Salzburg, Austria Christmas Markets Trip Report

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There is nothing to get you into the holiday spirit like a European Christmas market!

Getting There

AWARD FLIGHTS ON UNITED POLARIS
We flew from Denver to Munich on United Polaris Business Class.
At the time, our award seats were only 60K United miles each.
The bulk of the miles came from our sign up bonus with United Explorer℠ Card
We were short miles, so we transferred points from our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to the United account to get enough for 3 (one way) tickets.

While United Polaris isn’t at the very top of my business class rankings, it was still an amazing way to fly to Europe. I loved the champagne and warmed nuts to begin. And there’s nothing like a lay flat seat to get a good rest. My son slept the ENTIRE flight!

TRAIN FROM MUNICH AIRPORT TO SALZBURG
We did not book a train ahead of time, as there are over 40 direct trains every day from Munich airport to Salzburg Hbf. We didn’t want to have issues if our flight was delayed. The train station is right there at the Munich Airport, just follow the signs, walk through a little outdoor corridor (which actually held its own mini Christmas market) to access the train station. The train only takes a little over 2 hours.

SHERATON GRAND SALZBURG
We were able to walk from the train station to this hotel in about 10 minutes. We each travelled with a rolling carry on and a book bag and had no issues.
Walking into the Sheraton was like walking into a holiday hug. There is not one bad thing to say about this hotel. We did have Marriott Platinum status at the time and were upgraded to a suite on the top floor which is where the club lounge is. Platinum members also receive breakfast in the main floor restaurant which was excellent and included self pour champagne daily.

SALZBURG CHRISTMAS MARKETS
To get to the main area of town with the Christmas markets is about a 10 minute walk on a very lovely path next to the river with a beautiful view of the Fortress Hohensalzburg. While Salzburg doesn’t have as many markets as its big sister, Vienna, the markets are lovely and include some live music, an ice skating rink, and lots of shopping.

The temperatures are cold, but not any colder than the Northeast. A good jacket and warm socks paired with some hot gluhwein and you’ll be all set.

THINGS TO DO BESIDES THE MARKETS
We booked the Berchtesgaden Salt Mines and Underground Boat Ride via Get Your Guide. We were able to explore a nearby town and tour the Salt Mines. There isn’t a lot of transportation to get around the smaller towns so booking a tour was our best option.

Exploring the Fortress Hohensalzburg was really fun. Our tween really loved the history and getting to see armor on display.

WHERE TO EAT
We had 2 incredible dining experiences in Salzburg.

Gasthof Goldgasse is the most adorable tiny restaurant within the cobblestone city center. We just happened to walk by here and snag the last table for lunch. It’s very tiny so I’d recommend a reservation. This place is the epitome of Christmas cozy!

Our other favorite was Gasthaus Zwettlers. Luckily this one we did make a reservation for well before the trip or I don’t think we could have gotten in. It’s very casual and very popular. Everything we had here was incredible. We shared the ghoulish, schnitzel and the Cheese Spaetzle were divine!

I think the Salzburg Christmas markets would be beautifully paired with the Vienna, Austria markets. Vienna is much much larger and amazing in its own way. I think the city feel and business of the Vienna market paired with the coziness of the Salzburg markets would be a wonderful Christmas market trip!

Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.