A visitor to Hall, just ten minutes away from Innsbruck, has the back lanes to oneself.

We stopped for lunch in the pretty little town of Hall, Austria the other day. This much smaller version of Innsbruck has attention from Austrian and German tourists who know about it, but it’s virtually overlooked by Americans who are drawn to the larger and more well-known Innsbruck. What I like about Hall is that you can park just a few steps away from the old town, you can walk around without being run over by hoardes of camera-toting tourists, and you can have a great meal in an authentic place without paying through the nose or having a bad experience with a crabby waitress.

Schnitzel is served!

After what is probably the best cheese spaetzle I’ve had in my entire 21 year career in working in Europe, we walked around the interesting medieval lanes and then, bellies and curiosity satisfied, drove on for Berchtesgaden.

The town hall