Re: Road trip from Zurich to Salzburg
Our family took this trip two years ago when our children were 11 and 14. We all had a wonderful time. Here are some thoughts for things to do.
1. Visit the Hohensalzburg castle. Walk up the hill to the very top turret and get the exercise. Stunning views and lots of fun. History and architecture are very cool
2. Take in an opera... at the Marionette Theater. This was INCREDIBLY fun for all of us and something you will never see anywhere else. Operas change daily. And you can learn how the marionettes are made, and the incredible history of s dying art form. Trust me on this - you will leave dazzled by the artistry.
3. Be sure to wander the gardens around the Mirabell Palace. Truly lovely. We did not have time to visit inside, but wish that we had.
4. Wander the Old Town district. Charming cobblestone streets, little shops. Enjoy a stop for Kuchen and kaffee and watch the world go by. While there, tuck into the Mozart birthplace museum, which was amazingly fun.
5. Try and see an orchestra performance in one of the theaters in the evening. Or if you don't see the marionettes, take in an opera. Even our teenagers were enthralled with this excursion.
6. Head to Hellbrun Palace (Schloss Hellbrun) with the trick water fountains. This is a must-do. There are many locations and gardens that are scene locations in the "Sound of Music." (Including this palace) Don't let yourself knuckle under to snobbish pressure to avoid some of these things. They are really fun and when you recognize them from the movie, you'll be glad that you found them.
7. On the drive back, stop at Neuschwanstein Castle. This is the castle that was the basis for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty castle. It splits the road trip into roughly 2 halves and is a truly amazing place. HOWEVER, you must depart Salzburg early enough to get to the castle. Waiting times to get in grow exponentially large as the day wears on and it's a total disaster if you arrive and there are no more spaces left. Also visit the adjacent castle that is smaller but still quite lovely. This was the capstone experience for our whole family for this trip. Highly recommend it.
Of all the places we've visited, Salzburg is at or near the very top of out list. Enjoy your trip and don't hesitate to PM me if you'd like some more ideas.
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