Three Perfect Days in Salzburg
Bonus Day
• Salt Mines
• Sommerodelbahn
3 Perfect Days in Salzburg…bonus day…is most easily accomplished by auto. Rent a car or borrow a friends and get going on a bonus day in Salzburg! A quick 30 km drive south of Salzburg, you will find Salzwelten Salzburg. As far back as 6050 BC, salt has been an integral part of the worlds history. Even today the importance of salt is intertwined in our daily lives. The word “salary” was derived from the word “salt” because this “white gold” as it is known was so valuable. Salt was long used as a method of trade and currency.
Before refrigeration, salt was the only means of preserving food. It was also used to draw out the moisture and kill bacteria, making it an invaluable ingredient for daily life. Salzburg (literal translation/salt mountain) grew rich from the salt trade long ago and today boasts four salt mines to tour and discover the importance of salt throughout history. The closest and worlds oldest salt mine to open it’s tunnels to visitors is just 20 km south of Salzburg and worthy of a days excursion. Located in Bad Dürrnberg, Salzwelten Salzburg is open from 09:00-17:00 (shorter hours in the winter). A ticket for €30 will take you on an entertaining journey through 2,600 years of salt mining on the Dürrnberg. Highlights will include the wearing of a traditional salt mining suit and an exciting glide down two wooden slides to get deeper and deeper into the mine. Wear sturdy shoes and bring a coat, the temperature in the mine stays a chilly 10° celsius year round.
After leaving the Salzwelten Salzburg, you will want to take a ride on the Keltenblitz Sommerrodelbahn. A quick kilometer away, getting there is an easy walk through the quaint town of
Dürnberg (or you can drive around the corner). With 2.2 miles of downhill excitement, Keltenblitz is Salzburg’s longest toboggan run and well worth the €13.20 it will cost you to take the chairlift up. First take a break at the Zinkenstüberl, a small restaurant at the top the chairlift. Then strap yourself on to a plastic sled attached to a metal rail and get ready for a rip roaring ride down the Zinkenkogel. Open from 1000-1730 the chairlift and toboggan run only operate in the summer months and fair weather is a must.
There you have it! Three perfect days in Salzburg, Austria topped off with one exciting bonus day!