Innsbruck - Salzburg - Kufstein. In search of traditional Christmas customs — travel diary by danieladisa

The story

8.12.2005 INNSBRUCK

We set off from Varese at 6 am and head for Innsbruck through the Brenner Pass for our traditional Christmas market trip.

At a service station near Vipiteno we buy the "Vignette" for the Austrian motorways for a duration of 10 days (the minimum purchasable period). However, this doesn't exempt us from paying a hefty toll (for some unknown reason) near Innsbruck.

Since we arrive in Innsbruck quite early, we decide to go to Wattens (a few km beyond Innsbruck) to visit the Swarovski headquarters, home to the KRISTALWELTEN museum with its adjoining shop. The entrance ticket grants access to the museum (a succession of rooms with light effects) and to the shop, where the complete collection currently on sale is available at about a 10% discount. Still, the items are the same ones you can find in any shop in Austria or Italy.

Back in Innsbruck, we look for our hotel Golden Krone, near the Triumphal Arch, on the main Maria Theresia Strasse. The hotel, whose website we had visited (where it looked better), is a 3-star of middling-to-low quality. On reflection, 2 stars would have been more than enough. However, the location is fairly convenient, even if better was available.

We start visiting the historic centre, walking the lovely streets near the Golden Roof (the main building and symbol of the city). Right by the Golden Roof are the stalls of a small Christmas market. Another market, a little larger, sits in a square off Maria Theresia Strasse. We visit the Hofburg, the former imperial court, though very far from Viennese splendour; the Hofkirche (court church) with its 28 larger-than-life bronze statues and the charming cloister of the Tyrolean folk art museum Volkskuntmuseum.

For dinner we decide to book at the Ottoburg, drawn by its peculiar castle-like structure, with many little rooms each in a different style and typical Austrian cuisine. All lovely, all good, medium-high prices, but be patient: the service is very slow.

9.12.2005 SALZBURG

We set off as early as possible towards Salzburg. Luckily hotels here serve breakfast early, from 7 am, so we don't waste time.

We reach Salzburg mid-morning; we look for our hotel on the Linzer Gasse and try to figure out where to park.

The hotel Stadtkrug, again booked by email, is rather nice this time: right in the centre, medium-high prices, tastefully furnished, distinctive interiors, excellent breakfast.

We visit the city, the historic buildings (only from the outside, given the lack of time and inclination) and the main squares dotted with numerous Christmas markets. Here the Christmas mood is more evident than in Innsbruck and the festive tradition more faithfully observed.

We have lunch buying treats here and there at the market. We're especially drawn to giant brezen, both savoury (cheese, pizza, ham or simply plain with salt) and sweet (chocolate or apple). They're delicious and decidedly bigger and softer than those tasted elsewhere. We even decide to take some home.

And of course there's no missing mulled wine, or the various non-alcoholic punches (hot apple or orange juice for those who don't drink alcohol, like yours truly) in the local ceramic mugs made specially for the Christmas market, with the city name and the reference year. Anyone who doesn't want to buy the mug can always return it and get the deposit back, or use the paper cups.

We decide to visit the Residenz, but here we make the only mistake of our trip. The Residenz is a palace with princely apartments. But we take the wrong floor and buy the ticket for the picture gallery, which we couldn't care less about. A word of advice: don't do as we did: the princely apartments are on the 2nd floor while the gallery is on the 3rd. We later discover that the apartments were closed that day, and that's what misled us into going up to the 3rd floor.

In the evening we dine at a typical, large brewery: STERNBRAU, accessible both from the Griesgasse and from the main Getreidegasse. We go there sure of ourselves because the place was recommended to us by reading a travel itinerary just like this one. It's a brewery/restaurant made of many rooms, each independent of the others but all with the same menu. They don't take bookings and to find a seat you have to ask room by room. We're lucky, also because we get there very early, around 6.45 pm.

10.12.2005 KUFSTEIN - HALL IN TIROL

We set off early as always and head for a small town a few km beyond Salzburg: HALLEIN. Unfortunately, once there we realise that the "tip" about the place turns out to be a disappointment: the centre, though charming, has nothing particularly special about it and the Christmas market is non-existent. Hallein's fame is due only to the nearby salt mines, which we don't have time to visit.

So we head for the next stop: KUFSTEIN, halfway between Salzburg and Innsbruck.

Kufstein is famous for its fortress dominating the town, reached by a funicular.

The fortress has no interesting interiors, but the peculiar thing is that a small hobby Christmas market has been set up in its courtyard and within its walls. Kufstein's centre is also very charming and lively, especially the Romerhofgasse, a street parallel to the river Inn where particular gasthofs stand, their façades all decorated.

Our last stop is HALL IN TIROL, a lovely village near Innsbruck. Hall has a charming historic centre with some interesting buildings such as the church in the main little square, the rathaus (town hall) and the town's symbolic tower. Here too, in the central square, a tiny Christmas market is set up, with the typical wooden huts. We have a quick lunch with a hot dog and pastries bought at a well-stocked bakery (backerei in German) and then get on the road home.

Unfortunately the return is slow due to the usual traffic on the Brenner motorway (only 2 lanes). Still, once again it was worth it and we're already thinking about the next Christmas trip.