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Travel Advice: Salzburg, Grainau, Munich, and Crete

Posted on 4/27/22 at 1:40 pm
Posted by Foch
Member since Feb 2015
804 posts
Posted on 4/27/22 at 1:40 pm
Good Afternoon All,

I'll be taking my wife, 3 sons (5, 2, 6 months) on a trip to Bavaria/Salzburg area in the coming weeks and was hoping for some advice on the itinerary. We are renting a car for the Bavaria/Austria portion and have the below major items planned for each location:

Salzburg (4 nights):
Augustiner bräu - Klosters Mülln (beer garden)
Salzburg fortress
Schafberg Railway/Saint Wolfgang and lake
Traunsee (lake): traunkirchen, Gmunden, Miesweg Hike
Possible: Gosau and Gosau lake or more time in Salzburg

Grainau (3 nights):
On the drive from Salzburg to Grainau: Berchtesgaden and lake
Zugspitze
Eibsee
Partnach Gorge
Garmisch
neuschwanstein castle
Possible: Mittenwald/Oberammergau/Alpspitze

Munich (3 nights):
English Garden
Marienplatz
Beer gardens

Elounda (5 nights/ Blue Palace Crete)
Sit on the beach
Town of Plaka
Spinalonga Island

Any "must do" events missed for a family? Specifically in Munich and Crete? Restaurant recommendations in Garmisch/Grainau/Salzburg very welcome as well. Thanks!
This post was edited on 4/27/22 at 1:45 pm
Posted by geauxpurple
New Orleans
Member since Jul 2014
16616 posts
Posted on 4/27/22 at 3:49 pm to
I loved Salzburg but four nights is a long time there in my opinion. I would rather spend most of that time in Vienna which is one of my favorite cities to visit.

I also enjoyed Munich. The Hoffbrau Haus is the famous beer garden. Touristy but fun. I remember walking in there on an Easter Sunday night and immediately getting the impression that of the hundreds of people in there we were the only ones who were sober. We soon caught up with the party.
Posted by McVick
Member since Jan 2011
4605 posts
Posted on 4/27/22 at 6:10 pm to
You could try St Peter Stiftskulanarium in Salzburg. Their roots as a restaurant go back to 803 A.D. Wildermann is also good for local food. I remember I liked a meat dish with a spätzle side.

Get some Sachertorte (yes I know it's a Vienna thing) and/or apfelstrudel at a local coffee shop. Maybe Salzburger Nockerl. The kids may like some Mozartballs.

It may be too early for the crazy fountains but Hellbrunn Palace could be a fun short trip out of the city.
Posted by NOLAinPHL
Philadelphia
Member since Feb 2021
20 posts
Posted on 4/27/22 at 6:33 pm to
Definitely go to Kanali in Elounda. We were in Crete for 4 nights and ate there twice. Get the salt baked fish (sea bass, I think).

The setting is beautiful. You essentially go to the edge of Elounda beach, cross a tiny bridge onto Kalydon island, and it’s the only sign of life besides some ruins. If you time it right, you’ll see fisherman coming up the canal to deliver fresh fish.

Otherwise, you’ll enjoy Elounda and the nearby Cretian sites. Beautiful island with friendly people and great food. It’s not really a popular place for American tourists, so you’re likely not to encounter many Americans.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23425 posts
Posted on 4/28/22 at 7:54 am to
Is this the same trip? If so, why? You don’t want to do Greece, Crete on its own?

I would highly recommend renting a car for Bavaria/ Austria.

Go to all of the King Ludwig castles, Ice Cave outside of Saltzburg, salt mine tour, Eagles Nest, and explore the Alps by car. Stunning area.

We did the Sound of Music Bike tour in Saltzburg and bike is a great way to explore both Saltzburg and Munich.

Munichs a fantastic big city. Very clean with a lot of parks.
Posted by Fun Bunch
New Orleans
Member since May 2008
128036 posts
Posted on 4/28/22 at 9:07 am to
quote:

Is this the same trip? If so, why? You don’t want to do Greece, Crete on its own?


Yeah I find this itinerary to be super odd
Posted by Foch
Member since Feb 2015
804 posts
Posted on 4/28/22 at 10:03 am to
quote:

Yeah I find this itinerary to be super odd


It is odd, but I have two and a half weeks of leave and free night credits+cheap flights that need to get burned. Additionally, we are DC area based and there are numerous direct flights to MUC. MUC is also a hub for flights to Crete, meaning that we can get from MUC to Crete with ease and the return flight to the Washington area is quite easy.

Finally, we were hoping to relax at the tail end of an active trip around Bavaria/salzkammergut. We've done Chania on the west side of the island for a week before and hoped to see the east.
Posted by Foch
Member since Feb 2015
804 posts
Posted on 4/28/22 at 10:07 am to
quote:

Is this the same trip? If so, why? You don’t want to do Greece, Crete on its own?

I would highly recommend renting a car for Bavaria/ Austria.

Go to all of the King Ludwig castles, Ice Cave outside of Saltzburg, salt mine tour, Eagles Nest, and explore the Alps by car. Stunning area.

We did the Sound of Music Bike tour in Saltzburg and bike is a great way to explore both Saltzburg and Munich.

Munichs a fantastic big city. Very clean with a lot of parks.


Same trip. We have been to Chania previously for a week and did most things on the west side of the island. Crete is a wonderful place. We wanted to see some stuff on the east side, but will mostly spend time relaxing in between Plaka and Elounda.

Definitely renting a car. The lakes district is our prime draw to Salzburg, and we are using it as a base visiting several lakes (Wolfgangsee, Traunsee, konigssee, lake gosau).

Did you like the salt mine tours? We are torn on whether it will be a priority.
This post was edited on 4/28/22 at 10:09 am
Posted by Foch
Member since Feb 2015
804 posts
Posted on 4/28/22 at 10:14 am to
quote:

Definitely go to Kanali in Elounda.


Thanks for the tip! I looked it up, and it the views are great (food looks fantastic as well).

Crete is an awesome place. We really enjoyed Elafonissi Beach and Balos Beach on earlier trips. Stopping off at random tavernas and eating with amazing views on the coast or in the mountains was a highlight of our visit. Though Santorini's sunsets are amazing, we very much preferred Crete.
Posted by Foch
Member since Feb 2015
804 posts
Posted on 4/28/22 at 10:17 am to
quote:

St Peter Stiftskulanarium in Salzburg


quote:

Wildermann is also good for local food


quote:

Salzburger Nockerl.


Thanks for the tips! I wish I could have convinced the wife for a return to vienna (for torte and other stuff). We are really looking forward to Austrian cafes (a different take from other euro countries).
Posted by geauxpurple
New Orleans
Member since Jul 2014
16616 posts
Posted on 4/28/22 at 2:36 pm to
I recommended that you go to Vienna, but you don't have to go there for a Sacher torte. If you are looking to get a Sacher Torte, there is a Hotel Sacher in Salzburg. I had one in the Sacher Hotel in Vienna.
It was a pretty good piece of chocolate cake in an elegant and luxurious room. You are paying for the atmosphere.

That St. Peter Stiftskulanarium claims to be the oldest restaurant in the world, and I believe it. Charlemagne ate there and wrote a short review of it. We didn't eat there but we did walk around in there before the lunch hour. It is worth at least a look.
Posted by SpillwayRoyalty
Member since Nov 2019
587 posts
Posted on 4/28/22 at 3:29 pm to
I would agree that four days in Salzburg may be difficult unless you do a lot of day trips.
Posted by Fat Harry
70115
Member since Mar 2005
2369 posts
Posted on 4/29/22 at 6:41 am to
Definitely do the Salt Mine tour. The kids will love the slides.
Boat on the Koenigsee. Go up to the Kehlsteinhaus.

Additional ideas for Munich -- Take the ferry to the Herreninsel on the Chiemsee.
There are some cool places on Lake Starnberg.
BMW World is great for kids.
Therme Erding too.
Go swimming at one of the many public swimming pools.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23425 posts
Posted on 4/29/22 at 11:13 am to
quote:

Definitely do the Salt Mine tour. The kids will love the slides.


This. Kids will enjoy it. Its not "amazing" I wouldn't say for adults, but worth doing. Interesting for sure, and kids should love it.

I'd look for some Alpine slides also in the alps, usually at ski resorts.

The alps are great in the summer, TONS of stuff for families and kids to do. I would consider most of the mountain summer activities to be under rated. I'd strongly consider 1-2 nights in Saltzburg and then staying in the mountains for 2-3 nights, potentially in a ski resort town. There will be a ton of activities, including taking the ski lift to the top of the mountain and hiking around.
Posted by Y.A. Tittle
Member since Sep 2003
109736 posts
Posted on 4/29/22 at 10:31 pm to
In Munich, I thought the Deutsches Museum to be the most German thing I could ever imagine. It’s like the Louvre for German Engineering.

Although, I just noticed the ages of your kids. It may be a bit lost on them.
This post was edited on 4/29/22 at 10:38 pm
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