Six Days from Salzburg to Ljubljana: An Alpine Food Road Trip

We landed early in Salzburg and had most of the day to explore. It was already hot, close to 33°C, so the pace was slower than planned from the start.

We began at Mirabell Gardens before walking towards the historic centre and the Mozart Residence. Salzburg is compact enough that much of the centre can be explored on foot, although the heat made regular stops increasingly necessary.

For lunch, the obvious choice was Wiener Schnitzel. Thin veal, breadcrumbed and fried until crisp, is one of Austria's best known dishes and a straightforward introduction to the country's food.

The afternoon was spent around Hohensalzburg Fortress, with views across the old city and towards the mountains surrounding Salzburg.

A more traditional Austrian dinner would be Tafelspitz, boiled beef traditionally served with accompaniments such as horseradish, apple and potatoes. It is very different from schnitzel and shows another side of Austrian cooking.

For dessert, Sachertorte makes sense in Salzburg even though its strongest association is with Vienna. The combination of chocolate cake and apricot gives the first day a properly Austrian finish without repeating the pastries that appear later in the trip.

Day two took us out of Austria and across the border into Bavaria. From Salzburg, Berchtesgaden and the Obersalzberg are close enough for a full day trip, but the scenery and food feel noticeably different.

The main destination was the Eagle's Nest and the surrounding Obersalzberg area. The mountain setting is impressive, although the history of the site gives the visit a much heavier atmosphere than the scenery alone suggests.

For a Bavarian lunch, Weisswurst is a good place to start. The pale veal and pork sausages are traditionally associated with Bavaria and are usually served with sweet mustard and a pretzel.

After returning from the mountain, a substantial German dinner fits the day. Schweinshaxe, slow-roasted pork knuckle with crisp skin, is the sort of dish that belongs in a Bavarian beer hall rather than a delicate tasting menu.

For dessert, Dampfnudeln offers something different again. These steamed yeast dumplings are soft, filling and often served with vanilla sauce or fruit.

By evening we were back in Salzburg, ready to leave the city behind the following morning and head deeper into Austria's lake country.

Day three was the road trip day we had been looking forward to most. We left Salzburg and headed into the Salzkammergut, where the roads begin to run between lakes, villages and increasingly steep mountains.

The route took us towards Wolfgangsee and the Schafberg. On a clear summer day, the journey up gives wide views across the surrounding lakes and peaks and is one of the easiest ways to appreciate the scale of the landscape.

Lunch in this part of Austria calls for something Alpine. Kasnocken, small dumplings mixed with melted cheese and usually topped with fried onion, is simple mountain food that suits the setting.

From Wolfgangsee we continued towards Hallstatt. It is one of Austria's most photographed villages, but once you get beyond the busiest viewpoints it is still worth walking along the lake and through the older streets.

Back towards Salzburg, Salzburger Nockerl is one of the city's best known specialities. The light baked soufflé is traditionally shaped to represent the mountains around Salzburg and works well as a shared evening dish.

For a later dessert, Kaiserschmarrn brings the day back to classic Austrian comfort food. The torn pancake is caramelised in the pan and commonly served with fruit compote.

Day four started early. We left Salzburg and headed towards Spielberg for the Austrian Grand Prix, with most of the day built around getting to the circuit, watching the race and dealing with the traffic that comes with a major sporting event.

At around 33°C, it was a very hot day to spend outside. Race-day food needed to be quick and practical, and an Austrian Käsekrainer makes a fitting lunch. The sausage is filled with small pieces of cheese and is commonly served from sausage stands with mustard and bread.

The race itself was the focus of the afternoon. Once it finished, we made a quick exit from Spielberg and began the long drive south towards Slovenia.

For an Austrian dinner before crossing the border, Backhendl is a good Styrian choice. The crisp breadcrumbed fried chicken is strongly associated with Austrian cooking and gives the day a regional dish without returning to schnitzel.

For dessert, Buchteln are soft baked yeast buns, often filled with jam and served warm. They are a useful final taste of Austria before the route moves fully into Slovenian food.

We reached Lake Bled late in the evening. There was little to see in the dark, so the first proper view of the lake had to wait until morning.

The first proper view of Lake Bled came the following morning. After arriving in darkness the night before, it was a completely different place in daylight, with the island, church and surrounding mountains all visible across the water.

For lunch, Kranjska Klobasa with Mustard is one of Slovenia's most recognisable dishes. The Carniolan sausage is simple, substantial and well suited to a road-trip lunch before continuing towards Ljubljana.

Before leaving Bled, there is one dessert that belongs here more than anywhere else. Kremna Rezina is the cream cake closely associated with Lake Bled, built from crisp pastry, custard and whipped cream. It is an obvious dish to connect with this particular stop.

The drive to Ljubljana is short, which left most of the afternoon for exploring the capital. We walked through the Old Town and along the Ljubljanica before heading towards Ljubljana Castle. Back at river level, the route continued past Dragon Bridge and eventually into the shade of Tivoli Park.

For dinner, Idrijski Žlikrofi introduce another part of Slovenian food. These small filled dumplings originate from Idrija and are one of the country's distinctive traditional dishes.

Ljubljana is small enough to cover a lot of ground without constantly needing transport. After several days of driving, it was a welcome change to leave the car parked and spend the rest of the day on foot.

A late flight gave us most of the final day, so instead of heading directly to the airport we drove back towards the mountains.

The first stop was Lake Jasna near Kranjska Gora. The clear water and mountain backdrop make it an easy place to stop before continuing towards the landscapes of Triglav National Park.

For lunch, Štruklji with Cottage Cheese fit the Alpine setting. Rolled dumplings appear in several forms across Slovenia and can be served savoury or sweet, with cottage cheese among the traditional fillings.

From Lake Jasna we continued through the mountain scenery around Triglav National Park. Forest, rivers and steep rock faces replace the cities of the first half of the journey, and the roads themselves become part of the experience.

A final Slovenian main course should reflect those rivers and mountains. Soška Postrv, trout associated with the So?a region, gives the last meal a clear connection to the Alpine landscape and Slovenia's freshwater cooking.

For dessert, Potica is one of Slovenia's best known traditional bakes. The rolled yeast cake can be made with several fillings, although walnut is perhaps the version most familiar outside the country.

From there it was finally time to turn towards the airport. In six days the route had moved from Salzburg's old streets to Bavaria, the Austrian lakes, a Formula One circuit, Lake Bled, Ljubljana and the Julian Alps.

The food changed with the route. Austrian schnitzel and dumplings gave way to Bavarian sausages and pork, then to Slovenian dumplings, sausage, trout, cream cake and potica. That variety is one of the best reasons to make this journey by road rather than treating Salzburg and Ljubljana as two separate city breaks.