Side Trips

The area is a setting of old castles, charming villages, glacial lakes, salt mines, ice caves, and some of the most panoramic alpine scenery in Europe. But before heading to Land Salzburg, here are a few attractions right on the city's doorstep.

Hallein & The Dürrnberg Salt Mines

The second-largest town in Land Salzburg, Hallein, once a center for processing the salt from the mines of Dürrnberg, was a prize possession of the prince-archbishops of Salzburg. Today you pass through this industrial town on the Salzach River on the way to the Dürrnberg mines. The tourist office, Mauttorpromenade 6, A-5400 Hallein (tel. 0662/88987330), is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm (until 7pm in July and Aug).

On the north side of the Hallein parish church are the former home and tomb of the man who composed the music for Mohr's "Silent Night," Franz-Xaver Gruber, a schoolteacher who died in 1863.

The Dürrnberg salt mines (Salzbergwerk Hallein; tel. 06245/835110) are the big draw. This popular attraction is easily visited on a day trip from Salzburg. On guided tours, visitors walk downhill from the ticket office to the mine entrance, and then board an electric mine train that goes deep into the caverns. From here, tourists go on foot through galleries, changing levels by sliding down polished wooden slides before exiting the mine on the train that brought them in. An underground museum traces the history of salt mining back to ancient times.

Hallein connects to Salzburg, 15km (10 miles) away, by both train and bus. From here there's a cable railway to Dürrnberg, although many Germans and Austrians prefer to walk to the mines; the trip takes about an hour.

Tours last 1 1/2 hours and are conducted April to October daily 9am to 5pm and November to March daily 11am to 3pm. Admission is 16.50€ ($21) for adults, 9.95€ ($13) for children 7 to 15, and 8.30€ ($11) for children 4 to 6. Children under 4 are not admitted. There's a modern road from Hallein directly to a large parking lot near the ticket office for the mines.

The Ice Caves Of Eisriesenwelt

Some 48km (30 miles) south of Salzburg by train is the "World of the Ice Giants," the largest known ice caves in the world. The caves, opening at some 1,678m (5,505 ft.), stretch for about 42km (26 miles), although only a portion of that length is open to the public. Fantastic ice formations at the entrance extend for half a mile. This underground wonderland is lined with amazing ice figures and frozen waterfalls. The climax of this chill underworld tour is the spectacular "Ice Palace."

Please keep in mind that a visit to this spelunking oddity is recommended only for those who are quite fit and hardy, and is not suggested for elderly travelers or small children. You'll be walking down narrow, slippery passages.

To reach the Eisriesenwelt, head for Werfen, a village that's the center for exploring the ice caves. The village is also home to Castle Hohenwerfen, founded in the 11th century and frequently reconstructed. It's one of the most important castles in Land Salzburg and is visible for miles around.

If you come by train from Salzburg, you can take a taxi-bus from Werfen's Hauptplatz (Main Square) along a mountain road that rises from 488 to 915m (1,601-3,002 ft.). After 6km (3 1/2 miles), you'll see a parking lot. Unless you choose to climb (some very fit visitors do), you'll have to take a cable car to the caves' entrance. Even this involves a 15-minute walk along a shady path with alpine views from Werfen's parking lot to the cable car's lower station. The round-trip cable car ride costs 9€ ($12) adults and 4.50€ ($5.85) children.

Tours begin at a mountain outpost with its own cafe/restaurant, the Dr.-Friedrich-Oedl-Haus, 1,568m (5,144 ft.) above sea level. From here, you walk to the nearby entrance to the caves. Supervised tours take about 2 hours and cost 8€ ($10) for adults and 4€ ($5.20) for children. Tours are conducted May to October daily each hour on the half-hour 9am to 4:30pm. This schedule is accelerated whenever demand justifies it, especially during July and August. For more information, call tel. 06468/5248. A combined ticket for the cable car and a visit to the caves costs 17€ ($22) adults, 8.50€ ($11) children.

Allow about 5 1/2 hours for the entire trip from Werfen and back. Dress warmly and wear shoes appropriate for hiking. Even if you don't want to go underground, drive up to the cave, as the scenery and views are gorgeous.