Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of Zinken mountain, where they board little wheeled bobsleds to race 2.2km down hair-
pin bends. The ride is over in a flash and affords fleeting views of the Salzach Valley.
SILENT NIGHT
Hallein's festive claim to fame is as the one-time home of Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863) who, together with
Joseph Mohr, composed the carol 'Stille Nacht' (Silent Night). Mohr penned the poem in 1816 and Gruber, a
schoolteacher at the time, came up with the melody on his guitar. The fabled guitar takes pride of place in
Gruber's former residence, now the
Stille Nacht Museum
(
www.stillenachthallein.at
; Gruberplatz 1; adult/child
€2/0.70; 3-5pm 2nd Fri of month), next to Hallein's parish church. The museum tells the story of the carol
through documents and personal belongings.
Festivals & Events
First-rate musicians and artists draw crowds to the two-week
Halleiner Festwochen
in June.
The festival is one of the headliners on the summer events program in Salzburgerland,
with everything from classical concerts to live jazz, theatre, comedy acts, readings and
exhibitions. For more details, see
www.forum-hallein.at
.
SALZBURG'S TWIN PEAKS
Rising above Salzburg and straddling the German border, the rugged 1853m peak of
Untersberg
affords a spec-
tacular panorama of the city and the Tyrolean, Salzburg and Bavarian alpine ranges. The mountain is a magnet
to local skiers in winter, and hikers, climbers and paragliders in summer. A cable car to the top (up/down/return
€13/11.50/21) runs every half-hour; closed from late October to mid-December. Take bus 25 from Salzburg's
Hauptbahnhof to St Leonhard and the valley station.
A road snakes up to 1287m
Gaisberg
, where stellar views of the Salzburg Valley, Salzkammergut lakes, the
limestone Tennengebirge range and neighbouring Bavaria await. The best way to appreciate all this is on the
5km around-the-mountain circuit trail. Salzburgers also head up here for outdoor pursuits from mountain biking
to cross-country skiing. Bus 151 (€4.30, 40 minutes, hourly) runs from Mirabellplatz to Gaisberg in summer.
From November to March the bus only goes as far as Zistelalpe, 1.5km short of the summit.
Sleeping & Eating
Hallein can be a day trip from Salzburg, but there are lots of value-for-money places to
stay if you'd rather base yourself here. The tourist office helps book private rooms.
Pension Sommerauer
GUESTHOUSE
€
