Salzburg: Salzwelten, Eisriesenwelt & Untersbergbahn

Choose the Right Adventure

Although all four attractions lie south of Salzburg, you should not attempt to visit them all in one day. Salzwelten Salzburg and Keltenblitz form the best combined family outing because both are located on the Dürrnberg above Hallein. Eisriesenwelt should be treated as a separate day trip, while the Untersbergbahn works well as a shorter excursion or weather-dependent alternative.

Option 1: Salzwelten and Keltenblitz

Drive south from Salzburg to Bad Dürrnberg, approximately 20 to 30 minutes from the city. Begin with the Salzwelten Salzburg, where the visitor mine explores around 2,600 years of salt-mining history.

The guided experience lasts about 90 minutes and includes approximately one kilometer of walking. After changing into protective miners’ clothing, you travel into the mountain by mine train, descend on two miners’ slides, cross the underground border between Austria and Germany and ride a raft across a subterranean salt lake. The experience is entertaining for children while still explaining the importance of salt to the Celtic settlements, regional trade and Salzburg’s prosperity.

The mine remains around 10°C throughout the year, so bring warm clothing and sturdy shoes even on a hot summer day. Children must be at least four years old. Admission also includes the Celtic Mountain experience, with a reconstructed Celtic village, playground and salt manufactory.

After the mine, continue to the nearby Keltenblitz summer toboggan run. A double chairlift carries you up the Zinkenkogel, where you can have lunch, enjoy the view across the Salzach Valley and prepare for the 2.2-kilometer ride back down. Each rider controls the speed of the toboggan, making the descent as fast or cautious as preferred.

We found the Sommerrodelbahn easy to combine with the salt mine, and the contrast worked particularly well: part history lesson, part underground adventure and part outdoor fun. Allow five to seven hours for both attractions, including lunch and time at the Celtic village.

The toboggan run only operates when the track is dry. If rain is expected later in the day, ride the Keltenblitz when it opens and visit the mine afterward. Otherwise, the morning mine tour followed by lunch and the toboggan run creates a natural sequence.

Option 2: Eisriesenwelt

The Eisriesenwelt near Werfen is the most physically demanding of these outings. Drive approximately 45 to 60 minutes south from Salzburg and follow the steep access road from Werfen to the visitor center. Arrive early, particularly during July, August or a rainy day when parking can fill quickly.

From the visitor center, the journey includes:

• An approximately 20-minute uphill walk to the cable car

• A steep cable-car ride into the Tennen Mountains

• Another approximately 20-minute uphill walk to the cave entrance

• A guided cave tour involving around 1,400 steps

Inside the cave, guides use traditional lamps and magnesium illumination rather than permanent electric lighting. The frozen formations, darkness and scale of the chambers make this feel like a genuine mountain expedition rather than a conventional visitor attraction.

Allow for both the uphill approach and the stairs inside the cave; the cable car does not take you directly to the entrance. It is best for active families with older children who are comfortable with heights, cold temperatures and sustained climbing. It will be less suitable for very young children, anyone with limited mobility or visitors who dislike enclosed and dimly lit spaces.

Reserve an entry window through the official Eisriesenwelt website and check exactly where the reservation time applies. Allow at least three hours from arrival at the visitor center, plus travel from Salzburg and time for lunch. In practice, this becomes a five- to seven-hour outing. Bring a warm jacket, gloves and sturdy shoes. Even when the valley is warm, temperatures inside the cave remain around or below freezing.

A self-service bistro is located at the visitor center, while the Dr. Oedl Haus beside the upper cable-car station provides a more atmospheric place for a meal or drink with mountain views.

Option 3: Untersbergbahn

The Untersbergbahn is the easiest way to experience high-alpine scenery without committing to a demanding hike. Its valley station near Grödig is about ten kilometers south of Salzburg and can be reached by car or public bus.

The cable car climbs from 456 meters to the Geiereck mountain station at 1,776 meters in approximately eight minutes. The change in conditions can be striking. During our winter visit, the mountain above Salzburg was covered in snow and ice.

At the top, you can enjoy the views, take a short walk and stop at the mountain restaurant or one of the nearby huts when open. More ambitious trails continue across exposed alpine terrain, but families do not need to hike far to make the trip worthwhile. The mountain station itself provides extensive views toward Salzburg, the Berchtesgaden region and the surrounding Alps.

Allow two to four hours, depending on whether you simply ride up for the panorama or add a walk and meal. Weather conditions at the summit can be very different from those in Salzburg, so check the webcam before leaving and carry an extra layer. Good shoes are important even if you are not planning a longer hike.