Salzburg and Zell am See, Austria

However. This trip is all about falling in love with places and then moving on, so on we had to go. We wanted the chance to travel slowly through the Alps, so planned a gentle meander over the next couple of days on slow trains taking scenic routes. First up, a bus to Salzburg. A properly beautiful way to start the day: around the lake, past St Gilgen, and then up, up, up through the hills and down the other side. Small villages, white fields, and a gorgeous view over the city as we snaked down the winding pass, then along elegant sunny streets and into the main station.

I often think how nice it would be if you could teleport into a city for a few hours – Saturday morning in Florence, maybe an afternoon in Bergamo, that kind of thing. That’s exactly how our stop in Salzburg felt. We had three hours to enjoy a little of a city that we already know and love. So, what would you do if you were teleported into Salzburg for just under three hours? For me: great coffee, a good walk with nice city views – and for the icing on the cake, add some music.

Salzburg station is a joy to navigate: light, modern, calm. Easy luggage lockers to drop the rucksacks, leaving us free to head off feeling light and bouncy. I was buzzing to be in the city on such a beautiful morning, and doubly bouncy after an excellent coffee from lovely Ratio Cafe on Linzer Gasse – our favourite.

The first view of the old town from across the river was absolute winter morning perfection. Snow on roofs, a hazy sunlight, the castle rising soft and gentle in the morning light. We headed into the old town, waved to Mr Mozart’s Geburtshaus and wandered through a surprisingly quiet city. The small cobbled streets of the old town were lacking the usual throngs of people, the town gentle and sleepy on a Wednesday morning. I always love the ornate shop signs hanging above the streets, all gold and intricate metalwork. From its wide avenues to the tiny alleys, Salzburg is such an elegant and lovely city.

The castle is always a good objective for a walk so we headed that way in search of a nice view. Up the steep cobbled hill until the view of the city unfolded below. We picked our way round the back of the castle for a gorgeous view across to distant mountains and then looped back to stand just above the courtyards behind the cathedral and marvel at the rooftops. Across the river, old walls on a hillside. In the foreground, spires and domes, glinting gold in the sunlight. A sneak view into quiet courtyards below.

To get all three things on my teleport list, we needed music. Even in Salzburg, I’d assumed this was unlikely in a three hour stop. However, we’d spotted a midday concert in the cathedral. Under the ornate and stunning dome, we drew breath while an organist played each of the cathedral’s organs in turn. Salzburg cathedral has seven organs (five main ones and two smaller mobile ones), to make the most of the acoustics in such a huge space. We got to hear three of them before we had to leave for our train. The boomy, bone-deep main organ. The delicate, music-box Venetian. And my favourite: the warm and elegant Holy Spirit. A lovely opportunity to listen to the differences – and to hear some gorgeous music in the peace of the beautiful cathedral.

Because I always want to squeeze in one last thing, we took the long route to the station, along the bank of the Salzach river and over the lovely Mozartsteg bridge. We half-walked, half-ran past the Mirabell Gardens (no time for even one verse of ‘Do, re, mi’) and arrived back at the station in time to jump on the train south through the Tyrolean mountains. The perfect morning in beautiful sunny Salzburg. When they invent the teleport, that’s exactly how I’ll spend my first visit.

Onwards again, and now for an extra-scenic train ride. The train to Zell am See follows the Salzach river upstream for its whole journey, from the wide, elegant version that flows through Salzburg to its younger mountain self, high up in the Alps. The train line hugs its banks as it turns deep jade and still in the sunshine, and watches as it races over rapids and becomes icy and black in gullies too deep to see the sun. Hoar-frost-whitened trees and views up snowy pastures to high mountains. A beautiful way to spend a couple of hours on a train that is in no hurry at all, rolling gently through the landscape stopping every few minutes for another small town or village.  Exactly the kind of travel we were hoping for.

We’d booked a room right by the station in Zell am See, which meant we could drop the rucksacks and rush straight out to catch the end of the light. Zell am See sits at 750m above sea level, and the beautiful lake was frozen most of the way across, circled by high mountains. The lakeside promenade was snowy and gorgeous, and led us down into the town for an explore. Zell itself has a small town centre before it spreads out across the hillsides – classic Austrian buildings, a lovely church and a grand town hall. Bars and restaurants getting ready for a busy evening ahead, but town still quiet at this stage.

Up early, we woke to thick mist rising over the town. Rucksacks packed and left for safe keeping in the hotel garage. Into town to get takeaway coffee and then to join the queues for the ski bus to the cable car.

An interlude here. I resolutely don’t ski. I love the idea but hated the reality of feeling out of control on two planks. My one and only attempt at downhill skiing ended with me taking off my skis, walking down the nursery slopes and locking myself in the car. Possibly not my finest moment. The world of skiing is therefore alien to me, and I watched on in awe as people manhandled skis and snowboards on and off buses with more grace than I handle my rucksack.

We’d picked the big cable car to the top of the mountain, which was quiet so early in the morning. My fear of skiing is pretty closely attached to my fear of heights. Love the mountains, love the views, neurotic near any kind of edge. Dangling from a wire not my favourite thing. I was very determined to be brave … until the cable car stopped, and dangled for a good 5 minutes above a terrifying ravine.  Gulp. Eventually we got going again, and when I opened my eyes at the top (!) we were in mountain heaven, just short of 2000m above sea level.

The advantage of being a non-skier: everyone else skis off down the slope and you get to enjoy the mountain to yourself. It was heavenly at the summit. Airplane-worthy views of white peak after white peak in all directions. The lake below under thick mist; the slopes above under blue sky and sunshine. Pistes stretching out below, waking up for the day. We spent a happy half hour at the viewpoint, soaking up the sense of space and endless mountain heaven.

A much smoother journey down the mountain took us over astonishingly steep pistes, and my vertigo brain had settled enough to be able to look out and marvel at the skill level of those below. Incredible to watch from a safe distance.

We arrived back into town to find the mist burning off and the most incredible morning unfolding. The far side of the lake was still in thin mist, lakeshore trees a faint smudge in the white, mountains now clear in the sunshine above. It was incredibly cold back down in the valley and the remaining mist was crystallising into tiny, tiny snowflakes, falling like some kind of sparkly special effect over the lakeshore path. Completely dreamy and wonderful to see.

In our short time in Zell, I feel like we were able to enjoy a whole raft of different sides of this lovely lakeside town. Quiet paths and streets while the pistes above are busy. Pumping energy and buzz as apres-ski comes alive. The quiet mountain in the morning, and a gentle magical winter as the mist lifts. A beautiful place – and so nice to see another side of winter on our journey.

The train out of Zell took a gorgeous route through the mountains. White pastures, ski pistes, majestic grey-rock giants towering above. Cross-country skiers on the fields, small towns going about their days. A lovely route to conclude our loop through the Tyrol and take us into Innsbruck for the night, happily full of mountains views and sunny Alpine snow.