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You're very welcome! I'm glad you found the video helpful 😊 If you have any more questions about Dachstein Krippenstein or planning your trip, feel free to ask!

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so happy the video was helpful. That’s exactly my recommendation-Hallstatt is lovely but can usually be done in 1-2 hours unless you visit the salt mines, which take more time. Personally, I’d always recommend Dachstein over the salt mines because the mountain landscape there is just breathtaking. Wishing you an amazing trip and all the best!

@freewalkingtoursalzburg Hi! I'm very sad to report that I couldn't do Dachstein today. I actually wanted to Dachstein more than Hallstatt, but it seems like the cable car is closed and I only found out after reaching there. They will reopen on December 26. Seems like my Austria trip will remain incomplete 😔 543 did not even go to Obertraun, they just dropped us off at Hallstatt

Oh no, I’m really sorry to hear that! I didn’t know it’s closed right now either. I just checked, and it seems they’re closed for winter preparation until the 21st of December, and they’ve actually been closed since the 2nd of November. I’m not sure if it’s always been like this at this time of year. It’s a bit surprising since December usually brings so many visitors to Hallstatt and the region. Still, maybe it’s a reason to come back someday! I hope you’re enjoying the rest of your trip! 😊

@@freewalkingtoursalzburg Yeah, I was sad when I found out I couldn't go. I fell sick after eating something at the Munich Christmas market and after that just rested and recovered so I could visit Dachstein today. Seems like fate did not want it to work that way. But hey, it's like you said... Probably because I'm destined to visit Austria again and do Dachstein the next time I'm here. Either way, I appreciate all the info you've shared, it was really helpful. Danke schön!! Happy Holidays 😊

Thank you so much for your encouraging words! I appreciate it! I’ve been wanting to restart the podcast for quite some time and am aiming to do so in 2025. Your comment motivates me to finally make it happen.

@ great news! I love it so much!

Yes, there is. Right next to the valley station of the cable car. Going there by car is very convenient.

@@freewalkingtoursalzburg thank you for the reply..😊your video is very detailed and helpful🫶🏼

Hey, sure. That should be it: www.dachstein-salzkammergut.com/en/tickets-offers

@@freewalkingtoursalzburg Thankss so muchhhhh ❤️

I visited at the beginning of October, if I remember correctly. It was quite nice, although there was already snow after the second cable car. Walking over to the Five Fingers was no problem, though. There shouldn't be any snow after the first cable car if you're planning to visit one or both of the caves. I think it would be bit more difficult to walk there, if there is snow after the first cable car. If there is too much snow on top, there is also the option to rent snow shoes, as far as I know. Enjoy your trip!

Haha, I know Jorge Masvidal but I’ve never heard that comparison before! I can see what you mean though. Thanks for the comment!

@@freewalkingtoursalzburg in Salzburg right now, your advice has been very useful, great video

Thank you so much. It's great to hear that you found my advice useful. Especially the topic of the festival is very relevant at the moment. It's peak festival season. Enjoy your time in Salzburg!

Thank you very much. I am glad you liked it!

Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad you liked the video! If the weather holds up, October is one of the best times to visit Salzburg and explore nature. With fewer visitors around and autumn in full swing, the scenery is truly stunning. Have a great trip, and may the weather be perfect for you! God bless.

They indeed are like heaven during the summer. While winter brings a very different charm, but summer in Salzburg is truly special. I was only a few years old in 1993 and don't remember much, but nature and also the historic old town have probably not changed much. They never do. Thanks for sharing your memories

That is a great question. I am not entirely sure but they have electricity up there as well, so I assume they use some kind of high-capacity pumps. Sometimes huts in the mountain are located near natural springs. These water sources can be channeled and storedin tanks. Some places also get water by helicopter. But in the case of Schafberg and the Schafberghotel, I guess they have a pump.

If you travel by car and you leave early, you can make it. If you travel by public transport, it would be an extremely tight schedule because it takes almost three hours to get from Salzburg to Hallstatt and the last connection back leaves between 5 and 6 in the evening. I am not sure if it's possible. You would spend 1-2 hours in the village, take the funicular to the salt mines and back, take the bus to the Dachstein Krippenstein valley station, two cable cars and a short hike to get to the five fingers.

@@freewalkingtoursalzburg thank you

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you found the video detailed and helpful. Enjoy your trip!

That's awesome! I hope you had a great time. Thanks for sharing!

You're very welcome! I'm glad the video could help ease your anxiety and save you time. The tickets were also a real challenge for me to figure out. It took me two visits and a lot of online research to really understand what's included and what the best plan is. Have an amazing trip!

Hello, it's possible to visit the five fingers in the middle of April. All the cable cars are running because people go skiing. I believe the two caves after the first cable car are not available but the five fingers after the second cable car are. They offer snowshoe hiking to the five fingers but it should also be possible to get there without snow shoes. You could rent the snow shoes at the valley station so I would recommend to ask there, if you can go without snowshoes as well. We were there in October and there was snow but we had no problem walking to the five fingers without our normal shoes. I hope that helps and hope you will have a wonderful time on Dachstein in April. All the best, Gerhard

That's correct! "Die Universitätskirche" it is but it's also called "Die Kollegienkirche". Appreciate your input!

Thank you for sharing these fascinating traditions from the 1980s! The salute powder is indeed used on many occasions in Salzburg, not just during the festival. You can hear the booming blasts from the fortress, the Museum of Modern Art, and Kapuzinerberg Mountain during holidays and other special events. And you're right about the ticket prices-they do get more expensive each year, largely due to the famous performers who participate. Your factoids provide great insight into the history of the Salzburg Festival. Thanks again for your input!

Thanks a lot for your kind words! Really glad the info cleared things up for you. Figuring out the best ticket options took me some time too. Hope your visit in October is fantastic!

Great to hear you enjoyed the video! If you're staying in Hallstatt or Obertraun, you could definitely take it all in within a day. However, if you're planning to head out from Salzburg on a day trip, keep in mind it's a 3-hour journey each way. While you can breeze through Hallstatt in an hour or two, squeezing it all into a single day from Salzburg might be a bit of a rush because it takes a bit to get from Hallstatt to the Dachstein Krippenstein cable car.

I am glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the comment!

You're very welcome. Thank you for the comment.

Hi Rohit, apologies for getting back to you late. I hope it all worked out well and you had an amazing time in Hallstatt. The 5 fingers should be possible. I think the 5 fingers are much better than the skywalk but the salt mines are great as well.

This sounds like the perfect plan for what you are trying to do. Yes, it is possible to leave your luggage at the valley station of the Dachstein-Krippenstein Cable Car: dachstein-salzkammergut.com/en/service-infos/service/lockers-for-luggage

That is a really interesting question. I am not 100% sure but with the plan you outlined above, I do think that it's possible. If you only do the 5 fingers, it doesn't take too long to take the 2 cable cars, walk over and get back down.

And yes, buying a ticket for the 543 bus is really easy. You just get the ticket from the bus driver.

3 hours would be tight but I think if you have until 12 or so to get back to Obertraun train station, it can work out. I hope you make it! Enjoy the trip!

Thanks a million !^^

It is meaningless to climb up there in the rainy day . ^^

@@lenacl7654 oh, that is very true. That is true for all of the cable cars and other mountain-top destinations in Austria. There is just no view when the weather is bad. The weather must have been very different from here in Salzburg because here it has been super sunny for man days.

That's great to hear. Thank you for your comment. I hope you will have an amazing time!

I believe this was at the beginning of October.

@@freewalkingtoursalzburg thank you, I’ll be there end October, I guess it will be freezing then

Up there it will most likely be freezing, yes. But you probably get a chance to see snow which can be really beautiful. It was when were there. In the valley, October can still be warm, depending on the weather but it could also be really cold already.

It probably takes about 2,5-3 hours to only visit the five fingers, excluding the time to get to the valley station of the cable car. The two cable cars take about 45 minutes to an hour, I guess, because you need a moment to change from one cable car to the other. Walking to the five fingers takes about 15-20 minutes but there is not much more to do than enjoy the amazing view and snap a few pictures.

@@freewalkingtoursalzburg thank you for the reply! Again , loved your video

Thank you! I am glad you found it interesting.

Hi! I found you via your podcasts which I LOVE! Looking forward to visiting Salzburg in December. I’m curious if you have plans for more pods or videos? You’re missed!

Sorry for the late reply! I have also been traveling since last month. I hope you had an amazing visit to Dachstein and hope everything worked out. The only time slot tickets should be the ones for the caves.

I am glad you liked it. Thank you very much!

It will be cold for sure but probably not too cold to visit. You should bring some warm clothes. To make sure there is not too much snow, you might want to check the webcam: dachstein-salzkammergut.com/aktuelles/live-vom-berg/webcams If there is not way too much snow, like when we were there and took the video, you can walk around no problem. I hope you will have an amazing visit and if you have any further questions, please let me know! Best regards, Gerhard

Thanks so much for your kind words. I am glad you liked the video and decided to head to Dachstein. I hope you have a wonderful time there! Since it was still quite cold before yesterday, I expect there will still be a lot of snow.

I am glad you liked the video 🙏 and would highly recommend staying at the top of Schafberg. It's not the best hotel but it's reasonably priced and the location is stunning.

Hello Léa, welcome to the video! While the caves are only open from May, the cable cars should be operational. However, I just checked the website and found out that the cable cars will run on the winter schedule until April 10th and switch to the summer schedule from April 29th. Unfortunately, I'm not sure about the time in between. During winter, when there is heavy snowfall, the caves on the first stop are closed, but you can rent snowshoes to walk to the five fingers on the second stop. Although there may be less to do, I believe it's still worth taking the cable cars if you can make your way to the five fingers. As you can see in the video, it's possible if there is not too much snow. Additionally, many people use the cable cars for skiing. I hope this helps you plan your visit!

​@@freewalkingtoursalzburg Hello !!! i will be visiting Hallstatt for one day on the 14th of April, i truly hope the cable cars up to the five fingers will be working. Thank you so much for your swift and extremely helpful reply !!! your video was super helpful as well. Appreciate this so much !!!! ♥

Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you found the information helpful and wish you a great time in Salzburg. Best regards, Gerhard

You are very welcome 🤗 thank you for watching and for the comment.

You are very welcome 🤗 thank you for the comment.

Thank you so much for the comment and sorry for the late reply. It's great to know that you found the video helpful. I hope you also enjoy the festival performances and hope you had a great time on the tour in case you joined.

Thank you for letting me know that there is a more direct way up to the top from Sankt Gilgen. I had no idea about that trail, but it's great to learn about it. I apologize for any confusion my lack of knowledge about this third option may have caused. It's good to know that the hike from Sankt Gilgen is not longer than the one from St. Wolfgang and that you can reach the top in just 3 hours from Sankt Gilgen by passing through Winkl. I wonder if there might be several routes from Sankt Wolfgang as well? I ask because I've heard that the path via Dorneralm should take 3.5 hours, but my girlfriend once completed it with a tour group in just 2.5 hours. Once again, thank you for sharing your experience!

Thank you for your comment, Aditya! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the video. If you're interested in learning more about the topic, I actually wrote an article on it last week: freewalkingtoursalzburg.com/dachstein-krippenstein/ It goes into more detail and provides some structured information. Have a wonderful visit to Dachstein if you're heading there soon!

Hey, sorry for the late reply! It takes about 2,5-3 hours from the valley station to take the two cable cars, walk to the five fingers, enjoy the view and get back down. If you have more time, I would also recommend visiting the caves after the first cable Car and possibly also taking the third cable car even if there is not much to do after the third one.

Hello Shane, yes, I would recommend it. I just checked. All the cable cars seem to be working but I am not sure if the Ice Cave and the Mammut Cave are open in winter since it takes a short hike to get there and there will probably be snow. The salt mines I would also recommend. They are really interesting but I would say they are not a must, if you already visit Dachstein since on Dachstein you already visit two caves. If I would have to pick between the two, I would do Dachstein. Please let me know, if you have any further questions and have a great trip! All the best, Gerhard

@@freewalkingtoursalzburg thanks for the reply , we have never visited before , we stay in Vienna 2 nights & 2 nights in halstatt so we are going to use a day we stay in halstatt to see dachstein . We couldn’t find any recommendations of things to do in Vienna or halstatt as majority of sites we found didn’t have English , is their little English speakers here ? Also if you have any ideal recommendations of things to do around halstatt or Vienna please let me know . All the best from Ireland !

@@shaneguinan5404 don't worry. Most people in Vienna and also in Hallstatt speak English because these are very touristy places. For Vienna, you should actually find a lot of things to do. I would recommend taking a free walking tour to get your bearings. But even if Vienna is a big city, many of the attractions are easily accessible on foot, and it's easy to find them. The reason you can't find recommendations for things to do in Hallstatt is that the place is tiny and there isn't that much to do. If you have two nights in Hallstatt, I would recommend the salt mines. Dachstein takes a whole day but the salt mines only take a couple of hours. Other than that, the best thing to do in Hallstatt is just see the village. Here is an article on a website of mine about things to do in Hallstatt: roamaustria.com/things-to-do-in-hallstatt/ I hope that helps and if you have any further questions, please let me know!

Thank you so much for your kind words and sorry for the late reply. I am really glad to know that you enjoyed my explanations and recommendations.

I am glad you liked my explanations. Sorry for the late reply! I visited Hallstatt for the first time when I was about 25 years old, and that was only because a friend from Korea visited me. Later I visited a few more times but only because I became a tour guide and had to learn about it. Hallstatt is probably the most touristy place in Austria. Locals don't really go there but it's beautiful nonetheless.

That is a fantastic recommendation. That's how the Austrians would do it 😄👏 I completely agree with you on the restaurants.

The University Church is great. It is also one of my favorites. The cathedral is also no longer a must-see for me because I don't like that they've been charging admission since last year. You're right about the entrance being obscured by the Christmas market these days. It's really great that the Christmas markets are back in full swing and that you had the opportunity to visit. I hope you enjoyed your stay in Salzburg.

@@freewalkingtoursalzburg thanks for the reply. If i had seen your vlog sooner, shpuld have stayed only fpr 2 days in Vienna and have the 2 days in Salzburg. Thanks from Cardiff Wales xx

Thank you Robert! I am glad you liked the video 🙏🤗