The western part of Austria offers more than just skiing and winter sports. We spent a week traveling around Salzburg during the summer and truly enjoyed exploring the region. There’s so much to do and see in this area. If you’re staying in Salzburg, it’s worth checking our the surrounding attractions too. In this post, I’ll share our top recommendations for the 5 Best Day Trips from Salzburg.
Read also my post on what to see and do in Salzburg – One day in Salzburg.
Day trip from Salzburg #1 – Hallstatt
Hallstatt is one of the most picturesque little villages in Austria, located just a 1.5hr drive from Salzburg. It was at the top of our list of places to visit near Salzburg.
Hallstatt won’t disappoint – it’s like a village straight out of a fairy tale. You can stroll through the charming streets, take a funicular to a lookout with breathtaking views, explore the world’s oldest salt mine, or enjoy a boat tour on the lake.
Read my post on what to see in Hallstatt – Visit Hallstatt – a fairy tale village in Austria
We went to Hallstatt early in the morning, which allowed us to explore most of the town before it became crowded. After wrapping up in Hallstatt around 2 p.m., we headed to another stunning spot nearby – the 5 Fingers Lookout.
Day trip from Salzburg #2 – 5 Fingers Lookout
5 Fingers is a viewing platform in the Dachstein Mountains offering spectacular views of Hallstätter Lake and the surrounding peaks. The platform is shaped like a human palm with five outstretched fingers, which is why it has its name. It’s located high in the mountains, about 400 meters above the ground. Due to its altitude, you might even find snow near the lookout, even during the summer months.
If you’re not planning to take a long hike in the mountains, you can use a cable car, or a series of cable cars, to reach the top.
How to get there
The starting point for the cable car to the lookout is at the following address: Winkl 34, 4831 Obertraun. If you’re traveling by car, it’s about a 1.5-hour drive from Salzburg or 15 minutes from Hallstatt. You can park your car for free, walk to the ticket office, and purchase your tickets there.
If you’re not traveling by car, upon arriving in Obertraun, you can either take a bus to the “Obertraun Dachsteinseilbahn Talstation” stop next to the ticket office or walk approximately 40 minutes from the Obertraun train station.
Tickets
Access to the viewing platform is free, but you’ll need to pay for the cable car to get there.
There are several ticket options available, including Panorama tickets, tickets that include access to the Mammut or Ice Caves, and combined tickets. To reach the top, you’ll need to purchase a Panorama ticket, which covers rides on sections 1, 2, and 3 of the cable car.
You can check the latest prices on the official website. It may not be cheap, but it takes you high into the Alps and covers all three cable car sections.
Views
Once you reach the top via the cable car and arrive at the Krippenstein mountain station, follow the signs to the 5 Fingers Lookout. It’s an easy walk along a paved path to the lookout, taking around 20 minutes, depending on your pace.
After about 5 minutes of walking, you’ll come across the World Heritage Spiral viewing platform. You can climb to the top for a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. There are also a few wooden recliners placed around the area.
We stopped here on our way back from the 5 Fingers. While my older son relaxed on the recliners, my younger son decided to use them for pushups instead – a clear sign that the walk was far too easy and left a 6-year-old boy with plenty of energy to spare!
There are a few information boards along the path to the 5 Fingers Lookout, be sure to allow some extra time for them, especially if you’re traveling with children.
The panorama from the 5 Fingers platform is truly spectacular and breathtaking. Looking directly below can be thrilling, as the platform extends out over the rock face. One of the “fingers” features a glass floor, while another includes a picture frame. Each viewpoint is equally beautiful, whether you’re gazing at Hallstatt town far below, the shimmering lake, or the mountains that stretch out for kilometers ahead.
What to wear
We visited the 5 Fingers Lookout at the end of July and were surprised to find snow still up there! Be sure to bring a jacket, even in summer. We weren’t prepared – wearing summer sandals, shorts, and t-shirts – but we managed just fine. Despite the chill, we had a great time enjoying the walk, taking in the stunning views, and even playing in the snow in sandals! We didn’t want to leave – it was so beautiful up there.
It’s always a good idea to wear comfortable shoes for the walk. As I mentioned earlier, we wore regular summer sandals, and while the footpath to the lookout is mostly paved, it was only just manageable. I wish we had come better prepared – with closed, comfortable shoes and at least long sleeves. That way, we could have spent more time there and perhaps explored the surrounding hills and side trails.
Day trip from Salzburg #3 – Lakes Attersee, Fuschlsee and Wolfgangsee
Being from New Zealand, my family loves spending summer days outdoors by the water, swimming, and soaking up the sun. When I told my boys that we were going to Austria for our July vacation, they weren’t too thrilled – “Austria? We’ve been there at Christmas, and it was cold!” For them, a summer vacation isn’t complete without some water fun. So, I did my research and discovered that we could enjoy outdoor water activities in Austria, and not far from Salzburg!
There are several lakes near Salzburg that are perfect for swimming. We’ve shortlisted a few of them to visit:
Attersee
Attersee, Austria’s third-largest lake, offers public beaches, hotels, resorts, campsites, and several water parks.
While there are multiple beaches with free public access, we decided to visit ‘Erlebnisbad Attersee’ (listed on Google Maps as ‘Erlebnisbad Attersee am Attersee, Nußdorferstraße, Attersee, Austria’). It features a large grassy area, water slides on the lake and in the outdoor pool, an indoor pool (which we didn’t use, but could be handy on cooler days), and a café. Since we were planning to spend most of the day there, we appreciated the variety of entertainment and the availability of food.
You can check prices and opening times on the Erlebnisbad Attersee website.
Here are also two addresses for public beaches with free access (which I researched while planninf the trip):
Freibadeplatz Sprinzensteinpark, Nußdorferstraße, 4864 Attersee am Attersee, Austria;
and
Freibadeanlage Litzlberg, 4863 Litzlberg, Austria.
Fuschlsee
Fuschlsee is a much smaller lake but still offers several public beaches. Importantly, it is one of the closest lakes to Salzburg – just a 30-minute drive by car.
Wolfgangsee
Wolfgangsee is a large lake in the Salzburg region, and its Freibad St. Gilgen resort is accessible by car from Salzburg in about 30 minutes.
On our way back from Hallstatt to Salzburg, we stopped at Wolfgangsee for a swim (using the Badestrand Parkplatz Gamsjaga parking). Even after sunset, the air was warm, the surroundings were peaceful and quiet, and the water felt refreshingly cool after a full day of walking.
All of the lakes have clear turquoise water and are great for swimming during the summer. They are worth visiting at any time of the year. The nature and landscapes around them are stunning, and you can enjoy a walk, hike, or bike ride in the areas surrounding the lakes.
While planning our trip, we considered taking a bus tour – Hop On/Hop Off from Salzburg to the lakes, or a boat trip on Lake Wolfgang. In the end, we decided to go by car so we could drive around the lakes at our own pace and spend extra time at the beach at Attersee.
However, if you’re traveling without a car, a bus or boat tour could be a good alternative.
Day trip from Salzburg #4 – Innsbruck
Although Innsbruck isn’t very close to Salzburg and deserves an overnight stay on its own, it can still be explored within a day trip.
If you’re traveling by car, the drive from Salzburg to Innsbruck takes about 2 hours. This makes it possible to manage 2 hours driving each way, spending half a day in Innsbruck, and returning the same day. Keep in mind that the shortest route passes through Germany. Therefore, if you are renting a car in Austria, you must inform the rental company about your plans to cross the border and drive in Germany. This might result in additional fees, so it’s a good idea to confirm the details with your rental company before your trip.
Traveling by train takes just under 2 hours. Trains run between these two cities every hour, making it easy to plan a same-day trip to Innsbruck and back. Taking the train is a convenient and comfortable option – you won’t get tired from driving, and you can relax while enjoying the scenic views along the way.
You can book your ticket in advance at the ÖBB website.
Read my post What to do in Innsbruck in summer to get more ideas on spending time in this city.
Day trip from Salzburg #5 – Eagle’s Nest
Eagle’s Nest (or Kehlsteinhaus) is a historic building located on top of Kehlstein Mountain in the Alps. It was built by the Nazi party, and Adolf Hitler visited it several times.
Although it’s situated in Germany, it’s only a 40-minute drive from Salzburg. If you’re interested in WWII history or simply enjoy stunning mountain views, it’s worth considering a day trip to Eagle’s Nest. Today, the building houses a restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating, offering lovely views of the Bavarian and Austrian Alps.
Please note that Eagle’s Nest is closed during winter, as the road conditions in winter and late autumn are unsafe for driving there.
If you’re traveling by car, drive to ‘Dokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg’ and park at the designated car park. From there, you’ll need to take a bus to Kehlsteinhaus and use a lift to reach the top. Cars are not permitted beyond the car park, so you can either walk the remaining 6.5 km (uphill) or take the special bus service to Eagle’s Nest.
Alternatively, you can opt for a guided bus tour. There are several tour operators offering historical bus tours to Eagle’s Nest, with departure points in Salzburg.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to visit Eagle’s Nest due to time constraints – holidays always seem too short! However, we had researched the options, and it’s a straightforward trip from Salzburg that can easily be completed in less than a day.
That was my list for the 5 Best Day Trips from Salzburg. Read more about Salzburg in One day in Salzburg.
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I only spent one cold winter day in Salzburg but I hope to go back and explore the surrounding area as well. Those lake look perfect for paddling!
There are many things to see and do around Salzburg – it’s absolutely worth coming back to! 🙂
All those photos look so beautiful. We we were supposed to be in Austria last New Years but Covid had other plans. I can’t wait to go this year and see Hallstatt!
Hallstatt is simply magical and it’s alone worth a visit to this part of Austria!
Western Austria is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. Still need to get to Hallstatt sometime
I know! We loved it there in Western Austria.
We’re thinking of visiting Austria on our next Europe trip. Hallstatt would definitely be top of my list and Innsbruck. It all looks so beautiful.
We are going to Austria next September (2023) and cannot wait! Hallstatt is definitely on the list but now I will add these others. Absolutely gorgeous pictures!