Tag: City breaks in Europe

Salzburg is always suitable for a short city trip. To give you a good overview, I have put together a guide with the best sights in Salzburg! Salzburg is full of great locations that you can easily discover in a whole weekend or even a day!

Tips for your trip to Salzburg:
➜ Find affordable hotels in Salzburg
➜ Save on high admission prices for many of Salzburg’s attractions and public transportation tickets with the Salzburg Card

Best Things to Do in Salzburg

The Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Mönchsberg, Mirabell Palace or the pretty old town with many sights such as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Salzburg has a lot to offer in a small area! The best place to start is here:

#1 Fortress Hohensalzburg & Fortress Funicular

The city’s landmark also provides a breathtaking view of Salzburg and the surrounding mountains. At Hohensalzburg Fortress you can not only enjoy the panorama, but also explore one of the best preserved medieval castles in Europe! Almost 950 years ago, the first foundation stone for the huge castle overlooking Salzburg was laid on the fortress hill.

By the way, the Festungsbahn takes you up and back down in just a few minutes. The train runs every 10 minutes and is free for Salzburg Card holders. It takes about 20 minutes to walk up to the castle; the path is paved but still requires some effort. Once you reach the top, you’ll also have to pay an admission fee if you don’t have a Salzburg Card.

#2 Mozart’s Birthplace

Even if you say that you have nothing to do with classical music – I bet you’ve certainly heard a piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His compositions were legendary even in his lifetime! You can’t miss his birthplace in the Getreidegasse: Either the bright yellow facade or the long lines of waiting tourists in front of the door will show you the way.

Inside the house itself, in the Mozarts’ former apartment and adjacent rooms, you’ll find a lovingly curated museum featuring old letters, Mozart’s original childhood violin, and, of course, plenty of music. Don’t let the crowds of tourists deter you—it’s well worth a visit and free if you’ve purchased the Salzburg Card in advance. Mozart’s birthplace is the quintessential Salzburg attraction.

Looking for delicious food in Salzburg?
Click here for the comprehensive Salzburg Food Guide

#3 Mozart Residence

At Makartplatz, on the other side of the Salzach, you will find the Mozart family’s residence. If you want to dive deeper into Mozart’s life, you’ve come to the right place! Destroyed during the Second World War, the former dancing master’s house was rebuilt and now houses a multimedia exhibition on the life of Mozart and his equally musical family.

If you have little time, however, I would recommend that you give priority to the birthplace and only visit that one.

➜ Tip for Mozart fans: Mozart Week Salzburg and Where you can trace Mozart everywhere in Salzburg

#4 DomQuartier & Salzburg Cathedral

The Salzburg Cathedral is impressive. No wonder, Salzburg was ruled by archbishops for centuries. They ensured a correspondingly high density of churches in the city, with the Salzburg Cathedral as the most outstanding of all. And they did not spare any pomp, I can assure you! You should definitely take a look at the cathedral as well.

Insider tip: Via the DomQuartier next door, you can get through various state rooms and exhibition spaces via a large terrace on the upper floors directly to the organ loft! Between the antique organ and all kinds of orchestral equipment, you have a mega view of the nave.

Admission to Salzburg Cathedral is free. With the Salzburg Card, you also get free admission to the entire DomQuartier.

Very cool photo spot: On Kapitelplatz stands the sculpture “Sphaera” by Stephan Balkenhol. The man on the golden sphere with the fortress Hohensalzburg is a super photo motif. (By the way, the sculpture is in two parts: can you find the female figure that goes with it?)

If you are interested in funny details of church history, you should definitely drop by the Kajetanerkirche on Saturdays exactly between 10 and 11 a.m. (not earlier and not later!). Then a small inconspicuous looking chapel opens, in which there is an offshoot of the Scala Santa from Rome. Like the “real” Scala Santa, this staircase may only be climbed kneeling! One of the insider tips among the Salzburg sights.

You can also find more unusual places and wacky stories from over 800 years of Salzburg in this article: Salzburg and its secrets

#5 Mirabell Palace and Gardens

Very close to the Markartplatz you will find the Mirabell Palace with its beautiful Mirabell Gardens. The Mirabell Palace today houses parts of the city administration. Here you can see the impressive Marble Hall, where concerts are also held.

The Mirabell Palace is also a popular place for weddings. Couples from all over the world come here to tie the knots. Maybe you’ll be lucky and are able to watch a fairytale wedding!

In the Mirabell Garden you should also take a look at the small palm house. Another nice photo op! Admission is free.

#6 The Getreidegasse & the old town of Salzburg

The heart of Salzburg is the old town! Even though it can get crowded in high season, I love the pastel-colored houses in the winding alleys. After all, they are a sight in themselves in Salzburg! The main street here is Getreidegasse, where next to Mozart’s birthplace you can find a lot of stores from expensive to a little less expensive. In the old town of Salzburg cars are prohibited, so you can stroll leisurely through the streets.

Tip: If you feel like shopping, on the other side of the Salzach you will also find Linzer Gasse with many shops and cafés!

Are you a coffee addict like me? In my big Salzburg Food Guide you will find many extraordinary addresses for a cozy coffee in between!

#7 The Mönchsberg

You can walk up to the Mönchsberg from the old town. Much more impressive, however, is the ride on the Mönchberg elevator, which is simply carved into the middle of the massive rock and provides a total contrast between the picturesque old town and the futuristic complex.

At the top of the Mönchsberg is the Museum der Moderne, which you literally fall into from the elevator. A lot of concrete, a lot of art and regularly changing exhibitions: Salzburg is also a modern city! And the view over the old town is fantastic. One of my absolutely favourite places in Salzburg.

Tip: The M32 serves fine Austrian cuisine and/or coffee in a relaxed atmosphere. Pretty cool, pretty nice atmosphere: A good address for a cozy evening above the roofs of Salzburg.

Salzburg Card

The Salzburg Card not only gives you free travel on all public transport and the Festungsbahn, it also gives you free entry to sights such as the Mozart Birthplace and the DomQuartier.

Buy Salzburg Card here*

#8 Alter Markt | Café Tomaselli & Konditorei Fürst

The Alter Markt is another central point in the old town. Café Tomaselli is one of the most famous cafés in Salzburg and is so old that even Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a guest here! The prices are reasonable, but there is an original coffee house atmosphere. The Fürst patisserie is located directly opposite.

And if there’s one thing you really should have done in Salzburg, it’s to try the different Mozartkugeln! Yes, that’s right, there are several pastry shops that make Mozartkugeln! Ever since I tried the Mozartkugeln from Fürst and Café Habakuk in Salzburg, I’ve never had anything else in the house 🙂

Salzburg is a true paradise for foodies! Be sure to read my great food guide for Salzburg with lots of great restaurant and café tips! There you will also learn everything about the most popular specialties such as the Salzburger Nockerln!

Tip: Be sure to visit the nearby Goldgasse and Judengasse! The two alleyways in the old town exude a real Salzburg feeling.

#9 The Nonntal & Stift Nonnberg

If you want to escape the tourist hustle and bustle for a while and are blown away by all the sights in Salzburg, you should make a detour to the Nonntal. Here you will find the new and young Salzburg with some nice cafés and restaurants. But what is even more worthwhile is a visit to Nonnberg Abbey. And now you have to be strong, because you really have to get out of bed early for this experience. Every morning at 6.45 am – and I really mean EVERY morning – the nuns of the Benedictine monastery sing Gregorian chants in the collegiate church. Incredibly impressive.

The church is open to everyone, you can just walk in. I’m telling you, it was quite an experience to sit in this dimly lit church and hear the nuns chanting out of nowhere from the gallery! I’m not a churchgoer, but that really blew my mind.

From Nonntal, you can reach Hellbrunn Palace with its extensive park in about an hour’s walk along Hellbrunner Allee.

#10 The Almkanal

The Almkanal is a particularly fascinating construction in Salzburg that not many visitors know about! Connected to the Königsseeache, it still supplies parts of the city of Salzburg with water, such as the air conditioning system of the Festspielhaus.

Every September, the Almkanal is shut down for three weeks for maintenance. During this time, you can wade through the narrow, 800-year-old Stiftsarmstollen, a tunnel that leads under the Mönchsberg to the Festungsbahn. An absolute experience! Unless you suffer from claustrophobia 😉

See the current dates for the upcoming tunnel tours

#11 The Kapuzinerberg

From the Kapuzinerberg you have a perfect view of the old town of Salzburg. Depending on your fitness level, the ascent is a little more strenuous, but it’s worth it!

If you’re lucky, you’ll see one of the dozen or so chamois that have settled on the mountain at some point and are now simply indispensable.

You’ll find the entrances on Steingasse via the Imbergstiege, on Linzergasse via the Franziskuspforte, and on Fürbergstraße behind the “Im Berg” shopping center.

#12 Augustiner Braustübl at the Kloster Mülln

People from Salzburg are very sociable! So when the weather is nice, you shouldn’t miss out on a visit to a beer garden. At the Augustiner Braustübl in the Mülln Monastery, you’ll experience authentic Salzburg beer garden tradition on a massive scale. To give you an idea: the beer garden can seat 1,400 guests!

Don’t be shy: Just grab a pitcher from the shelf, rinse it with ice-cold water, and have it filled with freshly tapped beer at the counter. You can bring your own snacks or even dinner, but in the Schmankerlgang with its many stalls there are plenty of delicacies to choose from. A classic is the Atanassoff family’s radish, which is available in all variations!

You can find many more gastro tips in my big Salzburg Food Guide!

Where to stay in Salzburg

I can wholeheartedly recommend the luxurious Hotel Stein with its phenomenal rooftop bar (click here for the review) or the guesthouse at the Salzburg Seminary for those on a tighter budget.

Find accommodations in Salzburg and the surrounding area

Note: Parts of this article were produced in collaboration with Tourismus Salzburg.

Salzburg is not called the Mozart city for nothing. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756 and spent his childhood here when he was not on tour through Europe. Many places in Salzburg today are still inextricably linked with him and his works. I’ll tell you how and where to find Mozart in Salzburg!

“I’ve actually been asked before if Mozart has anything to do with Italian mozzar-rella cheese!” our Salzburg Guide Peter chatted out of the sewing box, and for a brief moment I thought about why I, too, chose a profession with my flight attendant job that has to do “something with people”: It just NEVER gets boring. “Can you imagine that? Mozart and mozzarella?” Peter wavered between amusement and bewilderment. Mozart, Salzburg and actually everything else about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart belongs to the standard repertoire of every Salzburg guide.

All Mozart locations in Salzburg at a glance

As a certified Salzburg tour guide, Peter is something of a walking Salzburg encyclopedia. He can think of facts, stories and anecdotes about the city and especially about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for almost every corner of Salzburg. I never used to care about guided tours, but I notice how I’m now more and more interested in backgrounds when I travel. In times of Google and Instagram, where you can quickly inhale information in passing, there is hardly any time for substance.

While I still enjoy reading detailed guidebooks, being shown a place live and in color firsthand by someone who really knows their stuff is much more interesting. On the occasion of Mozart Week, I was in Salzburg: Mozart on every corner, and before I knew it, I was immersed in the world of a musician whose legacy is so universal that everyone knows it. Even if you actually can’t do anything with classical music at all. And that is what makes Mozart so fascinating.

Mozart’s birthplace in the old town of Salzburg

It’s unmistakable. In summer, there are indeed crowds of people around the narrow residential building in Getreidegasse. For many tourists, Mozart’s birthplace is the first port of call in Salzburg. Where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756, in his parents’ home, there is now a museum about Mozart’s life that covers the entire house.

The exhibition also shows the history of the entire Mozart family: with his father Leopold (himself also a talented musician) and his sister Nannerl, Mozart toured throughout Europe as a child, spending years on the road. As a paper and writing fetishist, I found the many letters that Mozart exchanged with his family and his wife particularly impressive.

Many insider tips & must-sees for the city of Mozart can also be found in the Salzburg Blog!

Mozart in Salzburg: The residence at Makartplatz

Mozarteum Foundation: The Mozart Center

Confectionery Fürst: The original Mozartkugel

Mozart never invented the Mozartkugel, nor did he ever taste it. Nevertheless, the chocolatey balls are known beyond the borders of Salzburg. And usually the first thing that comes to mind are the Mozartkugeln in the red and gold packaging. But in Salzburg there are many more confectioners who make their own version of the Mozartkugel.

First and foremost the confectionery Fürst – because the very first Mozartkugel was invented there! To this day, the Mozartkugeln are handmade there according to the original recipe. The original Mozartkugeln from the confectionery Fürst are only available in Salzburg and nowhere else! The best way to taste the delicious ones is directly in the parent house of the confectionery Fürst in Brodgasse at the Old Market.

Café Tomaselli – Mozart’s Café in Salzburg

Directly across from the Fürst pastry shop is Café Tomaselli, Austria’s oldest coffeehouse. It has been run by the Tomaselli family since 1852, but here, too, its history intersects with Mozart’s: Mozart was a frequent guest at its predecessor, Café Staiger, during his lifetime, and his widow, Constanze, even lived in the same building for a time later on.

Mozart Dinner Concert at the St.Peter Stiftskulinarium

The ambience alone is a dream: the St.Peter Stiftskulinarium is the oldest restaurant in Austria and can look back on 1200 years of history. Insane, isn’t it? And of course, the Mozart family was also a guest here! In the Stiftskeller there is regular restaurant business, upstairs in the Baroque Hall the Mozart Dinner Concert takes place.

Here’s another hidden gem for the Advent season: In the beautiful courtyard of the Stiftskulinarium St. Peter, a small but charming Christmas market takes place during the holiday season, away from the major tourist attractions. It’s very atmospheric!

Every year on January 27, Salzburg celebrates the birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the city’s most famous son. And that’s not all: Mozartwoche Salzburg is the festival in Salzburg that is all about Mozart and his life’s work.

It may not sound interesting to everyone, but a breath of fresh air will be blowing through the city during Mozart Week. A visit is also worthwhile for those who have previously shied away from classical music! I spent a whole weekend in Salzburg and followed in Mozart’s footsteps.

Mozartwoche Salzburg: Rolando Villazón and the Mariachis

The central day of Mozart Week Salzburg, which usually lasts a week and a half, is January 27 – Mozart’s birthday. The Mozart Birthplace offers free admission all day for birthday children and many other places also celebrate birthdays. This year, Rolando Villazón, the Mexican tenor and now also director, is the artistic director of the Mozart Week – and he is bringing almost revolutionary ideas to the Mozart Week!

There’s no other way to put it, because on January 27, I suddenly found myself at a spontaneous open-air concert in the streets of Salzburg’s old town: together with the Mariachis Negros, the master himself, Rolando Villazón, sang Mexican serenatas in honor of the birthday boy. Unusual. Highly off the beaten track. And pure goosebumps.

You can find out what else you can experience in Salzburg apart from the Mozart Week in my other articles:
➜ Click here for the complete overview!

Mozart’s Amazing Shadows

In addition to the classical concert events, there are also numerous events this year that address the theme of Mozart in Salzburg in a very special way – from a poetry slam with musical accompaniment to a ballet gala across all dance genres from classical ballet to breakdance. I couldn’t see everything, the time was far too short for that!

There are events every day during Mozart Week Salzburg: in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening. Even the Oval, a location within the region’s largest shopping center, hosts a daily event. Unusual: The shadow theater Mozart’s Amazing Shadows tells Mozart’s life from the perspective of a mouse. So it’s also something for children – and very entertaining!

Concerts at the Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg

The Mozart Week Salzburg is organized annually by the Mozarteum Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving Mozart’s work and his traces in Salzburg. Many concerts therefore also take place in the Mozarteum Foundation itself. And to experience a concert in the gilded Great Hall is truly impressive – even if the average age of the audience at the matinee events drops dramatically, even if you are only halfway young.

Prices & Tickets Mozartwoche Salzburg

As you can imagine, tickets for Mozartwoche Salzburg events are not exactly cheap. However, if you book in good time, you can still get one of the rear seats, which are more affordable. Students up to 26 receive an additional discount. And the events, which are also aimed at a younger audience, are also cheaper, so that everyone can create their own personal Mozart Week.

See the schedule of the Mozart Week here

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More about Salzburg:

Disclaimer: Tourismus Salzburg invited me to Salzburg.