2 Days In Germany & Austria
I had to go to Austria to see if the hills were really alive with the sound of music.
Funny, right? I thought so too, that's why I had to steal it from my sister's Instagram post.
My family and I spent 2 full days in 2 neighboring countries - Austria and Germany. Although, we spent most of our time in Austria, we still got to experience a lot of Germany in a very short amount of time. Here's what we did!
After our long flight from LA to Germany, we took a pit stop to tour Dachau before heading to Salzburg where we stayed in a hotel for the next 3 nights. Salzburg, Austria is a short 2 hour drive from Munich, Germany, which made our final leg of the 26-hour-long trip fly by!
While in Salzburg, we ate Weiner Schnitzel, walked around the city, toured the Hohensalzburg Fortress, stopped by all of the Sound of Music filming locations (can you tell that's my mom's favorite movie?), checked out where Mozart lived, scaled a tall mountain called Untersberg via a cable car lift, went to the zoo, and even played at a park or two (they had cool zip lines, okay?).
Our biggest excursions in Germany, besides driving as fast as we possibly could on the Autobahn (aka the world's fastest highway), were all WWII related - my dad's a big history nerd! These included the Dachau Concentration Camp on the first day we landed in Europe and Kehlsteinhaus, where Hitler's bunker and Eagle's Nest is located.
And let me tell you, Eagle's Nest is an extremely odd place to visit. It's where some of the most horrific war crimes in history were planned, but it's also where you can see some of the most amazing views of Germany and Austria. I mean, just take a look for yourself!
After spending two days in Austria and Germany, I learned about their rich histories, appreciated God's creation, and enjoyed some traditional Austrian and German dishes! I also decided that 2 days was not enough and that I'll definitely need to come back some day. Below is what I recommend seeing if you 2 days in Salzburg like I did.
5 things you need to do in Salzburg:
(and in it's surrounding areas...)
Check out Mirabell Palace & Gardens (one of the Sound of Music stops - more specifically, the garden where the kids and Maria sang "Do Re Mi")
Take a ride on the Untersberg Cable Car (absolutely gorgeous!)
Pretend you're royalty in the Hohensalzburg Fortress (which is a really old and really cool castle that sits on a hill over-looking all of present-day Salzburg)
Eat at an authentic Austrian/German restaurant (...or two...)
See where the most despicable man in history spent most of his time at Eagle's Nest (for crazy views and even crazier history)
I also recommend buying a 24-hour Salzburg Card, which grants you access to most of these excursions and more! It was a great way for my family and I to see everything we wanted to see while on a budget.
Want to check out more places to visit in Germany? Take a look at my Berlin blog post!
