Stepping into Salzburg during Christmas was like I had entered the North Pole, also known as Santa Claus' headquarters. I flew out of SFO on Christmas Eve to embark on a two week Europe trip to close out 2019. It was hard to say goodbye that afternoon knowing that I wouldn't be celebrating the holidays at home, but I was excited to be immersed in new cultures. My friend Alma was getting married to the love of her life in Salzburg, Austria on December 27th. This place held much sentimental value to her as she spent her summers here with her Grandma. I couldn't wait to see the charming town for myself and celebrate her and Matthew's love!
I arrived in London, Gatwick on Christmas, where I met up with my fellow travel companion Rita at the airport. We found each other at the passport check in, where we hugged one another in our puffy winter coats. Unfortunately, we found Rita's check in luggage to be broken, with a wheel missing and the outer layer cracked tremendously 🥺 We filed a claim with Norwegian Airlines in the hopes of some reimbursement for the damage.
Christmas Day was spent in the Sofitel, which was connected to the airport as we would be flying out to Salzburg at 6am. We found ourselves to be extremely jet lagged, so we spent the evening in the hotel lobby catching up over dinner with a lovely Christmas tree as our view.
Salzburg hotel:
We stayed at IMLAUER Hotel Pitter Salzburg for the duration of our time here. The location was prime since much of the site seeing stops were within walking distance. Additionally, there is a rooftop bar and restaurant that has a great view of the city that you should check out, even if you are not staying here as a guest.
During the week, we explored the beautiful cities of Salzburg and Vienna, which were full of delicious schnitzel and Christmas decorations galore
Salzburg
Residenzplatz
This large square is in the historic centre of Salzburg and was transformed into a majestic Christmas Market. Lights were strung everywhere, with ornate trees that stretched as tall as buildings.
We met up with Alma's sister Rima, who suggested some tasty treats to snack on. There were plenty of booths that had drinks and food, but our eyes immediately were drawn to the perfectly battered chicken strips and fries 🤤
The plaza has a different charm to it in the dark - it's worth seeing the decor lit up during an evening visit. We were here on December 26th, the last night the market was open. If you're planning a trip, make sure to check the opening and closing dates so you don't miss out on this incredible experience.
There are plenty of souvenirs to purchase:
Altstadt Salzburg
Also known as the Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg, Altstadt features narrow pedestrian streets full of shops and restaurants. Walking around will make you fall in love with this city, as every corner turned had a new surprise.
You truly feel the spirit of Christmas walking the streets at night.
Walking back towards our hotel after a delicious schnitzel for dinner, we came across this illuminating bridge decorated with locks of love. I wish I had a lock on hand to add to the collection.
We met up with our friends from California who just arrived for the wedding, Laura and Stephanie. We went for a drink at the indoor rooftop restaurant of our hotel and exchanged stories with one another, laughing late into the night.
Mozart's Birthplace
Laura, Stephanie, Rita and I explored one of history's most famous musical composers on the rainy and overcast day of Alma's wedding. We visited the Mozart birthplace museum, which contained real documents of music sheets, portraits, instruments and more.
The Green's Wedding
I could write an entire blog about the elegance of the wedding day itself, but to simply put it: this was the most stunning event I've ever attended. I was honored to celebrate Alma and Matthew tie the knot halfway around the world 💕
The wedding took place at the oldest restaurant in Europe, St. Peter Stiftskulinarium 😍
The venue felt like a palace of royalty, with opera singers and a string quartet playing while we enjoyed a multi course dinner. Here we are in awe at the newly weds' first dance!
And here they are in all their cuteness 🤩
Following dinner and dessert, we danced the night away in celebration of the bride and groom in the cave room, adjacent to the banquet hall. Following the event, the guests took cabs to a bar called O'Malley's, where we drank beer and had more intimate conversations. A day I'll never forget ❤️
Hallstatt
Hallstat is a storybook village located in the mountains of Austria. You can book day tours online, but since we woke up around noon, we missed out on that option. Rather, our hotel concierge booked us a private driver through the company My Friendly Taxi. Our tour guide named Helmut was a jolly man that narrated the history during our drive.
As a word of advice, it tends to get dark at a much faster rate in Hallstatt since the mountains block the sun and the clouds roll up at high elevation. I would wake up early and take advantage of exploring for a full day! Helmut dropped us off and we purchased tickets to take a gondola to the top of the mountain.
The view at the top of the mountain was out of this world! Surrounded by pure snow and majestic nature, Hallstatt was the highlight visit of my Europe trip. Make sure and wear boots with a thick sole and layer up to stay warm. To add to the magic, it began snowing while we were up top. A winter wonderland experience ❄️
By the time we waited in line for our gondola and arrived back down to the bottom, day had turned into night. Helmut picked us up and took us back to our hotel, where we then walked to a nearby restaurant and had a lovely dinner with Alma, her husband, and her family. We then went to a nearby hotel for drinks and enjoyed more time with our friends in a cozy setting by a fireplace.
Vienna
We said goodbye to charming Salzburg and took a train the next day out to Vienna for the next part of the trip. The train stations in Europe look like airports, as many people use this mode of transportation to travel between cities and countries. Make sure to give yourself time to navigate and book your tickets in advance. We would be meeting with another group of our family and friends in Vienna for the next 2 days to explore the larger city portion of Austria.
The wonderful travel group pictured from left to right: Christine, Sabina, Danny, Ali, Rita, and myself.
The Airbnb:
We stayed in a 2 story condo, which accommodated the 6 of us comfortably. A man named Franz came to give us the key and tour of the house. As we carried our infinite amount of suitcases up the 5 flights of stairs to our place, the lights turned off and we were stuck hauling our luggage in nearly pitch black. Afterwards, we discovered there was an elevator we could have used the whole time 😂 The location of the Airbnb was about a 15 - 20 minute drive away from the main downtown center, so we used Uber to order a large van for pick up and drop off to and from destinations.
Burgarrten
This was a lovely park situated on the Ringstrasse and is also home to the Palm House, which is an art glasshouse. Although we didn't get to go inside, the park has a marble statue of Mozart to honor his legacy.
Vienna City Centre
The city centre of Vienna was full of life. People were dressed in their winter coats enjoying shopping, eating, and all of the beautiful Christmas lights.
I experienced some of the coldest weather while here... the wind had no mercy and the air was extremely frigid. Make sure your packing list includes an insulated long coat, scarves, beanies, gloves, and layers! ❄️
Maria Theresien Platz
This large public square had a Christmas Market, where they sold delicious Wiener Würstchen, mulled wine, hot chocolate, and other delights.
The Opera Show
We purchased tickets for an intimate opera and string quartet show in a beautiful venue located in the City Centre of Vienna. You'll find plenty of people selling tickets along the streets, so it's easy to book this the same day. Vienna is well known for their opera houses, so catch an evening show if possible!
Albertinaplatz
The beautiful buildings and monuments are located behind the State Opera House. There are powerful statues here that represent victims of war and commemorates the dark times when Austria came under the Nazi rule.
Schönbrunn Palace
The park itself is free, but you will need to plan in advance to buy tickets into the palace. We were informed that the tickets for a palace tour were sold out. However, the gardens stretch for miles so we had plenty to see.
There was a Christmas Market right outside of the palace where they sold giant pretzels and toys.
Visiting Schönbrunn is a must do activity! We walked up to the very top of the palace gardens, where you could overlook the entire city.
Ristorante San Carlo
The food in Austria was delicious, full of schnitzels and pastas. My favorite restaurant was one that we stumbled across while on the hunt for an Italian cuisine. I ordered the carbonara and it did not disappoint!
Hotel Sacher
This is a 5 star hotel based in the heart of Vienna that is well known for their high end chocolate cake with apricot filling. It is a top secret recipe that is very well kept. They protect it so much so that they have steel doors that lock between the kitchen and guest dining area. We ordered the chocolate cake and apple strudel.
The chandeliers and red interior make you feel like a royal guest.
Our time spent in Salzburg and Vienna was nothing short of incredible. Each city was unique in its own way, offering two diverse experiences. Walking through the narrow streets of Salzburg felt like a storybook, with carriages and lit up Christmas trees all around the city. I lived out my lifelong dream of a white Christmas on a snowy mountain while celebrating our friend's enchanting wedding. Vienna brought the big city picture of Austria to life, offering us a mesmerizing musical performance, exquisite dining, and royal palaces. We boarded a flight the morning of December 31st for our next destination... London baby!