will mention that we are a family of 5. Adi (my spouse), me, Danielle (9), Jordan (6), and Gili (1.5 – at the time). Quickly calculating – doing a 4 hour car ride, in the dark part of the time, after a 4 hour flight, and in a new country – was very challenging. Too challenging. We started the trip when everyone is hungry and already impatient. With the help of the Around me app (highly recommended overseas… finding things around you according to your location), we found a pizzeria a few minutes from the airport. We made a great deal with them – Jordan broke a glass, and in return they gave us a mediocre pizza, dipped in oil.
A perfect stop between Salzburg and Vienna
At the beginning of the road, Adi suggested we cancel the first night in the apartment we booked in Wagrain, and stop halfway to spend the night elsewhere. But we already paid for that night in Wagrain. Am I the kind of guy who will double pay for a night and avoid a little challenge?! NO WAY!
Well, yes way! Clearly, she convinced me eventually (or rather, I realized that a satisfied woman and kids who sleep well are better than sticking to plans). The other families with children more or less the same age, managed to make the challenging drive, but only arrived at their apartment at 22pm (and couldn’t find the key, but that’s a different story …).
A quick search at booking.com found us a wonderful apartment right halfway, in the town of Trofaiach. We updated the owner of the apartment that we will be arriving only tomorrow, and changed our Google Maps destination. We passed through green hills and reached our new destination up the hill. It was a little difficult to find, but a whatsapp call to the owner of the place sorted things out and we figured out how to get there (continue another minute up the hill). After we parked in the private parking lot, we discovered a cute and warm apartment. It has a kitchen and a large room with a double bed, a TV, a large folding bed and a baby cot. There wasn’t much room to move inside the apartment, but the yard! oh, the yard. A maddening courtyard with an overlooked view of snowy mountains, with cows rising in the background in the terrace below. for summer time there is also a small pool. In this yard the children spent most of their time till the went to sleep, and the next morning too (some great pictures for the album!). Just what we needed for a night halfway from Vienna to Salzburg.
Friday - Grüner See
In the morning, we checked Tripadvisor for something to do in the area, and so we discovered that there is a lake 40 minutes away. The water that fills it comes from the snow melting off the mountain above. The lake exists only two months a year, exactly in May-June, so we couldn’t afford to miss it. The lake is called Grüner See – which means a green lake (Google it, the pictures don’t lie). The water has very unusual scenic turquoise color, and there’s a beautiful reflection of the mountains above it.
We started the journey calmly, and after fifteen minutes we began to drive on a dirt road. The dirt road continues through countless twists and turns. It was a comfortable path, but we knew it was going to start raining soon, which made me wonder a little about the way back. Is she the one to go through a dirt road when any moment it could rain and we could get stuck in the middle of nowhere with the kids?! NO WAY! well, yes way! Clearly, in the end, I persuaded her to continue, or rather, delayed the decision-making by saying, “It’s gonna be over soon!” Until it was finally over. The dirt road ended in about fifteen minutes and we got on a regular road.
An Unforgettable Moment
we arrive and park at a big dirt parking lot, ask a local how long it is on foot to the lake, and we’re told that it’s about 10 minutes walk. We start walking down the path where everyone is going, and after fifteen minutes we aren’t there yet. We don’t give up and after a few more steps, it showed up. The green lake. Something inside me tells me it’s not that, and I feel it’s worth going a little further.
Adi and Danielle are a little bit exhausted, so I take the middle one, Jordan, for a few minutes down the trail. Indeed, after 5 minutes it really showed up. The lake in full glory and full color lies at the foot of snowy mountains, in the middle of nowhere, inside a magnificent forest and complete silence. We go back to take the girls, and in the end we all arrive, and our breath is captivated by this beauty. We sit on a bench by the lake for a snack. Next to us are two men waiting for the right moment to fly a drone and photograph the lake from above. Jordan and I approach the water, and start splashing on each other, rolling with laughter, in a magical unforgettable moment.
After a few minutes (and lots of photos) we start to worry about the rain, so we decide to fold up pretty fast and return to the car. We head to Wagrain, where our apartment is for the next week. A stunning two-and-a-half-hour drive between the snowy Austrian mountains, and there we are, an apartment in the middle of verdant fields in between forest and mountains (update: as of December 2019, they no longer sell on Booking.com, so read the reviews on Booking, and if you decide it’s right for you, try their direct site). Google maps misleads us this time, so the lovely landlady directed us to the right place. We settle into the apartment and in the evening eat in the excellent Noah’s Arc restaurant in town. It has all kinds of food, pizzas, pastas, fish and meat and everything is delicious. We return to the apartment, check the weather, and find out tomorrow is a sunny day! WOOHOO !!
Advantages:
The apartment is quite small but very satisfying if it is mainly used for sleeping, preparations, and eating. Very well equipped kitchen (oven, hob, fridge, pans, pots, everything), 2 large rooms (double bed in each room + baby cot), dining area, luxurious bath, kitchen, balcony. There is a lawn downstairs, and children can use the facilities (slide, trampoline, swings). There is one staircase you need to go up to get to the apartment. The hostess was lovely, did us free laundry, and was flexible with the price when we decided to shorten our stay due to too rainy weather in the area.
Disadvantages:
The microwave wasn’t plugged in and had to be removed elsewhere to plug in the electricity, but it didn’t bother us because we only used it once. The bed in the master bedroom creaks with every move (especially relevant when sleeping with a baby in the room), and the mattress feels a little old and soft, but still comfortable and we had an excellent sleep. No living room / sitting area. I was missing an armchair to sit in the evening, but I don’t think there was room to put one in. We sat on the chairs in a dining area, or on the balcony when the weather allowed it.
Saturday - The open museum and the best apple strudel in Salzburg
The weather was bright, so we decided to open this morning at the open museum near Salzburg. The kids enjoyed riding the train that runs through the museum grounds, walking around the old houses, and especially the playground. But frankly? Not a particularly exciting place.
Call me a Weirdo, but I pretty much hate chocolate. On the other and, I’m a sucker for apple strudel. So when we were done, we looked for the most delicious apple strudel in Salzburg. Google led us to the “Sugar Cubes” restaurant, or in Austrian – Cafe würfelzucker. We Put the address on Google maps and got going.
In Salzburg, it was difficult to find parking (a tip for finding parking in larger cities later on this post), and the more we searched, the more we moved away from the much-awaited strudel restaurant. At this point we all (the three families) were starving. So we went for the closest Asian restaurant we found, which also included vegetarian and vegan dishes – Wokman Natural Kitchen. The restaurant is pretty small, but it was quite empty and it managed to accommodate the 3 families together. We ate, drank beer, and ended satisfied. The dishes were pretty tasty, not wow. By the time we left, it was starting to rain and we decided to go back for a family afternoon in the apartment. And what about the best apple strudel in Salzburg? Don’t worry, we’re not the ones who easily give up on strudel … It’s time will come.
Sunday - Swirling in the Water Park
Due to rainy weather, we decided to spend the day at the Erlebnis Therme Amade water park. For me this day was one of the highlights of the trip. There was a family ticket for only 20 euros per day. The park features 3 large water slides at various levels, which the children have done repeatedly. Well, I’m lying – not just the kids. me too. I’m LOVE water slides!! I was the only one who tried the scariest one that involves a tube you fall into. After entering the cell, the floor opens below you and then there is a free fall of 8 meters, then a loop!!! Crazy!! A delightful experience that goes by too fast.
Besides these slides, there is also an area with baby pool slides, a pool, a regular indoor pool, and a heated outdoor pool. It’s so much fun to be in a hot pool when it’s cold outside and there’s a drizzle. The pool also has a fun swirl that takes the swimmers in the rounds (another attraction we did again and again). We spent almost a full day there and in the evening we ate again at Noah’s Restaurant, this time with everyone. The restaurant also has an ice cream parlor. I really recommend asking for Pinocchio ice cream. It is a Pinocchio-shaped ice cream that got the kids all excited. Since then my middle kid insisted on looking for it in every ice cream shop in Israel.
In the evening we looked at the weather forcast in the area. Rain. Rain everywhere. Except for one place – the amusement park.
Monday - A private Amusement Park
Have you ever dreamed of being at a huge amusement park that opens just for you, without queues, without noise, when employees are there only at your disposal? No? Doesn’t matter. But that’s actually what happened to us, and without planning it setting it up in advance.
When we arrived at the Fantasiana Amusement Park the place looked closed.
Very few cars in the parking lot, it seemed quite deserted. One of us was sent as a pioneer to see if anything was open. It was. We enter, pay, Amusement Park music in the background, and we discover that we are alone. The only group in the park. I don’t know why. Maybe because we were before the peak of the season, maybe because people were afraid of the rain. We start getting on the facilities and an employee of the park accompanies us from facility to facility, opening everything up just for us, recommending us where to go first. It’s as if we paid for the park to be closed just for us. We’re sure the Park will probably fill up at any moment, but it didn’t. Throughout the day we were the only ones. 3 Israeli families, the kids running happily (and the parents too). Everyone else seemed to be either employees of the park, or their relatives.
Collision cars, roller coaster, children’s train, lake boating, a water slide that splashed you straight to the lake and everyone gets wet, boring 3D movie in Austrian, a restaurant where we are the only customers, high slides that you slide on with a rug. Everyone had a blast. We spent the whole day there and went back to dinner at the apartment.
In the evening… we look at the weather forecast, and see more days of rain ahead of us… everywhere in the area.
Tuesday - We're in Heaven
The weather leads us to the decision to spend the next day at the Salzburg Nature and Technology Museum. Not before we open the day with breakfast at… you guessed it. The best apple strudel in Salzburg, also known as paradise. So, we didn’t really taste all the strudel in Salzburg. In fact, this is the only apple strudel we tasted in Salzburg, and we reached it through the recommendation of some stranger online. But listen, it’s one of the best strudel I’ve ever eaten, so it’s probably really the best in Salzburg, at least. Warm, rich in flavors, accompanied by perfect vanilla ice cream. This must be how heaven feels like. When it was over, I sank into depression. And it was over quickly.
Museum of Nature and Technology in Salzburg and LOTS of Snow
We bought the kids some silly toys at the Klexx toy store downtown and proceeded to the museum. Listen, this museum is cool, impressive, fun, and we spent hours there. We wanted to fo to the toy museum as well, but it took us so long at the Museum of Nature and Technology that we didn’t get to it. We moved from the Space floor, to the Zoological floor, to the dinosaur exhibit, to the aquarium, and more. Everywhere the kids showed interest, got engaged, and were truly fascinated. There was also a huge room with science facilities. Get ready for some walking inside the museum, Gili was in the stroller most of the time and every now and then we let het out to burn some energy on foot. Is it recommended? I have no idea. Maybe you’ll get up on the wrong side that day, maybe your kids will be bored to death. But we spent a few hours there and time flew, so consider everything and decide if it’s right for you.
In the afternoon we returned to the apartment, and out of nowhere, it started to snow. Well, not out of nowhere… This whole week has been wintry. Too wintry, and now the whole area was painted white. I went outside with Danielle to experience real European snow. Another unforgettable experience, and one that we didn’t expect and all we needed for it was … nature in all its glory. So there was still something good about traveling in such weather. That evening I was supposed to go out to a pub and casino with the boys in the bunch, but due to a bad experience with driving while it was snowing in Italy, I decided to pass.
Golden Advice
The Parkopedia app abled us to find a small parking lot near the museum. It’s an app that finds parking in in every city in the world, and tells you what’s the price everywhere. recommended!
Wednesday - a day of... nothing
We need days of nothing sometimes. The original plan was to do something on this day and take a nearly 4-hour drive to Vienna on Thursday morning. But … the weather continued to be rainy. In addition, we saw that it was a good idea to split the trip from Vienna to Salzburg for 2 days. So we decided to do the same on the way back to Vienna, and cancel the last night in the apartment. The owner of the apartment was lovely and reduced the price for 2 nights cancellations, although she didn’t really have to. We found an apartment in Payerbach and this morning we organized slowly and drove lazily to our new destination. The town turned out to be a quiet and charming town. Some would say boring. The highlight was that we lived next door to what was home to renowned Austrian Jewish composer Arnold Schoenberg. I was terribly excited. Not really. I’ve never heard of Arnold Schoenberg before. Classical music lovers – please forgive me. The apartment itself, however, really surprised us for the better.
Advantages:
Amazing apartment. Large, beautiful, spacious, huge living room, yard, comfy beds, fully equipped kitchen, dining area. Great value for money. Close to the town center.
Disadvantages:
The stream in the shower was a bit weak, but we were only there one night, so we didn’t ask for it to be fixed. No bath. The children’s bunk beds are in the same room of the parents’ double bed. The yard was a bit neglected (but we weren’t really in season, so maybe in season it’s more cultivated).
Thursday - Back in The Womb - Vienna Music House
What sounds did you hear when you were in the womb? What did you feel there? How does the world outside sound when you were in the safest place in the world? Remember? probably not.
But when Gili, our little one (who was one and a half years old at the rime) arrived in a dark room with a large hemisphere inside, something happened. It was at the Music House in Vienna, and Out of the ball came sounds that simulate the sounds a baby hears from the womb. She ran straight there, lay down on the ball, pressed her ear, and listened. At first, we didn’t understand what was going on. Only when we read what those sounds we were hearing were, we began to understand. Does she really remember? Do these sounds remind her of her time in the womb? I don’t know, but what we do know is that she didn’t want to get out of there, and when we got there again, she ran over there once more. It was thrilling and breathtaking, and another moment we will never forget. See documentation in the video below.
Let’s go back to the beginning of the day. We organize the kids, and take an easy hour’s drive to Vienna, the big city. With plenty of city attractions, we chose to start the day at the music house (we found a nearby car park again with ParkoPedia). Besides the room with the sounds from the womb, it has wonderful exhibitions of all the famous creators of classical music. Awesome interactive displays for kids and adults, and even the ability to stand on the podium as an orchestra conductor and receive constructive criticism. We were there for about two hours, the kids really enjoyed it. We could have stayed longer but at some point, the kids lost their patience, so we headed out.
We spent the rest of the day at Therma Vienna, also known as the Oberla Water Park. The place is huge, the spa complex looks impressive and enticing, but we spent most of the time in the pool with the kids. 3 cute water slides, a diving platform (I jumped from 4 feet high), and an area with baby fountains.
Friday - One last mistake and going back gome
After spending time at the Therma Vienna, we drove to a hotel near the airport, spent half a night there, and drove to the airport.
By the way, in Vienna we made our last mistake. At first we booked an apartment in the city, and not close to the airport. It was said that there is free parking in the area. Two days before we were due, we were given the parking instructions, and we realized it wasn’t that simple. There was parking in the area, but it was only free for a few hours, so he directed us to the a parking lot which is within driving distance of the apartment. In short, we realized that it was not feasible to get up in the middle of the night, and walking to a distant parking lot. So we canceled after it could no longer be canceled for free, and we just paid for that night. Eventually, we took the night at the Heinhotel Vienna Airport.
Advantages:
Comfortable apartment for one night when you have a flight in the middle of the night. Large beds and a nice hotel bar, friendly staff and free on-site parking when staying one night.
Disadvantages:
A small apartment, the children’s beds were actually inside the kitchen. Small and well-equipped kitchen. The hotel is a 10-minute drive from the airport.
Summary + Costs
Austria is Stunning , and collected some unforgettable experiences with the kids, that will stay with us for life. If the weather was better … and if we were traveling in high season … could we visit more exciting attractions? Probably yes, but it doesn’t matter. We knew how to make the most of the cards that had fallen into our hands, and not to sink into bitterness. For the benefit of those who travel in the season, here is a short list of attractions in the area that we could not reach.
Have fun on your trop, and you are very welcome to leave comments and ask questions. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram as well.
Costs
Flight 930$
Flight cancellation insurance 90$
Apartment in Vienna 125$ – canceled
Health insurance 130$
Car Rental in Austria 700$
Shuttle to / from Ben Gurion Airport 160$
Expenses (attractions, food + housing) 1300$
Total 3435$
More Attractions (that we didn't do)
Golling Falls
Duration: Walk from the parking lot to the waterfalls – 15 minutes
Waterfalls falling in two stages at a total height of 250 feet into the valley. A short and pleasant nature walk in a central location.
Lammerklamm
Duration: 1.5 hours
Includes a high bridge over the river between both sides of the canyon. Another easy hiking trail and best suited for families in a deep canyon along a flowing river. Three main sections of the crevice are: the dark crevice “dark Klamm” where the passage is so narrow that the rocks on either side seem to touch each other. The Katarakt – the upper part of the crevice surrounded by rock walls reaching up to 330 feet high. The high bridge – a high bridge over the river between the two sides of the canyon in the area where the crevice becomes narrow again.
Salt mine in hallein
Duration: 1 hour+ (about two and a half hours including a visit to the Celtic village).
Entrance from age 4!
Tip: Arrive early at 9am. Bring warm clothes. 12 degrees in the mine. Tip the guide at the end …
Tours of the Salt Mine take place every half hour. This is an experience for all ages. These are the most recommended mines to visit, both because of their central location and the attractive tour that takes place there.
As you walk, you cross the border into Germany and back to Austria. Towards the end of the tour, you reach a salt lake that you cross with a small raft. During the short cruise you listen to quiet music, and watch a short lights show.
Town – HALLSTATT
Preserved town. Not recommended on Sundays. Park outside the town and from there take a bus to the town center (or on foot if arriving early). The Skull House is a house with skulls of everyone who died in the town from 1850 (approximately) until recently.
An electric boat can be rented for boating in the lake. There is a neat beach with slides, jumping platforms and lawns. Extremely photogenic town. Really an advertisement for Austria. There’s a reason it stars in every brochure.
Gosau town
A lovely and lush resort town known for its small lake. Around the lake is a hiking trail that surrounds it with 11 stations with various information and sessions.
The Dachstein cable car + the ice cave
Duration: 5 hours (Cave tour about an hour)
Tip: At the top of the cable car when you reach the top, you have to go to the register again to register and get a group number. Cave temperature – minus 2 degrees Celsus.
First stop on cable car – Ice Cave. There are 3 Ice caves but only one is the largest and most recommended. Very cold. Walk up a steep climb (20 minutes) to the entrance to the cave and join the tour in English. About 600 steps in total.
Second stop on cable car – 5-finger observation – Amazing view.
Krimml Falls
Duration: 3 hours
Considered the highest waterfalls in Europe, the most beautiful and impressive on the continent. The road to the waterfalls involves quite a few twisty ascents and tunnel crossings and a fee. Parking is free. Ascending the waterfalls is steep so it is possible to board taxis parked opposite the water world (Wasserwunderwelt) to take a taxi up to the top.
It is highly recommended to go down the entire route. The hike is not difficult, downhill a well paved dirt road. Along the trail there are vantage points towards the falls.
Wasserwunderwelt – The water world
Duration: Two hours
Various water-powered facilities – a museum on water and water games (water response to voice, for example). In the museum, a three-dimensional film about the Krimml glacier that turns into a waterfall, and in a nearby movie theater with a film that shows the landscape and life of the high alps.
Sensory Park in Leogang
The park is located at Leogang’s middle cable car station. After the park, it is recommended to climb to the cable car’s top stop and take a walk in the paths through magical alpine views.
Cable car hours: 9am to 4:45 pm
Liechtenstein Canyon
Opening hours: 08: 00-18: 00
Duration: 1 hour
Drive to the last parking lot. Free parking. The canyon is considered the most beautiful and most deep in the Alps. In some places along the path, the canyon walls are so high (about 300 meters) and so close to each other that a piece of sky can hardly be seen. The water in the river is turquoise green. During the walk you can hear the thunder of the waterfalls and notice colorful arcs. We recommend wearing warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes in any weather. At the entrance to the mall are two restaurants. 1 km long track.
The Hohenwerfen Citadel
Tip: You can go downhill by foot rather than a cable car
The Castle Hohenwerfen Castle rises above the Salzach Valley and sits on a huge rock that rises to a height of 155 meters above its surroundings, some 40 km south of Salzburg.
Alpine Slides in Abtenau
A modern slide that opened in 2005. Rise to the starting point in a closed cable car designed for 5-6 people. The length of the 1980 meter track and one of its attractions is slinding under bridges. There is also a mini golf course, inflatables and trampolines.
