sALzburgerLAnd cArd

Passport to fun

The first thing everyone should buy on arrival in SalzburgerLand is this incredibly useful and excellent-value piece of plastic. The SalzburgerLand Card gives you free admission to nearly 200 sights and attractions, free use of key public transport including mountain lifts, and great discounts and deals on a stack of other great days out.

The card, which can be bought at most tourist offices, numerous hotels and on the Web, covers the whole region and is valid for either 12, six or – new from 2012 – three days at a time. Included in the price is a one-day City card that allows you free access to all the major attractions in Salzburg plus free transport and other great discounts.

The 12-day card cost €55 (€27.50 for children aged six to 15), the six-day €46 (€23 for children). The three-day pass costs €38 (€18 for children). What makes this an even better deal for families is that the card for the third child, and all additional cards, are free! The Hohe Tauern Card is a useful version if you are not going to explore the city of Salzburg during your holiday, because instead of a 24-hour Salzburg City pass you get free access to the jaw-dropping Grossglockner Road (see page 35) for one day. The toll for access to this high Alpine road is normally €29 per car and the experience is not to be missed – a winding, 48km marvel through some of the most stunning scenery in the world. ■ For a full list of all the attractions covered,

go to www.salzburgerlandcard.com

Three days of adventure

Take one family – mum Sarah, dad Dominic and children Alex, 14, Kathy, 8, and four-year-old Daniel. Add a three-day SalzburgerLand Card and prepare to have fun! Sarah tells us how it went…

Day 1: Gastein Valley

This was the day we were going to fi nd out if any of the family didn’t have a head for heights. The location for our test was Europe’s highest suspension footbridge on the Stubnerkogel at 2,300m – stunning views across the Alpine valleys and a 28-metre drop to the mountain fl oor below.

First, a ride to the summit on the Stubnerkogel lift, which is always great fun. Once at the top, we all made it across the footbridge but I must admit my legs were a bit wobbly – the kids weren’t fazed at all, even Daniel. On the other side we could have strolled along a hiking loop and soaked in the amazing Alpine scenery, but instead we decided to stop in at the summit restaurant for a short break and a snack. There, the kids (and Dom) discovered their own version of heaven in the basement, where there was a PlayStation, Internet corner, Wii, table soccer, and even an indoor climbing wall!

While they all had a blast, I got to treat myself to some irresistible Austrian coff ee and cake.

After the ride back down the mountain, we left our car at the lift car park and headed to Felsentherme Bad Gastein (there’s a covered pedestrian walkway over the road). The Felsentherme is a spa resort. Dom and I enjoyed a little peace and quiet and the kids got to have the time of their lives on a great water slide.

After indulging ourselves for almost four hours at the Felsentherme, we ended our fi rst day by going bowling at the Eggerwirt. Alex won – again! The owner was really nice, and we all enjoyed the pizza.

We couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring!

Day 2: St Johann and Mühlbach am Hochkönig

We’re off to Ghost Mountain in St Johann. And later in the day we plan to cool down in the outdoor adventure pool, or perhaps visit the historic mine in Mühlbach.

The gondola lift carried us up Ghost Mountain – the higher you go, the smaller the surrounding villages become. And as we stepped off the gondola, the ghost train was waiting for us just above the lift station. We enjoyed the ride, then walked along the path to Ghost Village, where all kinds of adventures were in store for us. Accompanied by Ghosty and Spooky, we entered the ‘ghostly’ worlds fi lled with the spirits of earth, fi re, water, and air.

Daniel loved the delightful characters along Gnome Way, while Kathy discovered the air swings and a fab dragon to climb on. Alex joined other teenagers on a guided nature hike before we all got together to enjoy splashing around in the excellent Water World. After three hours of fun and games, the kids had fi nally managed to work off some of their youthful energy, which made it a great time to cool off a bit, so we headed to Mühlbach. While we admired the view of the Hochkönig Massif, the children made a beeline for the outdoor adventure pool. The water slides were their fi rst stop. At the sports pool, Dom and I were fi nally able to kick back, too, and recharge our batteries with snacks, coff ee and cake at the snack bar.

Browsing our SalzburgerLand Card guide, Jack noticed that the nearby Johanna Mine in Mühlbach was still open. We headed to the mining museum and took the walking tour led by a former miner. As we explored Europe’s oldest copper mine, the kids got really interested when they could actually see what hard work it must have been for the miners.

Day 3: Salzburg City

On our fi nal day using our cards we were going to explore Salzburg City – the SalzburgerLand Card also includes the 24-hour Salzburg Card – and we had planned out our day very carefully. We left our car at one of the Park&Ride car parks outside of the historical downtown area, and took the O-Bus into the city – a good idea, since parking is scarce and parking garages are expensive. That meant we could relax and enjoy a stress-free (no traffi c jams) ride into the city centre. Inner-city transportation is included and we remembered to write the date and time on the card for the day we spent in Salzburg, which made the card valid on the buses. We got off the bus at Mirabellplatz and walked through Mirabell Gardens in the direction of the Staatsbrücke bridge. Personally, I would have loved to have had a look at Mozart‘s home, but the children only had eyes for the ‘Amadeus’, the pride and joy of the Salzburg City River Cruises fl eet. So we went to the counter and got our tickets. We chose Tour 2 and took the 11am cruise upriver to the Hellbrunn landing (this tour is off ered again at 1pm). Children get special treatment on board – Daniel was dressed up like a pirate and even got to take the helm! He had the biggest grin on his face!

The cruise took us to the south of Salzburg and after a short walk we reached the special London double-decker bus, which took us to the trick fountains of Hellbrunn. We all got soaked trying to dodge the fountains – I’m really pleased that I packed some spare clothes in our backpacks. Then we split up – Kathy and I headed for the zoo and Dom took the boys to the Haus der Natur – the natural history musem. Later, after dinner, we took the tired kids on the O-Bus back to our car. What a day! What a series of days! ■

Clockwise from above: the Stubnerkogel footbridge; ; a dragon climbing frame at Ghost Mountain; family fun at Ghost Mountain, Salzburg Zoo; and all aboard a Salzach river cruise

Family hotels

There are 24 specially selected hotels across the province that specialize in family stays – both winter and summer. Hotels such as the Salzburgerhof in Dienten – perfect for either a family ski holiday or a summer in the mountains. Special family activities such as tractor rides and climbing are laid on and the family-run hotel is expert at catering for little ones. Whatever you fancy, one of the family hotels will be able to meet your needs – whether it be summer toboggan runs, learning to horse ride or just chilling out around a children-friendly pool. ■ For further advice and a full

list of hotels, go to family.salzburgerland.com or phone +43 (0) 662 66880

Top tips

here’s whaT oTher card users recommend:

Grossglockner wildlife Park

‘We saved €7 each on admission here and it made a lovely day out. There are animals, birds, a large playground and lots to do. Great fun – we have many fond memories.’ Jane Gold, Edinburgh

Bathing at Zell ‘There are three different locations around the lake and you can visit as many times as you want, saving €6.50 each time. The three areas have excellent facilities, with changing booths, children’s playgrounds, snack bars and pedal boats for hire. We used them all the time and saved a packet.’ Jeff Green, Essex

alpentherme Gastein ‘This amazing spa would normally cost €22.50 but is free with the card. The complex includes three slides, outdoor pools, a swimming pool cinema, saunas and steam room,s. After the spa we took the cable car up the mountain for the even more stunning views – normal cost €21.’ Philip Jones, Oxford

Leogang cable car ‘The card gives you one free ascent and descent of the Asitz, saving €15. At the summit are walking paths, a children’s playground and the best mountain restaurant we have ever visited – the Alte Schmiede. Great food and an indoor waterwheel!’ Polly Oakford, Surrey