Salzburg
Mozart's baroque city of domes and spires beneath a mighty fortress, with the Alps on its doorstep.
- Best time to go
- May to September for gardens and the festival; December for Christmas markets
- Local time
- –
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Reading time
- 4 min
- Language
- German
For more than a thousand years Salzburg was ruled by powerful prince-archbishops, who grew rich on the salt mined in the nearby mountains and built a city of baroque churches, palaces and squares, often called the "Rome of the North". It's the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and music is everywhere, from the world-famous summer festival to concerts in its churches and palaces.
The compact old town, a World Heritage Site, lies on the banks of the Salzach River beneath the hilltop Hohensalzburg Fortress, with mountains rising just beyond. It's also a gateway to the lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut.
The top 8 in Salzburg
- 1
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Photo: Andreas Stiasny, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
One of the largest fully preserved medieval castles in Europe, begun in 1077 on a hill above the old town. A funicular climbs to it, and inside are state rooms, museums and the best view over the city and the mountains.
- 2
Mozart's Birthplace and Getreidegasse
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mozart was born in 1756 in a yellow house on Getreidegasse, the old town's busiest shopping street, famous for its wrought-iron shop signs. The apartment where his family lived is a museum, with his childhood violin and family portraits. The Mozart Residence, across the river, where the family later lived, is another museum.
- 3
Salzburg Cathedral and Residenzplatz
Photo: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A grand early baroque cathedral, rebuilt in the seventeenth century, where Mozart was baptised. Nearby, the Residenz, the palace of the prince-archbishops, has lavish state rooms and a gallery of European paintings, and the DomQuartier ticket links them with the cathedral museum.
- 4
Mirabell Palace and Gardens
Photo: Isiwal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A palace built by a prince-archbishop for his mistress, with formal gardens of flowerbeds, fountains and statues, and a view across to the fortress. Several scenes of The Sound of Music were filmed here.
- 5
Hellbrunn Palace
Photo: Ввласенко, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A summer palace on the southern edge of the city, famous for its trick fountains, playful water features built in the seventeenth century to surprise and soak guests, which still work today.
TipExpect to get wet on the guided tour of the trick fountains.
- 6
Mönchsberg
Photo: Isiwal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A cliff-top ridge above the old town, reached by a lift, with walking paths through the woods, the Museum of Modern Art and views over the domes and spires.
- 7
St Peter's Abbey and Cemetery
Photo: Isiwal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
One of the oldest monasteries in the German-speaking world, with a romantic cemetery of wrought-iron grave markers and catacombs cut into the cliff, and St Peter Stiftskulinarium, said to be one of the oldest restaurants in Europe.
- 8
Hallstatt
Photo: David Kernan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A village of wooden houses on the shore of a lake beneath steep mountains, about an hour and a half away, famous for its salt mine, one of the oldest in the world. It's very popular, so visit early or late in the day.
When to go
Summer brings warm weather and the Salzburg Festival, from late July to late August, with opera, concerts and theatre; book tickets and hotels far ahead. Spring and autumn are quieter and pleasant. In December, Christmas markets fill the cathedral square and the fortress. Winter is cold, with ski resorts close by. Mozart Week, in late January, celebrates the composer's birthday.
Getting around
The old town is compact and largely pedestrianised, best explored on foot. Trolleybuses and buses cover the rest of the city. The Salzburg Card includes public transport and entry to most sights. Salzburg Airport is about fifteen minutes from the centre by bus, and trains link the city with Vienna and Munich in about two and a half and one and a half hours.
Local tips
- The Salzburg Card can save money if you visit several sights in a day or two.
- Book festival tickets and accommodation early for July and August.
- Shops close early on Saturdays and most are closed on Sundays.
- Carry an umbrella: Salzburg is known for its frequent rain.
- Respect quiet in churches during services.
- Many restaurants accept cards, but some smaller places prefer cash.
- Sound of Music tours are popular; the film is far better known abroad than in Austria itself.
- Bikes are a great way to follow the Salzach river paths out of town.
Eat and drink
Try Salzburger Nockerl, a sweet soufflé shaped like the snowy peaks around the city; Wiener schnitzel; Kaiserschmarrn, shredded pancake with plum compote; and Mozartkugeln, chocolate balls filled with marzipan and nougat. The Augustiner Bräu in Mülln, run by monks since the seventeenth century, has a vast beer garden where you pour your beer from the barrel into stone mugs.
Day trips
Besides Hallstatt and the lakes of the Salzkammergut, such as Wolfgangsee, the Eagle's Nest, a mountain-top house built for Hitler above Berchtesgaden in Germany, has stunning views, and Hallein's salt mine offers slides between levels and an underground lake. The Untersberg cable car climbs a mountain on the city's edge.
Music in Salzburg
Salzburg's musical life goes far beyond the festival. Concerts are held almost every day of the year in the Mirabell Palace's Marble Hall, the fortress, St Peter's Abbey and the Mozarteum, the city's music university, often with Mozart on the programme. The Salzburg Marionette Theatre has staged operas with puppets since 1913, and the cathedral's organ and choir can be heard at Sunday masses. "Silent Night" was first performed in 1818 in nearby Oberndorf, where a small memorial chapel marks the spot.
Where to stay
The old town, on the left bank of the Salzach, puts you among the cathedral, squares and the fortress, in historic hotels and guesthouses. The right bank, around Linzer Gasse and the Mirabell Gardens, is a little quieter and often better value, still a short walk across the river. Hotels near the station are convenient for day trips by train.