12 Amazing Things to Do in Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg is always perfect for a short city trip. To give you a good overview, I have put together a guide with the best attractions 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:
➜ Travel cheaply and comfortably to Salzburg with the Deutsche Bahn Sparpreis ticket*
➜ You can find cheap hotels in Salzburg here*
➜ Save on tickets for many Salzburg attractions 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 fortress railroad takes you up and 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 asphalted, but not unstrenuous. Once at the top, you also have to pay admission if you don’t have a Salzburg Card.

Fortress Hohensalzburg

#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.

In the house itself, the Mozarts’ former apartment and adjoining rooms house a lovingly curated museum with old letters, Mozart’s original children’s violin and, of course, lots of music. Don’t let the many tourists scare you off, a visit is worthwhile and free if you have purchased the Salzburg Card* beforehand. Mozart’s birthplace is the classic among Salzburg sights.

Mozart’s birthplace

Looking for delicious food in Salzburg?
➜ Click here for the big 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.

Mozart residence

➜ 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.

Der Eintritt in den Salzburger Dom ist frei. Mit der Salzburg Card* hast du auch kostenlosen Eintritt in das komplette DomQuartier.

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 climb the Mönchsberg by foot from the old town. But what is much more impressive is the trip with the Mönchsberg elevator that is simply carved into the massive rock and provides a total contrast between the picturesque oldtown and the futuristic complex.

At the top of the Mönchsberg there is the Museum der Moderne, into which you literally drop into from the lift. 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 an informal atmosphere. Pretty cool, pretty nice atmosphere: A good address for a cozy evening above the roofs of Salzburg.

Museum of Modern Art
M32

#8 Alter Markt | Café Tomaselli & Konditorei Fürst

The Alter Markt is another central point in the old town. The Café Tomaselli is one of the most famous cafés of Salzburg and so old that even Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a guest here! The prices are reasonable, but there is an original coffee house atmosphere. Right across the street you will find the headquarters of the Konditorei Fürst.

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, which leads under the Mönchsberg to the Festungsbahn. An absolute experience! Unless you suffer from claustrophobia ;)

almkanal.at (only possible with a guide)

#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.

Access: Steingasse via Imbergstiege
Linzergasse via Franziskuspforte
Fürbergstraße behind the “Im Berg” shopping center

#12 Augustiner Braustübl at the Kloster Mülln

Salzburgers are definitely a sociable bunch! So when the weather is good, you shouldn’t miss out on a visit to a beer garden. In the Augustiner Braustübl in the Mülln monastery you can experience real Salzburg beer garden tradition in huge dimensions. Just to give you an idea: The beer garden has room for 1400 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 heartily recommend the luxurious Hotel Stein* with its phenomenal rooftop bar (click here for the review) or the guest house in the Salzburg seminary* for those on a tighter budget.

You can also find cheap & good accommodation in Salzburg and the surrounding area here*

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Parts of this article were made possible with the support of Tourism Salzburg. Thank you very much!