Getting to Lake Bled

We traveled to Lake Bled from Ljubljana by Bus, which I thoroughly recommend. It was both easy and surprisingly cheap!

The journey by bus from Ljubljana Bus Station to Bled takes about 1 hour. Buses are regular and depart around every 30-60 minutes. We traveled on a Sunday in April and the bus was around half-empty.

You can book bus tickets online from Ljubljan Bus Station and collect just before you travel from Ljubljana bus station.

Where to stay at Lake Bled

We stayed at the Hotel Astoria Bled, which is a couple of minutes walk from the lake. It’s not the fanciest option on offer but it fit our budget and suited our needs.

We had originally planned to spend a day in Lake Bled in April 2020, which was postponed until 2022 for obvious reasons. This was the hotel we had originally booked and we trusted our former selves with the choices we made. It was still a good choice!

Some of the rooms are on the small side, but are clean and well-maintained. There isn’t a view of the lake, but our room had a view of a snow-capped mountain in the distance. We planned to spend most of our time outside at the lake, so the view wasn’t a big deal.

The staff were very friendly and helpful and assisted us with our travel back to the airport (our flight was too early in the morning to catch the bus).

Breakfast was great. There was a decent sized buffet with the usual cooked breakfast options (eggs, bacon, sausages, etc.), pastries, breads, yoghurt & granola.

You can check out the Hotel Astoria Bled on booking.com as an excellent reasonably priced option.

Walk around Lake Bled

There is a path which runs all the way around the edge of Lake Bled. This makes it very easy to walk around the whole lake and return to where you started from.

The path is pretty flat so it is an easy walk, not a hike, and there are restaurants, toilets and shops at different points.

Walking around the whole Lake is a great way to take in the views from every angle. There are a few small beaches which you can stop at for a paddle.

Hike up to the Ojstrica Bled viewing spot

If you’re not content with a flat, paved path you can take a short, steep hike up to the Ojstrica Bled viewing point.

This walk, for me, was the highlight of our day in Lake Bled. Starting from Hotel Astoria Bled you’ll find the trail about half-way round the lake.

It’s a very short hike but it satisfied my need for a bit of outdoor adventure! My travel companion isn’t hugely into steep uphill hiking, but she was keen for the view and managed with no problems.

The hike up to the viewing spot took us about 30 minutes and, although steep, has plenty of things to grab hold of to keep your balance – including metal railings in places. The path can be muddy and slippy if it has recently rained and you’ll definitely want to wear trainers or hiking boots.

There is one part that is actually metal stairs, as it’s such a steep climb. It’s not quite but almost a ladder! Easy on the way up, but feels slightly sketchy on the way down – especially if it’s at all damp.

The view from the top is absolutely worth it though, and there is a well-placed bench to rest and take in the wonderful view.

Lunch at Art Cafe

Art Cafe, Bled, is my kind of cafe. Excellent coffee, delicious freshly-squeezed juices, and tasty, well-presented healthy food.

The staff were friendly and the service was great, so we returned here a couple of times for lunch and coffee. There isn’t a lake view but the place is modern and pleasant and well worth a visit.

Try Bled Cake

If you’re keen to try Bled Cake this is a good place to order it. Bled Cake is a local sweet cream cake treat that only comes from patisseries of Lake Bled.

I can’t say I was a huge fan, as I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I love to try local delicacies and my friend enjoyed it!

Dinner at Gostilna Pri Planincu

We had a delicious dinner at Gostilna Pri Planincu. Serving a good range of traditional Slovenian food (the reason we chose this restaurant) as well as pizza and pasta, it has a cosy, friendly atmosphere.

The food and drink were great and came at a reasonable price. Thoroughly recommend!

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For my first trip overseas in two and a half years, and my first trip overseas with my partner who I met during that time, it felt tough choosing where to go.

I was desperate to visit a new country, but in March 2022 we were still nervous about travel due to Covid. We both enjoy the outdoors so we were looking for somewhere to mix a city break with with some hikes.

We settled on Austria as we could fly from our closest airport to Salzburg with a budget airline. Years ago I read a National Geographic Traveller insert about Salzburgerland and was inspired by the beautiful scenery. It seemed perfect – and it was!

Here’s my itinerary for a week in Salzburgerland.

Itinerary for a week in Salzburgerland

Days 1-3 Spend 3 days in Salzburg

Salzburg is a beautiful small city set against a backdrop of mountains. The Castle oversees pretty streets and a large river.

It’s a pleasant spot to spend a few days exploring the castle, walking up the surrounding hills for views of the city, and sampling the traditional and modern eateries that Salzburg has to offer.

We spent three nights in Salzburg which was enough to explore and get a good feel for the place.

For more detailed information on things to do in Salzburg read my post: A Weekend in Salzburg, Austria – Things To Do

Day 4 Travel to Bad Ischl

We hired a car to travel between locations for our week in Salzburgerland. This was a fairly expensive option but worth it to explore places a little off the beaten track.

We found Europcar to be the least expensive and the prices are cheaper the further in advance you book the car. Though not in the centre of the city, it was a short bus ride from Mirabell to pick up the car.

We chose to stay in Bad Ischl for our second stop because it’s about a 30 minute drive from Hallstatt, which was firmly on our bucket list. Bad Ischl is a cute town with a small river running through it and a view of the surrounding snow-capped mountains.

The drive from Europcar in Salzburg took about 1 hour.

Where to stay in Bad Ischl

The hotels in Bad Ischl are cheaper and have more availability than those in Hallstatt itself. We stayed at the Hotel Goldener Ochs, right beside the river. Our room was fairly basic but had a pleasant private courtyard attached. The location was good with a secure underground car park.

Salzkammergut Thermal Spa

On the day we arrived in Bad Ischl we visited the Salzkammergut Thermal Spa on a bit of a whim. We were glad we did as it was lovely. Lay back in the warm waters outside and relax with a view of the mountains. A single Adult ticket for up to 4 hours costs 19.50 EUR and is absolutely worth it.

The drawback of visiting Salzburgerland in off-season (winter) is that many restaurants are closed until April, so our choices for dinner were rather limited. We ate in the hotel on our first night and the food, whilst only basic Austrian fare, was nice enough for a schnitzel.

Day 5 Visit Hallstatt

Breakfast at Hotel Goldener Ochs was included and was a very good buffet with very pleasant staff. We were happy to eat here both mornings we stayed.

We drove the 30 minutes to Hallstatt along the winding mountain roads in our hire car. I found it tough driving here in our manual rental car on the opposite side of the road to the UK, but we made it ok.

We did get no less than three speeding tickets this day though! I’m a careful driver, however the speed limits are not very clearly marked on the way – so be careful, particularly in Bad Ischl itself. We never received the fines from the Austrian authority, but we did have to pay two 30 EUR admin charges to Europcar.

Still, Hallstatt was completely worth it and surpassed our high expectations. Hallstatt is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it is absolutely stunning. Wander the small town, and hike (or take the funicular) up to the viewing platform for spectacular views of the town, lake and mountains.

I loved Hallstatt so much that I’ve written a separate post about it. It was the highlight of our week in Salzburgerland. Read How to Spend a Day in Hallstatt.

For dinner we ate at Restaurant Weinhaus Attwenger in Bad Ischl once we had returned from Hallstatt. We had a steak and a burger, with beer and wine, and it was really very good. We had planned to eat here on the first night, but found it closed, so were pleased to see it open on day two.

Day 6 – Stop at Wolfgangsee and Travel to Bad Gestein

After breakfast at the hotel and a quick walk into the town to buy some lebkuchen for snacks and gifts (it was close to Mothers’ Day) we drove towards Wolfgangsee.

Ultimately heading to the larger mountains in Bad Gestein, Wolfgangsee was a 17 minute detour. We had driven through on the way from Salzburg to Bad Ischl and it looked so beautiful that we were compelled to go back to explore.

Wolfgangsee didn’t disappoint and it ended up being our favourite location on the trip. We stopped there for a couple of hours to walk around the stunning lake and grab a snack for lunch.

There is an easy hiking trail along the edge of a lake, which is partly boardwalk, and has a short woodland trail up a hill which makes for spectacular views.

The crystal clear water with mountains in the background was well worth the short detour on our journey. After this we drove on to Bad Gestein, marveling at the huge mountains on the way. This journey took about 1 hour 45 minutes – the longest of the trip.

Day 7 – A hike and a thermal spa in Bad Hofgastein

Where to stay in Bad Gastein

The last stop for our week in Salzburgerland was Bad Gastein. We stayed in an Airbnb, Haus Seidl, which was in a lovely quiet location close to a supermarket and a very good restaurant. The host was lovely and helpful, and gave us a discount card for activities in the area.

We hadn’t realised that she also lived in the apartment block and communication about how to let her know we had arrived wasn’t very clear. Nothing that couldn’t be solved by asking for clarity before you arrive.

Hike from Bad Hofgastein

We used Kamoot to find a hike in Bad Hofgastein. There are plenty to choose from with different lengths and difficulties. We chose a short hike (a couple of hours) starting in the town and heading up the mountain. There was a cafe at the top, but we sat at a nearby bench instead, taking in the view of the snowy peaks.

We chose a short hike this time as we were only in Bad Hofgastein for a couple of days, and we needed to allow time for lunch and the spa.

Have lunch at Hotel Blu

After our hike we went into Bad Hofgastein for lunch and found Hotel Blu. The food was great, staff were friendly, and it was a cool atmosphere to relax and recover either inside or out in the winter sun.

Visit Alpentherme, Bad Hofgastein

We went to Bad Hofgastein because I’d seen a picture of the outdoor thermal spa, Alpentherme, with the snow-capped mountains in the background.

We spent the afternoon here and it was a complex of indoor and outdoor thermal pools. Most of the walls were glass so, even when inside, there are beautiful views of the mountains. You can see a few ski slopes from here too.

From the website we had thought that the two large swimming lakes were heated. We were disappointed to discover that they are not, and are not open in the winter – so the outside area was a lot smaller than we had anticipated.

It was still worth a visit though!

Day 8 – Travel home

All good trips come to an end and on day 8 we ended our week in Salzburgerland and drove the 1 hour 15 minutes to Salzburg Airport. We had arranged to drop off the car at Europcar at the airport, so things were nice and easy.

Salzburg airport is quite small, with just one area to wait in for all gates with one cafe. Ideally not somewhere you’d want to be stuck for hours, but everything you need while you wait for your flight home.

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Day 1 – Arrive in Salzburg

We travelled from Stansted Airport, UK, to Salzburg Airport – a short flight of just two hours. Feeling lazy on arrival, we grabbed a taxi from the airport to our hotel which took about 20 minutes.

Where to stay

We had booked to stay at the Hotel Goldgasse for our weekend in Salzburg. However, the hotel contacted us a few days before to offer us a stay in their sister hotel as roadworks had left our original choice unable to open.

The sister hotel, Hotel Stein, was brilliant and they even upgraded our room to a suite when we arrived. Located right on the river, not far from the lovelock bridge, it was a perfect location.

Hotel Stein has a trendy rooftop bar, called Steinterrasse, which is run separately to the hotel and serves great food. It has wonderful views of the city and surrounding mountains.

Wander the pretty streets

We arrived in the afternoon so there was time for a self-guided (Google maps guided?) orientation walk in Salzburg. Salzburg is a small city so it’s easy to wander around and not get lost. You’ll stumble across multiple city squares and find Mozart’s birthplace.

Lock a love lock

If you’re on a romantic getaway, it can be fun to visit Makartsteg Bridge where many couples have attached a padlock to the railing.

I took a padlock with our names on and surprised my boyfriend with it when we ‘happened’ to find the bridge.

Eat at Innergebirg

On the first night we ate at Innergebirg – a small bar/restaurant serving a select few traditional meals.

The doorway and the sign outside is very small and we walked past it at first – so keep an eye on Google maps to find it.

From the street you have to walk through a long, thin unheated area of tables to get to the cosy bar area. We visited in March so this area was empty, which felt strange, but there are a few tables in the bar area for dinner and drinks.

A nice, cosy, comfort food option for a meal with friendly staff who make you feel at home. We stayed for an extra drink.

Day 2 – A lazy brunch and a short hike

Go for Brunch at Afro Cafe

Tired after travelling (we’re not used to it anymore!) we woke up late and felt like a chill day, so we started with a lazy brunch.

We went to Afro Cafe which serves delicious coffee and African-inspired meals.

On a warm day, sit at the brightly coloured bistro tables out front and watch the world go by.

Try a Wafflino at N.U.R Cafe

What’s a Wafflino? It’s a coffee in an ice cream cone from N.U.R Cafe! Very cool. Unfortunately when we went they had recently changed supplier of the cones, and the recipe wasn’t quite right. It would have leaked, so instead we got a coffee and a separate cone. I’m sure they’ve sorted it by now, so you should check it out.

Hike to the Kapuzinerberg Monastery

Take the steep steps up to the top of the hill from Steingasse (which is just behind hotel Stein, where we stayed) for beautiful views of the city and caste.

From here, you can follow the trail along the fortified wall to the monastery. It’s not a long walk, unless you stop for photos every few steps like I did. Perfect on a nice day for a different view of the city with a mountain backdrop.

Drink Scnapps outside at Sporer

What’s a weekend in Salzburg without some schnapps? We fancied a tipple before dinner and we saw a few people standing outside Sporer having a drink, so we thought we’d join in.

The bar inside is tiny but stocked with every flavour of schnapps you could imagine. We tried the blackberry and stood outside in the cold March evening to feel warm on the inside.

Eat Schnitzels at Restaurant Meissl

We saw a guy pounding schnitzels (sounds rude. Isn’t!) through the window of Restaurant Meissl and so we thought we’d try it here.

The schnitzels here are large, but good, and there are a few fairly basic options to choose from. They also serve other dishes, such as pasta.

If you’re brave enough (and I have to say I don’t recommend it) you can try a Salzburger Nockerl for dessert. This is a sweet soufflé with three peaks, representing the three mountains around Salzburg.

We ordered just one peak and it was absolutely huge. I didn’t enjoy and ended up attempting to smack the air out of it with my spoon, to make it look like I’d eaten more than I could actually force down.

Day 3 – Visit the Castle

Coffee and cake at My Mom’s

My Mom’s is a cute and very well-rated cafe not far from Hotel Stein. The coffee was great, the pistachio cookie was huge and delicious, and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Highly recommend for a caffeine hit and a snack!

Visit the Castle

The castle is one of the main attractions for a weekend in Salzburg. You can see the castle towering over the city from most places, so it’s easy to make your way there.

It’s a short, relatively steep walk up to the castle from the city centre, or there is a funicular if you’re feeling on the lazy side after brunch.

The castle itself is fun to look around and you can buy different levels of ticket to we various different areas. We went for the basic ticket, as we were happy to just wander the site, and we felt that was enough.

The basic ticket includes a ‘panoramic tour’ which tells you lots of interesting information about the history of Salzburg and the salt mines.

The highlight for me was climbing to the tower at the top of the castle where you can see for miles over the city, and the surrounding snow-capped mountains which aren’t visible from the ground.

Have lunch with a view at Steinterrasse

Steinterrasse is on the roof of Hotel Stein, where we stayed, so we reserved a table for lunch. This rooftop bar/restaurant has great views of the city, river and castle and is excellent on a sunny day.

The food is a bit on the expensive side, and maybe it’s a bit pretentious, but the fancy meatballs were tasty and it was worth it for the atmosphere.

Visit Mirabell Gardens

Mirabell Gardens is a public garden at Mirabell Palace. It’s a pleasant place to wander around on a nice day and features many different gardens to enjoy.

We found a quiet courtyard with evening sun, a stage and seating area, and a dwarf garden which we found quite… odd.

We visited in March so most of the plants weren’t in full bloom, but it was lovely nonetheless and worth a visit when you want to relax.

Have dinner at Barenwirt

Barenwirt is a bit further outside of the city centre which made for a nice evening stroll along the river.

Of the places we ate in Salzburg this was my favourite. A small cozy restaurant that felt a bit like being in someone’s home. I had the goulash and it was delicious.

Day 4 – Breakfast at Cafe Bazar

Before you say goodbye to your weekend in Salzburg, make sure you stop for breakfast at Cafe Bazar. Right on the river with plenty of tables outside in the morning sunshine, it’s a classy spot for your morning meal.

Perhaps it’s a bit ‘obvious’, but we enjoyed our granola and coffee watching people walk by from behind our sunglasses.

What about the Sound of Music?

You’ll note I haven’t mentioned the classic movie that was filmed in and around Salzburg… that’s because I’ve never seen it. I know, I know, you don’t understand, but it’s true!

If you’re looking to spend a day on a Sound of Music tour, check out these options on Viator. I’ve booked a number of day tours through Viator and it’s a company I like and trust.

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