SEPTEMBER 2021
Salzburg is often called the cultural capital of Austria and what’s better than exploring a cultural city from a historic hotel? You might know Salzburg from The Sound of Music and you can stay on the castle grounds that were featured in the movie in Schloss Leopoldskron. If you like peace and quiet you are going to love this hotel, its gardens and the walk along the lake. Despite its quiet location, the hustle and bustle of the city is only a few busstops away as the city bus stops right in front of the hotel.
Practical information
Most of the rooms of Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron are located in the pink building next to the castle: The Meierhof. We paid about € 200 per night for our simple room including breakfast, but if you book well ahead in time you should be able to get the rooms at a cheaper rate. The Schloss itself features the suites and those are more expensive. All rooms have recently been renovated in a simple, stylish and modern way. There is sufficient parking on the hotel premises. There is a direct bus to the city center which runs pretty frequently on weekdays, but doesn’t go in the evening. The hotel has good quality bicycles that you can borrow for free. The surroundings of the hotel are particularly lovely, so I definitely recommend taking the bike to cycle to the city center. Salzburg is super bicycle friendly, it is a must do! We were able to spot Fortress Hohensalzburg from our hotel room’s window. But if you cycle to Salzburg you will get spectacular views of the Fortress along the whole way.
The hotel only has a small bar, where you can get a sandwich, cake or glass of wine, but does not have an option for evening meals. However, within walking distance you will find two options for dining: Weiher Wirt & Marchharts. Weiher Wirt has a terrace that offers views of Leopoldskron from the other side of the lake. The food is really good, but I did find the restaurant very expensive. Marchharts has Thai cuisine and burgers with a good price-quality, but I did not love the atmosphere of the restaurant. Both are fine options, but I would recommend eating in Salzburg Altstadt.
The breakfast
The breakfast is served in the main castle and is the number one reason you should book a stay with Schloss Leopoldskron. There is a really good breakfast buffet, as well as the delicious egg variations that you can order, but the breakfast is mainly very good because it is served in the most beautiful historic rooms of Leopoldskron. You have several rooms to choose from and you will feel like royalty while having your breakfast. The fact that you can drink champagne during breakfast only adds to this! I loved the main hall where the breakfast buffet was located, but the library is the most lovely option. If you do not want to stay at Leopoldskron, you can still book the breakfast via their website.
Was it kid friendly?
Unfortunately, I did not find Schloss Leopoldskron very kid-friendly. The Meierhof building featured some stairs and we had to climb those stairs several times a day with the baby stroller, not very comfortable. The baby bed was good, but because it took up so much space the stroller did not fit in the room anymore. One morning a wedding was hosted in the castle’s gardens, limiting the space where kids could play. The facilities in the room were very limited, we had no fridge or kettle, so we had to improvise with Hugo’s food. The room also featured a shower instead of a bath, which I personally prefer with a baby. The breakfast staff was really lovely with kids though and Hugo loved the swing in the old tree! I would advise this hotel to a couple that values history and quietness, but I wouldn’t recommend it for families perse. When the weather is nice you are able to access the swimming pool nearby for free, but when the weather is not good there is not much to do for kids.
