Traveling to Heidelberg

Heidelberg is one of the rare German cities that were not bombarded in world war II - therefor it have a nice small city center with old looking buildings.

How to get from Frankfurt Airport to Heidelberg

If you fly to Germany - nearest international airport is in the Frankfurt - from Frankfurt airport you have a two choices:

1. Take a train from Airport to Heidelberg - you have to change at least once - most likely in Mannheim. Check the time schedule from Deutsche Bahn Web site.
2. Take a direct shuttle bus from Airport to Heidelberg - you can check the schedule from Lufthansa Airport shuttle web page. - if you are flying Lufthansa - you will get few euros discount.

Heidelberg Card 

Heidelberg Card is useful - it gives you:

Map of the Wabe "125"
- Click to enlarge -

• Free Public Transport in Great Heidelberg Area (Wabe "125") - includes City's VRN metro buses, trams, authorized trains (Deutche Bahn: 2nd class seats on RE, RB, and S-Bahn trains)
• One free funicular transport to Molkenkur (via Castle) and back
• One free entering into Castle
• Discounts for some tours, restaurants, museums and (few) shopping places.

You can buy Heidelberg card from Tourist information at center of city or train station - or from some hotels.

Heidelberg card is available for 1, 2, 3, or 4 days.

City of Heidelberg

Old town

Old town is very nice - small - but nice.

There is only one thing I didn't like:

- Some old buildings had modern logos (as H&M) that didn't fit in the old architecture - it did kinda ruin the old nice building - but this was not too big problem in very center of the old town.

Heidelberg Castle

You cannot miss Heidelberg castle, it's well visible, and well worthy to visit inside. 

Note: Heidelberg Card already include Funicular to Castle and Ticket to Heidelberg Castle for once.

Hills near Heidelberg

There is two hills near Heidelberg
- Behind the Castle is funicular to Königstuhl - nothing special in Königstuhl - You can get to Königstuhl via funicular (cost), walking or bus #39 (free with Heidelberg Card).

Funicular to Königstuhl

Königstuhl have also little restaurant with nice view to Heidelberg.



 Across the river - there is Heiligenberg - much nicer hill than Königstuhl. Heilinberg have:

• Heidelberger Thingstätte
• Ruins of the Michaelskloster - Monastery of St. Michael (only open at Sundays), 
• Ruins of Heiligenbergturm 
• If you dare to climb up (or down), you might also see Bismarcksäule and nice little resting place.

NOTE: - Summer time only - Bus #38 to goes top of the hill only at Sundays (and public holidays) - other days - you have to walk up by yourself.

Heidelberger Thingstätte

Tiefburg - that smaller castle in Heidelberg

Tiefburg is located at north side of the river - it's nice, but very tiny castle, nothing much to see inside - but quite worthy to see if you have a time or you are around there.

Neuburg Abbey - not very impressive place to visit

Neuburg Abbey

Bus #34 can take you to Neuburg Abbey - but to me - there was nothing much to see, so I would suggest you to to skip this place and go to....

... Neckarsteinach

Neckarsteinach is 15min train travel far away and outside the Heidelberg Area - so you cannot use Heidelberg Card to travel there - but it cost only about 5e to travel to Neckarsteinach via train.

In Neckarsteinach - there is few small castles - and two very nice little castle ruins. - You must do little walk from train station of Neckarteinach to ruins of Hinterburg and Burg Schadeck - both castle ruins are free to go inside.

Hinterburg

Burg Schadeck

Neckarsteinach is also very peaceful place to visit for one day from Heidelberg.

Events in Heidelberg

Heidelberg Castle Illumination and Fireworks

Heidelberg Castle Illumination and Fireworks is held every 2nd Saturday of the June, July and September. If you are not near the city - do not miss it - the fireworks are always awesome.

Best location to watch the fireworks are on opposite river bank of the castle.

The fireworks begin around 22:00 (10pm) on local time.

Links

• All my Heidelberg Fireworks pictures on flickr - taken 12th of July 2014
• All my Neckarsteinach pictures on flickr
• All my Heidelberg pictures on flickr

Train travel in Austria

Travelling with train is easy and comfortable in Austria.

Train station of the Bad Ischl, Austria

Luggage with the train

You can take to train all luggages you can carry. Just find the rack for the luggage and that will do.

In modern railjet trains, luggage rack is in the middle of the 2nd class train.

Buying the ticket

• If you know your departure and destination, you can just buy and print the ticket from ÖBB Route planner web site already.
• Train stations have also red colored ticket vending machine that you can buy a ticket - vending machine also handle english language.
• You can also buy ticket from the ticket counter - note, very small train stations as Hallstatt train station have no ticket cashier but they have a vending machine.
• Or using a mobile ticket using android or iOS phones.

Example ticket 

I bought and printed the ticket from ÖBB Route planner web site and it looks like this:

Valid train ticket - printed in home -  ready to jump into train - click for enlarge

Other notes:

Nobody does seat reservation in Austrian train, nobody, just sit where ever you can find empty seat.

If you can - take a railjet train, railjet is the most modern, fast and comfortable trains in Austria - Railjet trains are moving in every main route.

If you are travelling only in Austria with train, one ticket can have multiple persons "ERWASCHSENE(R)" and only the ticket buyer must provide the ID of himself to train inspector (if they ask ID). But when you are moving to another country with train - you can order multiple person train ticket - and it will ask each person name for train ticket - each person will get own ticket and every person must provide their ID to train inspector.

Boarding into train without the ticket

If - for some reason - you are unable to get a ticket for train - for example - small train station's only vending machine doesn't work. You can still board into train - but you must purchase ticket immediately after the boarding eather at the ticket machine on the train (at one end of the train) or by seeking out the train crew to purchase ticket as soon as you are able to. If you do not pay immediately, the charge is increased by an administration fee of 30 euros. If you do not contact to train crew, an inspection fee is 70euros.

Links

• ÖBB Route planner

Leopold Museum in Vienna

Leopold Museum in Vienna have and a lot old paintings museum in MuseumsQuartier - Vienna.

At the Monestery Fountain (Friedrich Gauermann)

If you like these kind paintings, Leopold Museum is worthy to visit for you.

Mother with Children returning home (Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller)

The Conscript's Farewell (Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller)

Young Italian shepherd with Dog (Anton Romako)

There is also few rooms of Asian paintings and few sculptures.

Statue in the Leopold Museum

Chinese - Garden and Garden pavilions from Suzhou (Coloured woodcut on Chinese Paper by anonymous)

Two cormorants (Silk, washi, ink and color painting by Komai Genk)

MuseumsQuartier sells tickets to Mumok and Leopold Museum together with cheaper price. This Leopold Museum is generally much better than Mumok - skip the Mumok if you don't have a time and choose only to go Leopold Museum.

Links

• Leopold Museum - Wien - web page

• All My pictures of Leopold Museum on flicker

Schatzkammer Museum - Imperial Treasury

Schatzkammer Museum - Imperial Treasury museum in Vienna is worthy to visit.

Schatzkammer Museum

Schatzkammer Museum have a lot good quality and interesting royal jewels, paintings and just basic royal items.

Idealised portrait of Emperor Charlemagne

Hyacinth La Bella

Burgundian Court Goblet

Imperial and ceremonial swords

Ceremonial Sword of Emperor Maximillan I

Engraving on the Ceremonial Sword of Emperor Maximillan I

And some royal clothes and other imperial items

Tabard of the Herald

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of Golden Fleece

Imperial orb

Good things about Schatzkammer Museum

• Items on the show are good quality and interesting
• There is enough different kind of items - and not too many similar looking items.
• Museum takes some hours to see everything - but it's not too large as some paint galleries 

Bad things about Schatzkammer Museum

• Location, it was bit too tricky to find.

Links

• Kaiserliche Schatzkammer Wien - web page

• All My pictures of Schatzkammer Museum on flicker

Travelling in the Salzburg

City of Salzburg is great city to visit in Austria for 4-5 days - much better than Vienna.

City of Salzburg

Get to Salzburg

If you cannot get direct flight to Salzburg - get direct flight to Munich or Vienna, and then travel to Salzburg via train.

Benefits to travel with train

• Travelling in train is comfortable and easy from both cities
• You can take all luggage you can carry into train
• Travelling in cheap with train, cost only 25-40euros/person (one way).
• Bus from airport to train station cost under 10e/person (one way)
• You can stay couple nights in Vienna or Munich for fun.
• Train departures once in hour at day time.

Things to remember with travelling with train

• You can buy and print a ticket from ÖBB Route planner - compare prices too
• You need to carry ID card with you - for example, passport
• Choose railjet train if possible - those are the best and fast trains
• 2nd class is good
• Luggage rack can be found from 2nd class's wagon - middle of wagon

From Munich or Vienna?

• Munich is closer to Salzburg - 1h 30min journey with railjet train
• Vienna is nicer city to visit than Munich - in case you want to stay couple nights in Vienna too - but 2h 30min journey with railjet train 

Salzburg card is actually useful

Salzburg Card

Salzburg card is good buy, you can buy it from info posts of Salzburg - Salzburg card gives you free ride on local buses, one free ride on Hohensalzburg and it's museums, you can visit Geiereck mountain peak for free, and many museums.

72-hours Salzburg card cost 37euros in winter - and 42 euros in summer for adult.

Best sight seeing in Salzburg

• Geiereck mountain peak on Untersberg Naturepark - great nature park, there is a walking path and lovely landscape views around. Read more about Geiereck on my blog text about Geiereck

Cable car

View from the Geiereck

Cross of Geiereck

• Hohensalzburg Fortress - One of the largest fortress in the Europe. Read more from my blog text about Hohensalzburg and Hohensalzburg Museum

Hohensalzburg in the night

Street in the Hohensalzburg

• Old town of Salzburg - Streets, Architecture and even shop signs are nice, just don't try eat in the old town restaurants.

Street

Old shop sign

Statue in old town

• Views from Kapuzinerberg are nice - remember take a walk there too - it's free.

Hohensalzburg from Kapuzinerberg

City of Salzburg from Kapuzinerberg

• Visit Hallstatt - Hallstatt is not part of the Salzburg but definitely worthy for at least one day trip - It's one of the best and beautiful places I ever seen... Read more from my blog text about Hallstatt. 

Street

Iconic view of Hallstatt

Church

No point to do in Salzburg

Basilica Maria Plain

• No need to go north side of the train station - unless you go to Basilica Maria Plain
• Do NOT eat in the middle of old town restaurants - these are expensive with grumpy waiters
• Skip modern museum - free with Salzburg card - total waste of time
• Mozart museum - It's free with Salzburg card - Tempting to visit - probably everyone goes there anyways - nothing special to see unless you are true Mozart fan.

Links

• Salzburg card page in the salzburg.info
• Salzburg Hauptbahnhof in wikipedia
• Timetable for all Salzburg buses
• ÖBB Route planner

• My pictures of City of Salzburg on flicker - all my pictures are geotagged
• My blog text about Hohensalzburg and Hohensalzburg Museum
• My blog text about Hallstatt 
• My blog text about Geiereck

Getting to Geiereck mountain from Salzburg

Salzburg is great city to visit in Austria, but don't miss the 1805m high Geiereck moutain peak in the Naturepark-Untersberg.

Landscape from the Geiereck mountain peak

First things to check:

Cloudy Untersberg

• Make sure it's sunny day as possible from the weather forecast - this is outdoor things and even heavy clouds are not so cool as sunny day. Clouds can cause lack of visibility to down.
• Buy a Salzburg card - Salzburg card gives you free bus ride  one free ride on cable car up to mountain and down.
• On high mountain, there might be very much colder than in ground level, make sure you have proper clothes.

How to get into Geiereck mountain peak

Get to Salzburg Bus no. 25 

• Bus 25 departures in the Salzburg main train/bus station - Direction to Grödig Untersbergbahn.
• NOTE: Most of the Bus 25 ends in the Grödig Untersbergbahn, but few Bus 25 ends in the Rif  Ortszentrum thru Grödig Untersbergbahn.
• Timetable of Bus 25 - Bus 25 moves in every 20-30 minutes, and check the "Fahrplan"

On Grödig Untersbergbahn get into cable car

Untersbergbahn - cable car to Geiereck

Queue might take even 30min, there is only 2 cable cars

Ride will take about 10min to up.

One cable car takes about 50 persons.

Landscape view from the cable car

If you are lucky, you might get perfect window view and see the very beautiful landscapes when raising up in the cable car.

Cable car raises and comes down once in 30min.

NOTE: if you don't have a Salzburg card - you must buy a ticket from the cashier before you can queue to cable car. 

Links

• Cable-Car Untersberg page in the salzburg.info
• Salzburg card page in the salzburg.info
• Salzburg Hauptbahnhof in wikipedia
• Timetable for all Salzburg buses - includes bus 25
• Timetable of Salzburg Bus 25 - direct link - pdf file

• My pictures from the Geiereck on flicker - all my pictures are geotagged