The Castle built on Salt
Salzburg, Austria
iPhone 5​

Towering over the Danube river valley is the notorious Salzburg, or Salt Castle. The bastion of Austrian economic supremacy protecting the salt-rich mountains of central Europe from the Protestant heathens of the Germanic Kingdoms. The Austrian Empire's powerhouse of wealth can almost solely be explained by the trade of one of the most sought after commodities in Europe, Halite. Massive quantities of salt exist in this territory that was a flashpoint in many conflicts. The wealth granted Austria great influence with neighboring states.

This picture is taken from the top of the Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg, from the balcony of the restaurant M32. The view is incredible and you can see the whole valley sprawled out before you. M32 I would argue is a Michelin Star quality 5 star restaurant with an amazing outdoor seating area. The only draw back is the vicious German Hornets.

:Neaby:

Berchtesgaden is only a short drive (or bus trip) from Salzburg. The Alps are VERY steep in this section of Germany and the drive is very pleasant along the creek. The time to drive into Berchtesgaden is only about 45 minutes from Salzburg, considering traffic.

1: Die Kehlsteinhaus (Kel-Stein-Haus); The Eagle's Nest; Adolf Hilter's ​private mountain resort high up on a bluff above the Königssee (the King's Sea).
The villa is in amazing shape and takes a long two part trip to get to.
First you must ride a bus from the visitor's center to the lift entrance, then ride the lift to the summit.
Leave about an hour to explore the Nazi catacombs and museum nearby the visitor center.

2: Die Königssee (Koh-nig-zeh); The King's Sea; Is a beautiful alpine lake. There is a ferry that takes roughly 3 hours from one end to the other. I believe there is also a chance to stop at the medieval monastery on the far side of the lake.
I have not been personally, but it is considered well worth stopping.

3: If the Sound of Music is more your thing (I can't speak for myself on this one), but there are countless tour operators in Salzburg who offer day trips. To the mountain fields which the Von Trapp family would have known.

:How to get there:

Salzburg is easily access by train from either Frankfurt, Germany (by way of Munich) or Vienna, Austria. We rented a car in Frankfurt, so unfortunately I have no knowledge of the timetables or pricing of the trains to and from Salzburg.

:When to go:

I would recommend this as a Spring or Fall trip. Summer in Central Europe has been VERY hot lately, but you may get lucky!