Alpine winter without the ski crowds

The route

1. #1

   Salzburg

   2 nights

   Begin in Salzburg. The baroque old town is compact and floodlit in winter, and it has the richest choice of cosy stays of the three, so give it two nights. It is also the easy arrival point, well connected by rail, before you head deeper into the mountains.

   Where to stay

   • 7.6
     Townhouse Weisses Kreuz

     Salzburg, Austria
   • 7.1
     Hotel Goldgasse, an SLH Hotel

     Salzburg, Austria
   • 7.1
     The Little Guesthouse Salzburg

     Salzburg, Austria
2. #2

   Innsbruck

   2 nights

   Innsbruck is under two hours from Salzburg by train and sits with mountains on every side. Two nights here gives you a full day in the valley without moving hotels. The old town around the Golden Roof is walkable, and the peaks are a cable car ride away if you want the height without the skiing.

   Where to stay

   • 7.1
     Nockhof

     Innsbruck, Austria
   • 6.8
     Nala

     Innsbruck, Austria
   • 6.7
     Koreth

     Innsbruck, Austria
3. #3

   Füssen

   1 nights

   Finish in Füssen, just over the German border below Neuschwanstein castle. It is the smallest and stillest stop, a good last night before flying home from Munich, under two hours north. A room with a stove or a sauna is the reward for the drive up.

   Where to stay

   • 6.9
     B&B Gästehaus Schöberl

     Füssen, Germany
   • 6.9
     Gästehaus Geiger

     Füssen, Germany
   • 6.7
     Salenberghof

     Füssen, Germany

When to go

December to February is when this route makes sense: snow on the roofs, markets in the squares, and warm rooms to come back to. The point is the winter itself, not the pistes. Spring thaw turns the same towns muddy and grey, so wait for the cold.