Another Classic Austrian Thanksgiving
For the second year in a row, Mary Frances and I decided to head to Austria for our Austrian/American Thanksgiving, round 2! This year, we would be joined by Jenni so it would be thrilling!
How?
Before we finalized our trip to Austria, we ensured we would see Christmas markets! Thankfully, both Salzburg and Innsbruck markets opened November 23!
The Itinerary
Similar to last year’s trip, we picked Salzburg as our “goal” for the trip. The only problem is there are no direct flights from London to Salzburg on a Wednesday night… Thus, we opted to fly into Munich which is a short train ride away. To explore other parts of Austria, we looked at the ski town of Innsbruck to end our trip. Plus, it had a perfect flight time back to London!
To try and make things complicated, we decided to add another dreamy and romantic village to our itinerary - Hallstatt. Although I had visited four years ago, Mary Frances has not been and we constantly see it on our TV as a background. It would add about 4-ish hours of travel, but I knew Mary Frances would love the tranquil and peace in Hallstatt (not mentioning the views!!).
Lodging
For our lodging, it was tricky to find a suitable place that would be affordable and nice since we were a party of 3, but the rooms/AirBnBs were priced for four people. In Munich, I chose the closest thing to the train station, Wombats Hostel, as we would be arriving after midnight and leaving at 7am.
In Salzburg, we had to go with a decent size family room in Meininger Hotel which was 30+ minutes away from Old Town.
Somehow, I splurged in Innsbruck and we managed to get upgraded at the Marriott AC Hotel. As we checked into our hotel, AC Hotel by Marriott, we were upgraded to the penthouse suite. Rather than sharing two double beds, we shared a giant suite with two rooms! Perks of loyalty programs!
For our one night romantic getaway in Hallstatt, we stayed at the boutique Hallstatt Hideaway.
Travel
As I alluded, we would be flying into Munich on Lufthansa from Heathrow. When we booked it, it had an ideal leaving time of 7:30pm on Wednesday and landed around 10pm. For our return, British Airways has one flight from Innsbruck at 5:30pm, arriving back at 6:45pm. Since we were delayed on both flights, it didn’t impact us terribly because of our “new” rule where we have to arrive before midnight and return by 8pm. I guess I took Mary Frances on too many 2am flights!
Since we would be in Austria and on the excellent German/Austrian train system, we had easy and affordable trains on all trips. I always use seat61.com to decide if we should go second or first class if the price is right. There are trains every hour on the routes so we weren’t stressed about times! Since I “forced” Mary Frances on a 7am train, she decided a new train “rule” was we had to go in first class so she could sleep…. I guess the peasants wake her up in second class!
Onto Munich
Since I was in Newbury, I thought it would be an easy drive since it is only 20 miles from Heathrow. Unfortunately, I did not plan on getting lost, roadworks, and confusion… Mary Frances thought she had it “rough” on the National Express bus which takes you from MK straight to Terminal 2. In the end, Mary Frances’ journey, although technically longer, was shorter and she easily beat me to Heathrow.
In Terminal 2, there is an excellent lounge with Priority Pass - the Plaza Premium Lounge. Since it had the word premium in it, it was classy, full of yummy food, and alcohol. Not to mention, the lounge is right to the gates!
Unfortunately, our flight was delayed until 8-8:30pm. Since the flight is only an hour and a half long, it only impacted our immediate arrival in Munich.
Unsurprisingly, we were also the last flight in Munich. Thankfully, customs was short and we were able to sprint to the train station and hop on the next to last train. When we arrived at Wombats, it was nearly 1am so we immediately crashed in our basic private ensuite.
Happy in Hallstatt
Our first day in Austria, we were determined to be happy in Hallstatt!
First Class is the Best Class
As I mentioned, we now have a rule where if we train travel before 7am, we have to upgrade to first class. If only I hadn’t done it in France (on purpose) where economy was the same price as first class… Anyways, first class is clearly the best class - especially in Germany! We had plenty of room, comfortable seats, and fast connecting wifi. Not to mention, it was an empty train and we were happy to sit back and relax!
To get to Hallstatt, we had to had change in Salzburg and again in XXX. Until XXX, we were in first class. When I told Mary Frances that we would be forced to be in second class, she stared at me in disgust… Thankfully I had beautiful scenery to stare at!
Once in Hallstatt, there is only one way to get into the village centre - by ferry. People must have 2.50 in order to get into town and thankfully we had exactly 5 euros!! Whew! We saw other tourists who didn’t know this and were stuck on that side of the lake.
Travel Tip: Bring CASH (at least 5E per person) to Hallstatt to avoid being stuck at the train station
Wandering Hallstatt
Once we dropped off our bags, we began to explore the sleep Alpine village. Mostly, I was looking for lunch! First, I went to the famous photo spot just before the sun set behind the high Austrian Alps. I was not alone as there were many people at the spot, including stay away and keep quiet signs from the houses! Sadly, the price of tourism fame and beautiful places!
Our hotel host informed us of his favorite restaurants so we had to choose which one for dinner and the other one for lunch! Moreover, it is not like we had loads of choices… At the Seewirt - Zauner, we dined whilst overlooking the village square. We shared a portion of absolutely giant schnitzel! I do not know how normal people can eat this meal in one go! We both were in a food coma after this one!
After our mighty lunch, we visited the local shops and tiny “Christmas” markets. Along the main road, which isn’t hard to figure out, there were a few booths and really unique toys and crafty souvenirs. We were truly happy with it! Hallstatt does not take much time to explore as it has one main road. There are a few overlooks, but in winter and after sunset, it does not seem like that great of an idea. Thus, we kept our time to the beautiful little shops and views before heading back to our hotel.
Our Austrian Thanksgiving
To celebrate with our family, we Facetimed both sets before our dinner. Although we are separated by an ocean, we can have a modern ‘traditional’ Thanksgiving. We had a lovely time catching up before we headed off for our Thanksgiving feast!
As I mentioned earlier, we only had two really good options so we went to Seehotel Gruner Baum. Though it was not an European holiday, the hotel had a lovely setting with white tablecloths and candles. My meal was a lovely pesto pasta and Mary Frances had the venison rags, it was quite lovely! To top off our dinner, we had a hazelnut ice cream pie for dessert.
In a food coma, we walked back to our hotel and settled in for the night. We attempted to start a fire, but we were out of fuel.. Very quickly, Mary Frances immediately fell asleep, leaving me to a quiet Thanksgiving. I was able to do all my Black Friday shopping in peace!
Friends in Austria!
On this Friday, we would leave sleepy Hallstatt for lovely Salzburg to join Jenni on a quick tour of Austria!
Early in the Morning
As expected, I was the only one about in sleepy Hallstatt early in the morning! To take advantage of the beautiful places, I took pictures along the the river. The village is truly remarkable and extremely picturesque. I am so happy and blessed to be able to take these photos!
In addition, I was one of the first people at the bakery called Cafe Backerei! They had so many tasty looking treats! I chose our standard order and went back to the room. Our hotel had excellent views that cannot be missed!
Onto Salzburg
Unfortunately, we had to leave the very scenic Hallstatt via the ferry. For those on the village, there is only one way in and out of the island and it allows for amazing pictures and selfies! The train back to Salzburg is quite unremarkable as we had to go through the same villages. All we could do is wait until we arrived in Salzburg again! Mary Frances was just upset I didn’t buy us first class tickets.
We arrived in Salzburg and took a taxi to the Meininger Hotel. Sadly, it was one of the few hotels/hostels in the city which allowed for three people. We were upgraded to the family room and had plenty of room as if we were one big happy family! Jenni even had a bunk bed!
Exploring Old Town
In the Old Town, there are many things to do such as Mozart’s house, Mozart’s favorite coffee house, palace, catacombs, and Christmas markets! Since all of us had been to Salzburg and done most of these things, we opted to see the Christmas markets! For us, these would be the first markets of the season!
We happily ate some brats as we wandered around the festive wooden stalls. Even though we are seasoned veterans, a market is truly special when we saw it for the first time! However, we had to pace ourselves and also hide from the cold so we chose a famous coffee house - Furst.
Furst is First
According to legend, over the years, there has been a great debate over which opposing coffee house is the best between Tomaseili and Furst. In the coffee house, we had to sit down order our coffee, then go to the counter to order our cakes. Instead of my usual chocolate heavy order, I happened to chose a bright prink cake called Punschkrapfen. According to my audit team, this is a rare Austrian delicacy. According to Jenni, there is only one difference between this Austrian cake and the popular US type of fondant cake. Oh well, both delicious!
After our Furst experience, we strolled around town and enjoyed the Christmas lights with the little shops! We even went shopping although we were unsuccessful.
Before long, we had visited the whole Old Town! Thus, we turned around to visit the second coffee house - Tomaseili.
Since it was in the early evening, I decided to not get a coffee. Tomaseili advertised a Mozart’s milk, which sounded interesting and very touristy! However, I did not anticipate quite literally warm almond milk. To say the drink was good would be a gross overstatement! After I finished the milk, the waiter kindly reminded me that Salzburg was Mozart’s birthplace rather than his home… I should have known better!
The Night of No Reservation
To truly experience the markets, we went back at night and saw the lights mixed with Austrian cheer! We decided to treat ourselves to a lovely gluhwein and hot apple cider for Mary Frances. Next, Mary Frances gave us the great opportunity to shop with her. Jenni and I would stroll behind her and comment on the almost purchase.
After awhile, we decided it was time for a proper meal and went to the two places Mary Frances had researched beforehand. From last year, we remembered that the cities are often packed with locals AND visitors so we must have a reservation. Since it wasn’t technically the start of the Christmas season, we figured we could leave it to chance.. Boy were we wrong!
After going to Gasthof Alter Fuchs, we failed! Luckily, Jenni knew a local beer hall that always had room so we went to Augustiners. Originally, we went for a snack while we waited for anywhere else to have an open table. Eventually, I became too hangry and demanded real food! Therefore, I ended my night with an amazing schnitzel!
Saturday is for Strudel
On this lovely Saturday, we would spend most of the day in Salzburg before taking a quick two hour train to Innsbruck at the base of the beautiful Austrian Alps!
The Afro Cafe
In typical MF fashion, we had a very lazy morning. Since we did not have much on the schedule, we had a bit of a lazy morning. However, hunger was stirring and I found a fun little cafe in Old Town called Afro Cafe. Jenni laughed when I told her since she saw cheesy advertisements earlier that week
We felt very hipster! For my breakfast, I had a great breakfast sandwich and a coffee while Mary Frances had simple scrambled eggs. I felt very healthy afterwards!
The Old Town
After our breakfast, we wandered through the markets yet again. We ate plenty of yummy sweet things and gluhwein! I have missed a few things since our last Christmas markets and both of those are gluhwein and sweet things!
To get a great view of Old Town and the cathedral, we went to the catacombs. Back in the medieval times, monks hid in the caves to escape perscution. Moreover, the monks left beautiful drawings and carvings that indicate their own history. For us, we simply wanted to great views!
We all scream for Spetzle!
By far, the most popular food stall at the market was the spazel tent! People were going mad for a taste of this delicious German macaroni and cheese and we were also desperate for a bucket or two! Thankfully, Jenni and I fought the crowds and were able to get two of these delicious treats. To kill time, we decided to go into a cafe or stay at the market. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a cafe so we were stuck at the market for a little bit longer!
Onto Innsbruck
On the train, there was only one amusing story involving Jenni’s seat buddy. I recommended the seat in front of Mary Frances and I since there a sleeping Asian man had been there. Unfortunately, the man woke up and started blasting anime and reeked of cigrette smoke. Safe to say it was a lovely journey for Jenni!
Once in Innsbruck, we immediately went in search of the Christmas markets and food. Similar to Salzburg, the markets were very crowded, but were a bit smaller. On the main street in Old Town, there were two rows of wooden stalls leading throughout the city leading onto the markets by the river.
Throughout the stalls, we found many treasures, including charcuterie, tea, coffee, and nice wool hats! The only thing we could not find was dinner yet again. We had several options, including a great looking Italian restaurant Da Rocco, but we kept failing to find a local spot. Instead, Mary Frances bailed on the idea of dinner claiming to be full from our late afternoon lunch…
Just One More
Since Jenni and I were on our own, we decided to go back to the cool looking bar, Liquid Diary, for a nightcap after discovering the pizzeria nearby didn’t close until 11pm. We asked the friendly bartender for his recommendation and then enjoyed I had a great time and enjoyed the drinks there! We then decided we would have just one more drink. At Alligator Pizza, we ordered a perfect average pizza for us. Normally, I would have been disappointed on a meal but it was a fantastic ending to a great day!
One Last Classic Austrian Sunday
On Sunday, we explore the tiny streets of Innsbruck while gazing at the raw beauty of the Austrian Alps. While we wished we were skiing, we had fun in this ski town.
Not so Great Morning
Similar to my past mornings, I woke up early to go take pictures and explore an empty city! Unfortunately, the weather was not with me today and there were many clouds blocking the Alps. While the weather was not cooperating, I was certainly the only one in the old town except for the street cleaner! I even beat some of the bakeries as my breakfast spot wasn’t open yet. I grabbed a few baked goods and headed back to our hotel.
Crystal Christmas Markets
After our lovely breakfast, we walked to Old Town to properly explore Innsbruck. Unknown to us, Innsbruck is close to the home of Swaoski! Inside the old town, we visited the Crystal museum. Although this wasn’t exciting for myself, it was interesting to see all sort of neat things that can be made out of crystal! They had loads of Star Wars, Disney, and other themed designs.
After the museum, we went into the Christmas markets yet again and purchased a lot of Christmas presents for ourselves and our friends. There is just something special in the air once we see the Christmas markets! Helping this mood was the amazing view of the Alps! Unlike this morning, the mountains were in full force surrounding the city. It made me want to go skiing! And a reminder than early mornings do not always mean great photos…
Italian Lunch
Since we were still craving Italian food despite our late night pizza run, MF kept researching top Italian restaurants in Innsbruck’s Old Town. Finally, we found Trattoria-Pizzeria Due Sicilie, a true local Italian restaurant with minimal seating and Italian people running the pizza oven! Later on, a very late Italian family joined us and we felt that we picked a good place!
For our food, we split an antipasto with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, bread, and other treats. Because we had bad pizza last night, we went for a delicious spicy Diavola and an everything pizza with lettuce, tomato, and prosciutto.
The Final Lap
As always, all good things must come to an end. We said our goodbyes to Jenny as she was going to the train station to then head back to Munich. We had another hour to kill before going to the airport so we did what we do best - wander through the markets. Mary Frances always has a little kid expression so it is truly special for me to stand back and watch the magic. Unsurprisingly, she spent all our euro cash so we went to the airport with full bags!!
Lounge Life
To get to the Innsbruck airport is really easy! We could have even walked or taken the 10 minutes bus ride, but we went with a taxi since MF had too many Christmas market gifts! Once there, I had to visit the lounge! On the Priority Pass app, the Innsbruck airport lounge looked amazing. In person, it is spectacular!
We had front row seats to the gorgeous Austrian Alps AND were able to stalk the many private jets flying in and out of the tiny airport. The sunset was equally amazing and I definitely enjoyed the free view!
The UnChartered Summary
During our last meal, we reminisced over our very successful Austrian Thanksgiving. We successfully navigated the two great Christmas markets in Salzburg and Innsbruck and then finally found our Italian meal for the last Austrian one!
- In Hallstatt, remember to bring at least 10 euros in cash for the boat ride. Otherwise, you’ll be taking a long train trip to visit the lake!
- If you're looking for a romantic stay, I would highly recommend staying in Hallstatt overnight.
- For photography, head out really early to take great pictures of the still lake.
- Salzburg markets are incredible with many food and gift options. While the markets are large, they are small enough to enjoy a cozy visit.
- Innsbruck has great Austrian Alp views with small town charm. We need to visit during ski season!!
- For Christmas markets (and in general), if there is a place you want to eat, just go ahead and book a reservation… Christmas markets attract locals AND tourists and you need to be prepared