Vienna vs Salzburg for a 4-nights

Hi! I’m planning a 30-day Europe backpacking trip post-grad and trying to decide between Vienna and Salzburg for my Austria stop.

Context: I’ll be coming from Croatia (Split → Hvar → Dubrovnik), so Austria is meant to be a 4-night slower, reset chapter before heading to Portugal. I’m traveling solo and trying to balance scenery, culture, and logistics without blowing my budget.

Originally, I planned to fly into Salzburg for the alpine scenery and hiking — I love nature and the lake/mountain backdrop really appeals to me. But after researching flights and hostels, it’s significantly cheaper and logistically easier to fly into Vienna instead.

Vienna also really appeals to me (café culture, museums, architecture), and I’ve seen that you can still do day trips for hiking or lake swims from there. I’m just worried I’ll miss out on that full alpine immersion if I skip Salzburg.

For those who’ve been to both:

• Is Salzburg worth the extra cost/logistics for 4 nights?

• Can Vienna still give me a solid nature reset with a good day trip?

• If you had to choose one in this situation, which would you pick and why?

Appreciate any insight!