Europe is the 6th largest continent. About 11% of the surface area of Europe is covered by the Alps which give a distinctive feature to the continent, namely a diverse natural landscape. This is the magnet that has attracted us from the beginning. Since that trip from 2015, we have started to visit the Alps each year in the summertime. We also decided to go on camping in that area in the following years because it is cheaper than choosing a guesthouse/hotel.

This article describes a 2-week itinerary in some of the most important mountain ranges from the Alps. Besides hiking, we also visited the cities located near the mountains and a small city from the Adriatic Sea in Croatia.

We visited 5 countries in total during the trip.

AUSTRIA

Mountains: Northern Limestone Alps (Hoher Dachstein).

Cities: Vienna, Salzburg, Hallstatt, Zell am See.

ITALY

Mountains: Southern Limestone Alps (Dolomites).

Village: Selva di Val Gardena.

GERMANY

Mountains: Northern Limestone Alps (Bavarian Alps/Wetterstein).

Cities: Munich, Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

SLOVENIA

Mountains: Southern Limestone Alps (Julian Alps).

Cities: Ljubljana, Bled.

CROATIA

National park: Plitvice Lakes.

City: Brela (Adriatic Sea).

Click on the small arrow from the map (top left corner) to expand the map legend and visualize all the touristic attractions mentioned in this article.

This article contains the following categories:

• We’ve been there → how we’ve organized our holiday
• Itinerary → how we’ve spent 2 weeks in Europe (detailed itinerary per day)
  

LOCATION

Europe: Austria, Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia;

DURATION & MONTH

2 weeks spent in July 2015;

TRANSPORT

Personal car;

ACCOMMODATION

Booking (guesthouses);

2-week ITINERARY

DAY 1 – Romania

• drive from Bucharest to Deva
• accommodation – Booking in Deva

DAY 2 – Romania → Austria

• drive from Deva to Vienna
• accommodation – Lenas Donau Hotel in Vienna 

DAY 3 – Austria

• visit Vienna (Schonbrunn Palace)
• drive from Vienna to Hallstatt
• visit Hallstatt (Treffpunkt Marktplatz/Market Square, Evangelical Church of Christ)
• dinner at Braugasthof Lobisser Gasthof Restaurant in Hallstatt
• accommodation – Gasthof Bergfried Guesthouse in Hallstatt

DAY 4 – Austria

• visit Hallstatt (Salt Mine) and Obertraun (Dachstein Giant Ice Cave)
• drive from Hallstatt to Zell am See
• dinner at Heritage Hotel Restaurant in Hallstatt
• accommodation – Waldhaus Opitz Apartment in Zell am See

DAY 5 – Austria → Italy

• drive from Zell am See to Selva di Val Gardena
• hike on Giro del Sassolungo in the Dolomites
• dinner at Garni Morene Restaurant in Selva di Val Gardena
• accommodation – Hotel Garni Morene in Selva di Val Gardena

DAY 6 – Italy

• drive from Selva di Val Gardena to Corvara
• do the via ferrata Vallon and hike on Cresta Strenta to Piz Boè
• accommodation – Hotel Garni Morene in Selva di Val Gardena

DAY 7 – Italy → Germany

• drive from Selva di Val Gardena to Munich
• visit Munich
• accommodation – Hotel Perlach Allee by Blattl in Munich

DAY 8 – Germany

• drive from Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen
• visit Garmisch-Partenkirchen
• accommodation – Pension Mirabell in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

DAY 9 – Germany

• trip to Zugspitze summit, Germany’s highest mountain (Eibsee-Seilbahn cable car ride & hike through Höllental valley)
• dinner at Panorama Lounge 2962 on the top of Zugspitze
• accommodation – Pension Mirabell in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

DAY 10 – Germany → Austria

• drive from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Salzburg
• visit Salzburg, the city of Mozart
• accommodation – Kolpinghaus Salzburg in Salzburg

DAY 11 – Austria → Slovenia

• drive from Salzburg to Bled
• hike to Triglav Peak (Tominsek route)
• accommodation – Triglav Lodge at Kredarica (Triglavski dom na Kredarici) 

DAY 12 – Slovenia

• descend from Triglav
• drive from Aljaž Lodge to Bled
• visit Bled
• accommodation – Apartments Cilka Čović in Bled

DAY 13 – Slovenia → Croatia

• drive from Bled to Ljubljana
• visit Ljubljana (city center)
• drive from Ljubljana to Plitvice Lakes
• visit Plitvice Lakes National Park
• accommodation – Guest House Krga in Korenica

DAY 14 – Croatia

• driving from Korenica to Brela
• accommodation – Apartments Kartulina in Brela

DAY 15 – Croatia, 24-25, 74€/night/double room

• sunbathing on Punta Rata Beach
• accommodation – Apartments Kartulina in Brela

DAY 16 – Croatia → back to Romania

• driving from Brela back home in Romania

Detailed itinerary

DAY 1 – Romania (RO)

Drive from Bucharest to Deva

• distance 400km / 248mi;
• duration ~5h;

⚠️When passing through Romania, it is necessary to have a valid vignette (prices in 2020 per passenger car: 3€/7-day, 7€/30-day).

Accommodation:

• via Booking in Deva (20€/night/double room);

DAY 2 – Romania → Austria

Drive from Deva to Vienna

• passing through Hungary;
• distance 680km / 422mi;
• duration ~6h45;

⚠️When passing through Hungary, it is necessary to have a valid vignette (prices in 2020 per passenger car: 20€/10-day, 29.75€/30-day).

⚠️When passing through Austria, it is necessary to have a valid vignette (prices in 2020 per passenger car: 9.4€/10-day, 27.40€/2-month).

?Make sure you get a vignette before entering those countries. You can purchase it in border countries at gas stations, motorway rest stops or online.

We didn’t have time that day to explore the city of Vienna.

Accommodation:

• Lenas Donau Hotel in Vienna (39€/night/double room)

DAY 3 – Austria

Visit Vienna

In the first day spent in Vienna we rented 2 bikes and explored the city throughout the day. Because it was a hot summer day, we spent most of the time in the park of Schönbrunn Palace where the entry was free.

Schönbrunn Palace

• a 1441-room Rococo palace;
• it was the main summer residence of the Hapsburg emperors;
• it was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1996;

?You can enter the Palace Park free of charge during opening hours.

⚠️Prices: Grand Tour 40 rooms (22€/adult), Imperial Tour 22 rooms (18€/adult). For other tours like Privy Garden, Orangery Garden, Maze, Zoo check out this website.

Check out this article for more information on the Schönbrunn Palace.

Drive from Vienna to Hallstatt

• distance 300km / 186mi;
• duration ~3h30;

Visit Hallstatt

Hallstatt

• small city (~800 residents) located near the Dachstein massif and famous worldwide for its picturesque landscape;
• a million tourists a year;
• Hallstatt-Dachstein (Salzkammergut) was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1997;
• home to the oldest salt mine in the world;

Check out this article for more information and photos from Hallstatt.

We ate at:

• Braugasthof Lobisser Gasthof Restaurant in Hallstatt

Accommodation:

• Gasthof Bergfried Guesthouse in Hallstatt (92€/night/double room)

DAY 4 – Austria

Visit Hallstatt (Salt Mine) and Obertraun (Dachstein Giant Ice Cave)

Salt Mine 

?‍?‍?‍?Family friendly (children ages 4 and up)

• one of the top attractions in Hallstatt;
• guided tour that takes ~3h in total (including the funicular ride that gets you to the entrance of the salt mine);

⚠️Prices: Salt Mine & Funicular round trip 34€/adult and 17€/children; Salt Mine 24€/adult and 12€/children.

Check out this article for more information and photos from the Salt Mine.

Drive from Hallstatt to Zell am See

• distance 110km / 68mi;
• duration ~1h40;

We ate at:

• Heritage Hotel Restaurant in Hallstatt;

Accommodation:

• Waldhaus Opitz Apartment in Zell am See (54€/night/double room);

DAY 5 – Austria → Italy

Drive from Zell am See (Austria) to Selva di Val Gardena (Italy)

• entering Italy through Passo di Stalle (Staller Saddle 2052m/6732ft)
• distance 220km / 136mi;
• duration ~3h35;

⚠️In Italy the tolls are collected at toll gates, so you don’t need a vignette (~9€/100km/car).

Hike on Giro del Sassolungo in the Dolomites

• distance ~14km / 8.6mi;
• difficulty moderate;
• cable car ride from Selva di Val Gardena (Ciampinoi cable car) to Ristorante Ciampinoi; then the hike passes by Rifugio Emilio Comici 2153m/7063ft (Gruppo Sella on the left) → Passo Sella 2244m/7362ft → Sassolungo 3181m/10436ft → Rifugio Toni Demetz Hütte 2685m/8809ft → Ciampinoi;

Check out this article for more information and photos from Giro del Sassolungo.

We ate at:

• Garni Morene Restaurant in Selva di Val Gardena;

Accommodation:

• Hotel Garni Morene in Selva di Val Gardena (65€/night/half-board double room);

DAY 6 – Italy

Drive from Selva di Val Gardena to Corvara

• distance 20km / 12mi;
• duration ~30min;

Do the via ferrata Vallon and hike on Cresta Strenta to Piz Boè

That day we visited a shop in Corvara and bought a via ferrata kit from Salewa. We could have rent a via ferrata kit, but on long term, buying our own kits was a good investment because we used them many times so far.

⚠️Prices for via ferrata kit: via ferrata set with carabiners and elasticated webbing lanyards  ~100€, helmet ~45€, harness ~65€, via ferrata gloves ~65€.

For testing the via ferrata kits, we chose a short, but not easy via ferrata trail (Vallon) and combine it with a hike to Piz Boè (Cresta Strenta), the highest mountain of the Sella Group.

• took the Boè cable car and the Vallon chairlift;
• walked to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon and followed the signs for via ferrata;
• after ~1h of intense physical activity, we arrived on the ridge (Cresta Strenta) that led us to Piz Boè. The trail to the mountain peak was devoid of vegetation, but gave us the opportunity to take some unique photos of that rocky landscape.

⚠️Price for the Summer lift pass (allows you to use the gondolas and chairlifts in Alta Badia): 54€/3-day/adult; 38€/3-day/junior.

Check out this article for more information on that hike.

Accommodation:

• Hotel Garni Morene in Selva di Val Gardena (65€/night/half-board double room);

DAY 7 – Italy → Germany

Drive from Selva di Val Gardena (Italy) to Munich (Germany)

• distance 270km / 167mi;
• duration ~3h40min;

⚠️In Germany the tolls are only for vehicles with a weight of 7,5 tons above, so you don’t need a vignette.

Visit Munich

Munich

• Bavaria’s capital, southern Germany;
• 3rd largest city in Germany (after Berlin and Hamburg);
• city famous for its beer and annual Oktoberfest celebration;
• home to the popular car manufacturer BMW‘s headquarters;

Accommodation:

• Hotel Perlach Allee by Blattl in Munich (78€/night/half-board double room);

DAY 8 – Germany

Drive from Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen

• distance 90km / 55mi;
• duration ~1h10min;

Visit Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

(Sport-Quartier, Olympiaschanze, Partnach Gorge)

• union of the two ancient villages (Garmisch and Partenkirchen);
• ski resort in Bavaria;
• it lies at the foot of Zugspitze mountain, Germany’s highest peak;
• it was home to the Winter Olympic Games in 1936 (Olympiaschanze ski-jump hill);

Things to do in Garmisch-Partenkirchen:

• • hike/cogwheel train/cable car to Zugspitze;
  • visit Partnach Gorge (Partnachklamm);
  • gondola ride over Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Hausbergbahn and Kreuzwanklbahn gondolas to Kreuzeck mountain 1650m/5413ft);
  • visit Olympiaschanze (ski jumps, museum);
  • boating on Eibsee alpine lake;
  • visit AlpspiX panorama platform;

Accommodation:

• Pension Mirabell in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (118€/night/half-board double room);

DAY 9 – Germany

Trip to Zugspitze summit, Germany’s highest mountain (2962m/9717ft)

• I took the Seilbahn cable car running from Eibsee Lake to the top of Zugspitze
• my husband hiked to Zugspitze through Höllental valley (Höllentalklamm gorge) – check out this article for more info about the hike;

There are 3 options to get to the peak of Zugspitze from Germany :

1. From Eibsee → Eibsee-Seilbahn cable car (duration ~10mins);
2. From Garmisch-Partenkirchen  (through Grainau and Eibsee) → cogwheel train to Zugspitze Glacier Plateau (Zugspitzplatt), then the Glacier Cable Car to the peak (duration ~1h from Garmisch and ~35mins from Eibsee);
3. hiking (one of them is through Höllental valley);

⚠️Price for going up to Zugspitze: 50€/round-trip. It includes one mountain ascent and descent, either in the form of a round trip on the cogwheel train, a ride on the Gletscherbahn cable car and the Cable car Zugspitze. You can use the Gletscherbahn cable car as often you like on the day of your visit.

Check out this article for more information on that hike.

We ate at:

• Panorama Lounge 2962 on the top of Zugspitze;

Accommodation:

• Pension Mirabell in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (118€/night/half-board double room);

DAY 10 – Germany → Austria

Drive from Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany) to Salzburg (Austria)

• distance 185km / 115mi;
• duration ~2h15min;

⚠️When passing through Austria, it is necessary to have a valid vignette (prices in 2020 per passenger car: 9.4€/10-day, 27.40€/2-month).

Visit Salzburg, the city of Mozart

Salzburg

• the birthplace of composer Mozart;
• the Old Town includes sights like the historic city center (Altstadt Salzburg), Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom), Mirabell Palace, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Getreidegasse, House for Mozart, Sphaera etc;
• the historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site;

Mirabell Palace

• the gardens of the palace is one of the most popular tourist attraction in Salzburg (free admission);
• several scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed in the gardens of the palace;

Hohensalzburg Fortress

• sits atop a small hill in Salzburg overlooking the Old Town;
• one of the largest medieval castle in Europe;

Check out this article for more information and photos from Salzburg.

Accommodation:

• Kolpinghaus Salzburg in Salzburg (80€/night/double room);

DAY 11 – Austria → Slovenia

Drive from Salzburg (Austria) to Bled (Slovenia)

• distance 240km / 150mi;
• duration ~2h30min;

⚠️When passing through Slovenia, it is necessary to have a valid vignette (prices in 2020 per passenger car: 15€/7-day, 30€/1-month).

Hike to Triglav summit

Triglav Peak

• elevation 2863m/9395ft;
• the highest mountain in Slovenia;
• HIKING TRAIL (ascent via Tominšek Route, also known as Tominškova pot; descent via the Prag Route): Mojstrana → after 15min drive arriving to a large parking lot near Aljazev Dom → after 10 min arriving to Aljaž Lodge in the Vrata Valley/Aljazev Dom (1015m/3330ft) → Monument to the Fallen Partisan Alpinists → follow the marks for Tominškova pot route → arriving in ~5h at Kredarica Triglav Lodge → arriving in ~1h10 on Triglav summit → spend the night at Kredarica Triglav Lodge → follow the marks for Prag route → back to the car;

Check out this article for more information and more photos from the hike to Triglav summit.

Accommodation:

• Triglav Lodge at Kredarica (Triglavski dom na Kredarici) in Mojstrana (2515m/8251ft) (14€/night/bunk);

DAY 12 – Slovenia

Descending from Triglav

Check out the previous day (DAY 11) and this article to find out more about the hike to Triglav.

After spending the night in the middle of the nature at Kredarica, the hut located at 2515m/8251ft altitude (~1h before the Triglav peak), we descended the mountain by choosing an easier trail, Prag route. After that, we drove to Bled where we were going to spend the next night.

Drive from Aljaž Lodge to Bled

• distance 35km / 21mi;
• duration ~45min;

Visit Bled

We arrived in Bled by night, so the only things we had time to do were to take a shore line stroll along the Lake Bled and to climb the steep path to the Bled Castle. The view across the lake at night is extraordinary.

Things to do in Bled

• take a stroll around Lake Bled;
• visit Bled Island;
• visit Bled Castle;
• hike to Mala Osojnica (hilltop viewpoint; low difficulty; hike duration ~1h);
• ?‍?‍?‍?take a ride on the summer toboggan (Straža Bled);
• taste the famous Bled cream cake;

Lake Bled

• a mix of glacial and tectonic origin;
• maximum depth of 29.5m/97 ft;
• it has a small island, Bled Island (Blejski otok);
• the main building on the island is a pilgrimage church which is frequently visited and it is a place where weddings are held;
• getting to the Bled Island: by rowboat (rent it from the shops around the lake for ~20€/h), by wooden boat (known as pletna, it holds ~20 people and costs ~12€/person);

Bled Castle (Blejski Grad)

• medieval castle perched at 130m/426ft atop a hill overlooking the lake;
• the oldest castle in Slovenia (around year 1011) and one of the most visited tourist attractions of the country;
• getting to the castle: by car or by climbing a steep path (it’s worth it!);
• you can see the views without going into the castle; people say entering the castle (13€/adult) it’s not worth the money;

Accommodation:

• Apartments Cilka Čović in Bled (40€/night/double room);

DAY 13 – Slovenia → Croatia

• drive from Bled to Ljubljana
• visit Ljubljana
• drive from Ljubljana to Plitvice Lakes
• visit Plitvice Lakes National Park
• accommodation – Guest House Krga in Korenica

Drive from Bled to Ljubljana

• distance 54km / 177mi;
• duration ~40min;

Visit Ljubljana (city center)

Ljubljana

• the capital of Slovenia and its largest city;
• lies in a natural depression surrounded by the peaks of the Julian Alps;
• won the title of European Green Capital in 2016;
• the symbol of the city is the Ljubljana Dragon; it symbolizes power, courage, and greatness;
• ?‍?‍?‍?Places to visit for families with kids: House of Illusions, House of experiments, Puppet Theatre, Minicity Ljubljana, Natural History Museum, Zoo, Botanic Garden, Tivoli Park playgrounds;

Drive from Ljubljana (Slovenia) to Plitvice Lakes (Croatia)

• distance 206km / 675mi;
• duration ~3h;

⚠️In Croatia the tolls are collected at toll gates, so you don’t need a vignette (40HRK≈5€/100km/car).

⚠️The currency of Croatia is the Croatian Kuna.

Visit Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice Lakes National Park

• most popular Croatian tourist attraction;
• a UNESCO World Heritage Site;
• the park consists of 16 lakes interconnected by waterfalls and surrounded by forest vegetation;
• activities to do in the park: lake tour (7 routes and 4 hiking trails available), rowing, skiing and sleighing in winter;

Check out this article for more information and more photos from the Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Accommodation:

• Guest House Krga in Korenica (28€/night/double room);

DAY 14 – Croatia

Drive from Korenica to Brela

• distance 275km / 170mi;
• duration ~2h40;

Accommodation:

• Apartments Kartulina in Brela (74€/night/double room);

DAY 15 – Croatia

Sunbathing on Punta Rata Beach

Punta Rata Beach

• situated in Brela on the Makarska Riviera;
• pebble beach with crystal clear water; surrounded by a pine tree forest;
• FORBES Magazine included it in Top 10 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World (ranked 6th in the world and 1st in Europe);
• sports activities: swimming, kayak/canoe, jet-ski, parasailing, snorkeling;

❌Punta Rata Beach was a little too crowded for my taste.

❌Pebble beach. I do prefer sandy beaches.

⚠️Water shoes are recommended.

Brela

• Croatian town on the Dalmatian coast;
• known as the pearl of Makarska riviera;

Accommodation:

• Apartments Kartulina in Brela (74€/night/double room);

DAY 16 – Croatia → back to Romania

Driving from Brela back home to Romania

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