A Few of My Favorite Things to Do in Salzburg, Austria
The charming town of Salzburg, Austria is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Mozart and a key filming location of the Sound of Music, but along with its musical acclaims, it also has a rich history, plenty of culture, and stunning surrounding nature.
Salzburg translates to ‘Salt Castle/Fortress,’ an homage to both the city’s importance as a center of salt trade during the Middle Ages (back when salt was known as “white gold”) and the striking medieval Hohensalzburg fortress that overlooks the city. From its earliest settlement thousands of years ago, Salzburg has been a Celtic settlement, Roman town, and part of Bavaria, the Austria-Hungarian Empire, and (briefly) Germany.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Salzburg has a vibrant arts and culture scene. Along with classical music concerts and its marionette theater, the town is known for its annual Salzburg Festival, which takes place in July and August and features a plethora of concerts, opera, and theater performances. There’s also an air of arts and culture throughout the city: from seeing musicians biking with oversized instruments strapped to their backs to the ubiquitous Mozartkugel chocolates and commemorative statues serving as reminders that the world’s most famous composer was born here.
But it’s not all about the arts. Salzburg is home to the world headquarters of Red Bull and has incredible nature nearby, including the picturesque Alps and the lakes district. And for history and knowledge buffs, there are museums all about Mozart, the city’s history, F1 racing cars and aircraft, puppetry, and more.
Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things to do while visiting Salzburg.
Top Things to Do in Salzburg, Austria
1. Head to the Hohensalzburg Fortress
This Salzburg landmark was built in 1077 and is the most popular tourist attraction in the city as one of the largest and well-preserved medieval structures in Europe. You can walk up to the fortress or take the funicular to the top. Along with sweeping panoramic views of the city and surrounding nature, it features cute museums on Salzburg’s history, puppetry, and armor, a viewing tower, and more. I highly recommend going at sunset if the weather is good – opening times depend on the time of year, but they often leave it open a short time after sunset for visitors to enjoy.
2. Get walking around the city
Take a walking tour in Salzburg – the city is fairly small and a tour can bring the city’s rich and varied history to life. I did this free walking tour, which took me through the city highlights including the old town (Altstadt) with its main street (Getreidegasse), the Salzburg Cathedral, St. Peter’s Abbey and Cemetery, Mirabell Palace and Gardens, and more. Along with an official tour, I recommend spending some time wandering through the city on your own – from gorgeous architecture to wood working shops you never know what charming discoveries you may come across. And make sure to take a leisurely stroll along the Salzach River promenade.
3. Experience Salzburg’s arts and culture scene
Along with the aforementioned Salzburg Festival, there is plenty of arts and culture to experience in this city at all times of year. If nothing else, be sure to attend a classical music concert here. Although there are various options, I recommend heading to a concert at the Mirabell Palace with its famous Marble Hall (where Mozart performed back in the day). If there’s no availability, there are also concerts at the fortress. I wasn’t able to make it to Mirabell Palace, so I went to a string quartet performance at the Hohensalzburg Fortress, where I enjoyed a stunning sunset and heard some beautiful classical music (I recommend skipping the optional dinner beforehand, it’s expensive, touristy, and unnecessary).
There is also a Marionette Theater in Salzburg that inspired the puppetry scene in The Sound of Music, which has regular shows (although some of them are in German). Lastly, you can head to the daily 12pm organ concert at the Salzburg Cathedral, which contains seven organs and is an easy musical addition while exploring around town.
4. Immerse yourself in all things Sound of Music
The famous movie was filmed at many locations in and around Salzburg. If you’re a fan, I highly recommend taking a Sound of Music tour. I did “The Original Sound of Music Tour,” which was a big bus tour but had an excellent and enthusiastic guide and included visits to key filming sites like the gazebo, Mirabell Gardens, the church where Maria is married, as well as a few glorious sing-a-longs along the way. I learned many ‘behind-the-scenes’ facts about the movie filming and the Maria and the Von Trapp family who inspired the movie. There are bike rides and other Sound of Music tours you can take, but I highly recommend this one – I had a blast!
5. Try some of Salzburg’s culinary delights
Along with Austrian culinary classics, including coffee, cake, and pastries like strudel, there are a few culinary delights that are unique to Salzburg. Head to Furst to try the original famous chocolate concoction named after Wolfgang himself, the Mozartkugel, which has a marzipan center with pistachio and nougat. You can find these all over the city (and the country), but the original is from here. Also head to Balkan Grill Walter to try bosna, a cheap and tasty meal option of sausage in a bun with curry powder and onions. Also make sure to grab a coffee – there are excellent coffee shops all over the city (and the ones in the city center can be pricey), but one popular one located smack dab in the historic center is Café Tomaselli, a supposed haunt of Mozart’s back in the day and the oldest coffee house in Austria still in operation.
6. Immerse Yourself in Salzburg’s many museums
Salzburg has a diverse array of museums: from the city’s two Mozart museums (Mozarts Geburtshaus is his birthplace and Mozart-Wohnhaus is his former residence) to the various museums at the fortress, which are included with your ticket, Hangar 7 (Red Bull’s F1 and aircraft museum), the Natural History Museum (Haus der Natur), Museum of Modern Art (take the Mönchsberg lift there, which offers great views of the city), Toy Museum (perfect for kids), and Salzburg Museum (featuring the city’s history), amongst others. These are great options if the weather is less than optimal.
7. Palaces and gardens, oh my!
For the full royal experience, you need to head to Vienna (former capital of the Austria side of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), but there are a few places to check out in Salzburg as well. Make sure to spend some time at Mirabell Palace and Gardens, which you’ll likely recognize from the Sound of Music’s “Do Re Mi” scenes. Along with the beautiful garden landscapes, you can head inside to check out the ornate “Angel Staircase” in the Palace (to experience the Marble Hall, you’ll need to buy a concert ticket). You can also head to Hellbrunn Palace, which is a 10-minute car ride (20-25 minute bus or bike ride) from the Old Town area and features lovely architecture, gardens, and trick fountains (along with the original Sound of Music gazebo right outside its gates).
8. Take a day trip To Nature, History, and More
There are plenty of excellent day trip options from Salzburg. Some of the most popular include those in the lake district, like Hallstaat, a stunning little town whose scenery and quaint charm reminded me of the fjords in Norway. You can stroll through the town (while admiring its stunning lake views), take a picturesque boat ride, visit the salt mines if you’re so inclined, and try to resist the urge to take a ridiculous number of photos. Other popular towns in the lakes district include St. Gilgen with lake Wolfgangsee and Fuschl am See with lake Fuschlsee. There’s also Berchtesgaden with the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s infamous WWII retreat, which is only open seasonally in the warmer months. And Untersberg, which offers hiking and great mountain views nearby.
9. Experience Salzburg’s charming Christmas Markets
Salzburg has its famous arts festival in the summer and its famous Christmas Market in the winter. If you happen to be here over the holidays, don’t miss them, especially the main Christmas market, which is located next to the Salzburg Cathedral and has been around since the 15th century.
Salzburg is certainly alive with the sound of music and plenty of history, culture, and nature besides. I know you’ll enjoy your time in and around this charming city.
Traveling through Europe? Check out my posts on how to spend a fantastic three days in Ireland, the best saunas in Finland, top sights in Tallinn, Estonia, or exploring the fjords in Norway part I and part II.
