When our family of three moved to Lisbon from San Francisco in February 2022, I didn’t really view it as a relocation to Portugal. Instead, I saw it as a move to Europe as a whole. Portugal is amazing and I absolutely adore Lisbon—after five years, we have no plans to leave—but the appeal of seeing as much of Europe as we can was, and continues to be, a big motivator for living here. I began plotting places our family could explore together, especially with a toddler, and after lots of research and some Instagram inspiration, we decided on Austria: first Salzburg, followed by five days in the Alps at Naturhotel Forsthofgut.
Getting to Salzburg from Lisbon can be tricky, so we flew direct to Munich and hired a transfer for the two-hour drive via the A8 autobahn. The rolling countryside offered glimpses of the Bavarian Alps and Lake Chiemsee, though with a three-year-old prone to carsickness, we sacrificed the slower, more picturesque routes in favor of speed.
A few years ago, we decided that hiring transfers was much easier than renting cars, especially when traveling with a child. We found the cost is typically comparable, and even when it’s more, not having to worry about route planning, tolls, parking, or returning a rental car makes it worthwhile. (I book all my transfers via booking.com and haven’t had any major issues).
Arriving in Salzburg, we felt that amazing sensation you only get when arriving in a new city for the first time: senses awakened, head is on a swivel, body giddy with excitement. Much like a toddler in everyday life.
We checked into Hotel Goldgasse, an SLH property in the historic city center that was a coppersmith’s workshop in the 16th century. Our room wasn’t quite ready, so we left our bags and began exploring the adjacent Residenzplatz—the perfect place for our daughter to stretch her legs and run around. This square, with its beautiful fountain, was actually a shooting location for The Sound of Music, one of the things Salzburg is most famous for among foreigners.
In fact, one of my biggest surprises there was that Salzburgians are not big fans of the movie. During check-in, even the lovely receptionist at the hotel scrunched her nose when I asked about it. I found this both interesting and a bit disappointing, since it’s one of my favorites, but I suppose it’s understandable. To them, their city is so much more than what is depicted in an American film shot there 60 years ago.
After unpacking, we headed back out and crossed the Salzach River to explore Mirabell Gardens, a “Baroque pleasure garden” with stunning geometric landscaping that was in full bloom during our visit. My daughter and I share a love of getting as close as possible to flowers to smell them.
Later, we crossed back over the river and stopped for a bite of Wiener schnitzel at Restaurant Meissl & Schadn, a good spot (albeit a bit touristy) with good food/service and ample seating. It sits on a pedestrian street, which meant our daughter could run around within eyesight of our patio table.
It’s worth noting that Salzburg is a small, mostly flat and entirely walkable city, and we got around with either a stroller or toddler carrier/backpack. It sort of reminded me of Lisbon in the sense that it feels like a city you can wrap your arms around and see quite a lot of in a short time.
The next day we explored Mozart’s birthplace, just steps from our hotel. It felt surreal to stand where such historic talent lived and such magnificent music had been created. What could be cooler than showing your child the birthplace of the man who helped create Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?!
Wandering through the historic city center, I kept remarking on the many shops that sell traditional Austrian clothes for adults and children. I found it incredibly charming that people still dress this way, holding tight to their traditions.
Next, we visited Augustiner Bräu—Austria’s oldest and largest beer garden, set in a quiet neighborhood about 20 minutes from our hotel in the busy city center. We found ourselves surrounded by mostly locals in the large outdoor garden (there’s also an indoor hall used in the winter), where the beer is drawn from wooden barrels and served in stone jugs, or steins. Regional dishes can be bought directly from food stands in the “Schmankerlgang” (delicatessen arcade), which is set up like a traditional marketplace. What surprised me most was how family-friendly it was. There was even a playground where happy children ran around while their parents focused on liters of beer and sausages. Watching our daughter make friends with local kids was one of those small experiences we came to love most when traveling with her.
On our walk back, we stopped at Spielplatz Franz-Josef-Kai, a wooded playground by the river with fast slides, climbing rope towers, and intricate jungle gyms, which our daughter played on while we took in the river views.
After two days in Salzburg, we traded the city for the mountains, taking another transfer for the 90-minute drive to Leogang and Naturhotel Forsthofgut. The scenery navigating through the Austrian countryside into the Alps was magnificent, the greenery giving way to 3,000-meter peaks, and I am sure the drive in winter would be just as beautiful.
Fortsthofgut began as a farm more than 400 hundred years ago and is still run by the same family, with the current husband-and wife-team and their young children on location almost daily. And despite several renovations and additions over the last few years, parts of the original structure remain, and the property feels very special and steeped in tradition.
For five days, we took full advantage of everything the property and Leogang had to offer. Because the stay includes breakfast and five-course dinners, with three à la carte restaurants for a change of pace, families get to enjoy their stay without worrying about logistics. A supervised lunch is served at the kids’ club, along with a dedicated kids’ dinner buffet in the evenings. Ingredients are ethically sourced from within 50 km of the resort and menus are a blend of Alpine-Mediterranean cuisine from Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, and Austria. There were also plenty of vegan options.
The rooms are designed with families in mind, including separate kids’ bedrooms with bunk beds, but my favorite feature had to be separate spas for adults and kids. I lost count of how many pools there were, each one a different temperature (a dream for me as I like my pool water very warm). The kids’ club was outstanding, with lots of stimulating programs including an art studio, animal farm, dance parties, horseback riding and more.
The Alps provide a breathtaking backdrop, and loungers and beds are scattered around the grounds for taking in the views from many vantage points. But one of the best parts of the hotel’s location is its proximity to the Leoganger Bergbahnen, the cable car that takes you up the mountain to the Saalfelden Leogang mountaintop lake and apres-ski restaurants and cafes. Summer was mountain bike rather than ski season, but the lifts and restaurants were open, along with (of course) a playground for our daughter. There were wooden loungers for mountain/forest bathing and cows and horses roaming the slopes. I got to live out my Julie Andrew moment after all, twirling to “The Hills are Alive” in my head.
While our stay was amazing, no family trip is without its hiccups. The resort seemed a bit short-staffed during our stay, which was particularly felt at meal times, though the staff were all incredibly hard-working and friendly. And while Naturhotel Forsthofgut is one of Europe’s most luxurious eco-friendly family resorts, “family friendly” is inevitably going to have its own sense of chaos, with children of all ages running around at all volumes. There are a few dedicated adult-only spaces, but I wouldn’t choose the property for adults traveling without children.
Still, the resort worked beautifully for us, as did the entire trip. Salzburg gave us history, gardens and Mozart, while Leogang offered us stunning mountain landscape views, incredible culinary experiences and a feel for life in the countryside. For families looking for an off-the-beaten path itinerary that blends city and mountains, this Austrian adventure is tough to beat.
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