Salzburg, Austra

Salzburg is a Winter Wonderland. It was covered in snow for our entire stay which gave a festive feel to the city. The local markets and ice rink in the old town added to the atmosphere. We felt like we could have been living in the times of Mozart, especially when walking along the river with the impressive castle looking down over the city. Salzburg is a small and walkable city. It was a great place to meet friends for New Year celebrations.

Fast Five Favourites:

• Staying right in the middle of Altstadt. We wandered out of our apartment door and straight into the lively shops and holiday atmosphere.
• The Sound of Music tour-seeing all of the iconic locations from a childhood movie was incredible. Even if you haven't seen the movie, the scenic drive is well worth it!
• Mount Untersberg-we had a beautiful sunny New Years day and stunning views. It was completely covered in snow and the cable journey was phenomenal. 
• Hohensalzburg Castle-the largest fully preserved castle in Central Europe. The views were remarkable and there are a lot of different tours you can do. The fireworks on New Year's Eve is a memory we will never forget!
• Snowboarding in the Alps nearby-really easy and convenient to get there by bus.

Tips:

• Visit the Afro Cafe, located in the Old Town. We went back multiple times. They had delicious food and drinks, but most of all the decor and atmosphere of the cafe was unique and fun!
• Try and plan for Mount Untersberg on a clear day, especially if there is fresh snow. We are not sure how great the experience would have been on a cloudy day.
• We had 5 nights and thought this was a good amount of time, especially being there for New Years. It is a small city you could explore in 3 days if your time was more limited.
• The Christmas markets were all being packed away when we arrived a few days after Christmas. Thankfully we had seen other markets on our trip but it is just something to be aware of if you are looking forward to Christmas markets. 
• Hallstatt is a popular day trip and accessible by public transport. We didn't quite make it there.
• Shop around for the Sound of Music tour-there was quite a range of prices being offered for what appeared to be the exact same tour. It was interesting to see the locations covered in snow. If you are wanting to experience the green rolling hills, it would be better to visit outside of winter.
• Take a walk to the Mirabell Gardens and Palace across the river. It is also a Sound of Music location with a great view up to the castle.
• Make sure you take time to wander outside of the Old Town, away from the main streets. There are so many hidden gems and courtyards off the beaten track.
• It was fun to visit Mozart's birthplace, just down the road from where we were staying. Mozart is still very much alive throughout the city, from the chocolates to the Christmas decorations.

Baby on Board:

• Lilah wasn't born when we visited but we would love to take her here. The streets are all cobble-stoned so it would be hard to use some strollers. We would probably just take our Baby Bjorn carrier.
• We were surprised at how many restaurants and bars allowed smoking inside. We would check this before taking Lilah inside.
• It was obviously really cold in the winter so we would make sure she had the right gear for this.