Fodor's Expert Review Goldener Hirsch

Celebrities from Picasso to Pavarotti have favored the Golden Stag for its legendary gemütlichkeit and away-from-it-all feel. The interiors were dramatically redesigned in 2019, so even the classic rooms are a good size, with large TVs, wooden desks (often hiding a vanity table), comfy rugs, and spacious bathrooms with smart toilets, while the suites add seating areas and space to stretch out. Each room is unique, but all blend modern touches and colorful trims with wooden beams, stucco ceiling decorations, and antique feature pieces. Downstairs, there are two restaurants: the regal dining room with its vaulted ceilings and menu of international dishes alongside Salzburg specialties (try the towering Salzburger Nockerl); and a smaller bistro serving Austrian classics, loved by locals for its cozy, timbered look and house specialty Nürnberger Bratwürstl (half a dozen roasted sausages with sauerkraut). After dinner, take a seat at the stylish bar to try the signature cocktail "Susanne." It's named for a little girl who used to visit with her parents every year; as she got older, more and more ingredients were added, so by the time she was an adult she had a delicious cocktail of orange juice, Campari, crème de cassis, vodka, and Prosecco.