Regions in Brief

The Tennengau

The Tennengau, named for the Tennen massif, is a division of the Salzach Valley south of Salzburg, characterized by rolling hills and woodlands. Waterfalls dot the landscape -- those outside the town of Golling are the most visited. Much of the Tennengau area, especially the houses with their gables and window boxes full of geraniums, will remind visitors of neighboring Bavaria.

As you leave Salzburg, going south on the left bank of the Salzach River, you'll pass through Anif, on the outskirts of Salzburg. You'll find some excellent old romantic accommodations in Anif if you'd like to stay near the provincial capital.

If you don't want to stay in the Tennengau region, you might consider a day trip from Salzburg. Its chief sight is the Dürrnberg Salt Mines outside Hallein. However, if you'd like to stay in the district, you'll find good accommodations in Golling.

The Pongau

Badgastein and Bad Hofgastein are part of an area of Land Salzburg known as the Pongau -- one of several sections of an alpine valley called Salzach. The Pinzgau section of the Salzach Valley is to the southwest.

Visitors to the Pongau most frequently go through the Gastein Valley, of which Badgastein and Bad Hofgastein are a part. For many centuries, the Gastein Valley has been known for its hot springs, but since World War II it has also become a winter-sports center. As a consequence, many old spas such as Badgastein suddenly find themselves overrun with skiers in winter.

The Radstädter Tauern region is the second-most popular section of the Pongau. It sprawls across five mountains and four valleys, with a mammoth expanse of terrain from St. Johann to Obertauern. In between, you'll find that Wagrain, Flachau, Altenmarkt, and Radstadt have many places to stay. It's helpful to have a car here, although most of Radstädter Tauern can be reached by lifts and runs.

The Pinzgau

The Pinzgau section of Land Salzburg stretches east from the Gerlos Pass to the Gastein Valley, with the Salzach River flowing through. To the south lies Hohe Tauern, and to the north is the Kitzbühel alpine region.

For visitors, skiing is the reason to come. The twin villages of Saalbach and Hinterglemm lie at the end of a valley ringed by a horseshoe of mountains laced with more than 40 ski lifts. The chief resort of the Pinzgau is Zell am See. Another outstanding ski resort in the Upper Pinzgau region is Kaprun. The Grossglockner Road also begins in Pinzgau.

The Flachgau

So far, we've been exploring sections of Land Salzburg south and southwest of Salzburg; now we'll introduce you to resorts northeast of Salzburg, on our way to Linz in Upper Austria. One of the chief attractions of the Flachgau district is Wolfgangsee (Lake Wolfgang), which lies mainly in Land Salzburg, although its major center, St. Wolfgang, is in Upper Austria. The best-known lake in the Salzkammergut, the Wolfgangsee is 10km (6 miles) long and 2km (1 1/4 miles) wide. The northwestern shores are fairly inaccessible. The major Land Salzburg resort on the lake is St. Gilgen. Many people visit Lake Wolfgang on day trips from Salzburg, as it's within easy commuting distance.

The Flachgau is a relatively flat area, dividing the Austrian province of Styria from Bavaria in Germany. Unlike the other areas of Land Salzburg discussed above, the Flachgau is primarily a summer resort area for those who enjoy lakeside retreats.