Linz, Austria, excursion choices

[Lucky Granny]

On our AMA Prague to Budapest cruise next month, we will have three choices of excursions in Linz, Austria. We would love to do all three. Can anyone help us decide? The choices are:

 

Gmunden Excursion - Scenic drive through Salzkammergut, the Austrian Lake district (UNESCO World Heritage Site) including Castle Ort. 7 hrs excursion including 4 hrs on bus, walking tour of 1 1/2 hrs.

 

Cesky Krumlov Excursion - Visit to Cesky Krumlov (also UNESCO World Heritage), 7 hrs excursion, with 3 hrs on bus and 1 1/2 hr walking tour.

 

Salzburg Excursion - Drive to Salzburg, 7 hrs excursion, with 4 1/2 hrs on bus and 2 hr walking tour. The trip drives through Austrian Lake District on the way.

 

I assume that excursion time not accounted for by time on bus and walking tour is free time. I am sure Salzburg ahd Cesky Krumlov are beautiful, but are they two more historic towns similar to others we will see along the way? I, personally, am not attracted to Salzburg because of the movie....especially after reading Mike's review where he says he might have enjoyed Salzburg more had he not been expecting Julie Andrew to pop out singing somewhere along the way. Thanks for any insight anyone might share.

[caviargal]

Salzburg is one of my favorite cities in Europe, and I return again and again - since the 70s when I attended the University there.

 

Personally, I would jump on a train and visit on my own rather than do the ship's tour but I a am an independent traveler.

 

The city is beautiful, the scenery stunning and the SOM stuff is but a minute part of what this beautiful city has to offer.

 

We will be in Linz again this year and will head to Salzburg to enjoy this gorgeous city for the day.

[RET P3 FE]

Thumbs UP for Salzburg

Especially "old town".

Most people there have never heard of the "Sound of Music" and from what I understand the few that are aware of the movie wern't impressed.

If you decide on Salzburg be sure to go to the "egg shops",they are next to each other. One sells Christmas eggs and the other sells Easter eggs

[cruisinggranmama]

Can only speak to Salzburg.

 

We spent three days there and still did not see it all. It's a beautiful, small city along a singularly beautiful river with a unique color. We really had to look for SOM stuff. One day we rented bikes and rode the bike trail along the river. The fort has a great view of the city from above or cross to the other side of the river and climb to the church or abbey (don't remember) that is up there.

 

It seems like a long time on a bus for only 2 hours. But if I had never been there, I would go. The planned tour is probably the best way to see the best of the city so you don't spend time trying to figure out where you are and no doubt ends in the shopping area.

[azcruiser64]

We took the Salzburg tour with AMA last year. After the bus drops you off in Salzburg they walk you across the bridge and drop you off in the shopping area for a couple of hours, then you meet up to walk back to the bus. Salzburg is a nice town but as you wrote you will see similar. But the drive up and back was worth it as the scenery is truely beautiful especially around the town of Mondsee and lake area. Mondsee itself is a beautiful little town they stop at for a couple of hours.The scenery is so good that I would take that tour again even if I wasn't allowed off the bus. So it depends on what you like to see, history or scenery. I don't know anything about the Gmunden excursion as it wasn't offered on our cruise but based on what you wrote I would probably take that tour. But you probably can't go wrong with either the Salzburg or Gmunden excursions. Have a great trip.

[usavvy2]

I’ll share our experience in Salzburg; however, please note that our excursion was on Avalon NOT AMA… but it may help you make an informed decision just the same. Of course, YMMV (“your mileage may vary”). 8-) We did the Budapest to Prague trip on Avalon last September/October ('09).

 

We took the optional excursion to Salzburg. The tour cost 64E per person (about $189 for both of us). It was difficult selecting this excursion because another option sounded equally as good – an excursion to Cesky Krumlov, considered the “Jewel of Bohemia.” And as it turns out, folks on the Cesky Krumlov trip loved it. They raved about it so much, I wished that I had done more research before deciding on Salzburg as our excursion! …But, our purpose in even considering this river cruise was seeing the Austrian Alps and since Salzburg was our best option for getting close enough to them we went on the Salzburg excursion instead. (And we were pleased with our choice even though we really didn’t get a good view of the Alps.) There was no excursion to the lake region but our excursion did pass through it (quickly).

 

Our first stop was St. Michael’s church in Mondsee which was the wedding scene in “The Sound of Music.” Mondsee was about 1 ¼ hours from our starting point so it was a good place for a health break as well! We saw the church and checked that off our list and walked past the grove of chestnut trees where the Von Trapp children played. That’s about all there was to see in the little market town of Mondsee – especially on a foggy morning! (Unless you count seeing the postman deliver mail on a moped or being able to use our ATM card to get Euros from an ATM machine.) There is a lake in Mondsee but it was covered in fog on the morning we visited so we didn’t get to see its beauty nor the picturesque backdrop of the sheer Drackenwand and the Schafberg. As outdoor enthusiasts, we so hoped to see the Austrian Alps on our way into Salzburg, however, there was fog on the mountains so we couldn’t get a clear view of them in Mondsee.

 

On our way from Mondsee to Salzburg we went through a town called St. Gilgen and Wolfgangsee, one of the best known lakes in the Salzkammergut resort region. At this point the fog had lifted and we could see the chairs on the ski lifts as the bus sped through the town. Our guide told us this was a popular resort town in the summer and I could see why. It sure was pretty. I pined that I would be just as happy to stay here for the day; it looked so peaceful and picturesque. In fact, I would have enjoyed a stop here instead of Mondsee. See pictures of Schafberg here: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schafberg.jpg . (Be sure to click on the links at the bottom of the wiki for more pix.) Our guide told us that more scenes from the “Sound of Music” were shot in St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang than anywhere else.

 

When we arrived in Salzburg, we walked through Mirabell gardens, said to be one of the most beautiful baroque gardens in Europe with statues of Roman gods at its entrance. As we ate our sachertorte, we were amused by the tourists posing with the statues. (Sachertorte is a dessert - a chocolate gateau with apricot jam filling, which we bought from the Hotel Sacher. It was was absolutely fabulous!) We saw the spot in the gardens where several scenes of The Sound of Music were shot (Do-Ra-Me-Fa). Schloss Mirabell, which supposedly houses the world's most beautiful wedding hall, the Marble Hall, was next to the gardens. We walked through the old town full of baroque architecture at every turn. We saw Doppler’s birthplace (Christian Doppler was an Austrian physicist who first described “the Doppler effect”). We walked on to Getreidegasse Lane, famous for the old signs of profession outside each store and took special note of the McDonald’s sign (which had a Golden Lion on it) and Mozart souvenirs everywhere you turned. (Mozart chocolates, anyone?) We saw Mozart’s 1756 birthplace – Geburtshaus – on a street where the wealthy lived during Mozart’s time. (Seems like Mozart’s apparently lived everywhere so seeing his birthplace was no big deal to us.) The Mozart family lived in this house from 1747-1773. There’s a museum there now but we didn’t take the time to visit. We didn’t shop, we didn’t go into the Mozart museum. We entered in Salzburger Dom (Salzburg cathedral) where Mozart was baptized and walked through the nearby cemetery. (Apparently this church has caught on fire more times than I could count.) Behind it was the Benedictine monastery, St. Peter’s and some inquired about the walk up to the monastery but we passed up that little hike. We saw folks playing on a big chess set nearby the church. For lunch, we ditched our bag lunch (from the ship) and bought a sausage (which tasted much like a hot dog). We had to remember NOT to put the sausage in the roll but to eat the two separately so we wouldn’t be classified a tourist! LOL we chucked that we certainly looked like tourists just the same.

 

On October 1, 2009, the weather in Salzburg was very comfortable – it climbed to about 68F.

 

I didn't think we'd see Julie Andrews on our tour - we expected Mozart in Salzburg because so many stores capitalized on this being his birthplace.

 

Basically, I'd say there are no "wrong" choices; just different and unique ones. I would have been hard pressed to go to Salzburg if Avalon offered a tour of the Salzkammergut region as our main purpose of the trip to Europe was to see the Austrian Alps since we love the outdoors and scenery so much.

 

I have photos of Mondsee that I could share but then my camera battery died (and my back-up was at the ship) so I don't have any photos of St. Gilgen or Salzburg.

[Lucky Granny]

Wow, that's a wonderful review, Usavvy....and thanks to everybody for the opinions. I wish we didn't have to choose among those three....I would like to do them all.

[folly32a]

I have been to both Salzburg and Cesky Krumlov and would pick Cesky Krumlov to visit..It is a beautiful place and the castle built on the rock is amazing to see. Well worth the trip - go to google and look at some of the pictures posted

[Jesterscourt]

I have spoken to a few passengers who have been to Salzburg before, and are choosing to remain in Linz for the day and just enjoy the town and the Danube River. Linz was a Capital City of Culture in 2009 and looks like a very nice town. Can we hear from travelers who have done this?

[SBDriver]

Perhaps it depends on the itinerary, but when we were on the AMA Blue Danube Discovery in May, Linz was a drop off point only. If you were not going on the Salzburg trip, you were requested not to leave the ship. We continued up the Danube to Passau. There were no other optional tours.

[momzcruzing]

I too loved Salzberg and would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, to spend some more time in the "Egg Shop". I found it as the bus was leaving and rapidly bought a Christmas egg. It is so beautiful!! Wish I had more, fabulous gifts, and an Easter one too. (And I NEVER shop in port or buy souviners--but these eggs are amazing.);)

[caviargal]

I too loved Salzberg and would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, to spend some more time in the "Egg Shop". I found it as the bus was leaving and rapidly bought a Christmas egg. It is so beautiful!! Wish I had more, fabulous gifts, and an Easter one too. (And I NEVER shop in port or buy souviners--but these eggs are amazing.);)

 

The egg shop is fabulous! I have never seen anything like it.

 

"Linz was a drop off point only. If you were not going on the Salzburg trip, you were requested not to leave the ship. We continued up the Danube to Passau. There were no other optional tours."

 

This is also the case on our upcoming Avalon cruise. We plan to head to Salzburg on our own early in the morning from Linz (my mother wants to buy some of those egss) then head back to Passau in time to explore a bit. I wish they overnighted here to give us more time.

[UKBayern]

Cesky Krumlov. It is small, but something so unusual, and cannot be compared with the other towns you will see on your river cruise. We live in the area, and when I put your question to my DH, he immediately replied "Cesky Krumlov, without a doubt".

 

My second choice would be Salzburg. A thing to consider is that Salzburg has an airport and good rail connections, so it is always possible to DIY Salzburg at another time without a tour. Cesky Krumlov is somewhat harder to get to by yourself.

 

Linz and Passau are nice too. Linz is very small and is OK for a few hours shopping and walkin around. Now for the "drop-off" question, there is a regular direct train between the two cities (1 hour on the intercity, 1,5 hours on the slow train), so DIY would be possible.

 

BTW: egg shop?:confused: We are locals, have been to Salzburg often and have no idea what you are all raving about. :rolleyes:

[caviargal]

 

 

 

BTW: egg shop?:confused: We are locals, have been to Salzburg often and have no idea what you are all raving about. :rolleyes:

 

On the same street and very near to the Radisson Altdtadt is a shop that sells nothing but eggs, decorated in a wide variety of styles. The shop is 2 floors with multiple rooms and the eggs range from the inexpensive to the exquisite. at Christmas especially, it is lovely and unique.

 

They package them in egg cartons and ship them to the USA at a reasonable price.

[UKBayern]

On the same street and very near to the Radisson Altdtadt is a shop that sells nothing but eggs, decorated in a wide variety of styles. The shop is 2 floors with multiple rooms and the eggs range from the inexpensive to the exquisite. at Christmas especially, it is lovely and unique.

 

They package them in egg cartons and ship them to the USA at a reasonable price.

 

Are they porcelain, chocolate, real eggshell?

 

I know the famous Mozart Kugeln from Salzburg, the round chocolates with marzipan inside.

[caviargal]

Are they porcelain, chocolate, real eggshell?

 

I know the famous Mozart Kugeln from Salzburg, the round chocolates with marzipan inside.

 

They are real egg shells, which make them unique. I am going to find a photo and post it as my DH took several.

 

My mother loves the Mozart Kugeln and I always bring some home for her.

[Acrusa]

The egg shop is fabulous! I have never seen anything like it.

 

"Linz was a drop off point only. If you were not going on the Salzburg trip, you were requested not to leave the ship. We continued up the Danube to Passau. There were no other optional tours."

 

This is also the case on our upcoming Avalon cruise. We plan to head to Salzburg on our own early in the morning from Linz (my mother wants to buy some of those egss) then head back to Passau in time to explore a bit. I wish they overnighted here to give us more time.

 

We are on the Avalon Vienna to Amsterdam cruise this July. Do we stop at Passau and then continue to Lintz ? if we dont go to Salzburg is the trip on the river nice and relaxing?Is it scenic?

[caviargal]

We are on the Avalon Vienna to Amsterdam cruise this July. Do we stop at Passau and then continue to Lintz ? if we dont go to Salzburg is the trip on the river nice and relaxing?Is it scenic?

 

If you go on the Avalon website and choose your itinerary then "Day by Day" it tells you the specifics.

 

Traveling on the river is indeed relaxing and you will find many in the public lounges reading, knitting, etc. at these times.