If you are planning a European holiday that includes Austria, Salzburg is a city not to be missed! Although most known for being the birthplace of Mozart and filming location of “The Sound of Music”, this city has much more to offer. Compared to Vienna, Salzburg is a smaller city with fewer tourists, so you can cover most attractions with 2-3 days. If you plan on visiting many museums, I highly recommend getting the Salzburg card for free entry to attractions and free public transport around the city (although everything is walkable). Card prices are relatively cheap, starting at €27 for 24 hours and €40 for 72 hours.
It’s easy to plan your visit once you have the Salzburg card. Everything is located relatively close to each other so you’ll just need to pick out your favorite spots and decide on the order to visit them. This is what I did during my trip and the amount of time I spent at each location.
Day 1
St Peter’s Abbey
Start your day with a visit to this beautiful church. It is surprisingly free to enter and more than worth your time to visit. If you want a clear view of Fortress Hohensalzburg, this is also where you’ll find it. The fortress overlooks the abbey and there is somewhat a sense of grandeur that comes from that. Spend an hour or so here before moving closer to the city center.
DomQuartier Salzburg
If you could only choose one museum in Salzburg to visit, it would be the DomQuartier. The museum may look typical from the outside but the tour brings you through 4 different museums. There are many impressive artworks, interesting treasures and collections, and beautiful interiors to admire. The tour also brings you through an open-space on the rooftop so you can take in the view of the city. As an average museum admirer, I spent about 1.5 hours here.
Residenzplatz
Take a walk around Residenzplatz and immerse yourself in the city. During my visit, there were Christmas markets open so we spent some time browsing stalls and eating.
Christmas Museum (Weihnachtsmuseum)
For fans of Christmas, take a peek at the Christmas Museum for a magical collection of Christmas decorations. It’s a small museum that should take no longer than 20 minutes.
Mozartplatz
Exit to Mozartplatz, where you will find a statue of Mozart. There are shops and restaurants around the area so it might be a good idea to sit down for some lunch.
Fortress Hohensalzburg
As the sun sets early in winter, I decided to head to Fortress Hohensalzburg as my final destination for the day. The fortress is unmissable during your stay in Salzburg. You will definitely catch sight of it as you walk around the city. It is also offers one of the best viewpoints of the city. To get to the fortress, make your way to the Festungsbahn funicular to take a ride up. You may also walk up to the fortress but a round-trip on the funicular is already included in your Salzburg card. There is much to see on top of the fortress. Take a Panorama Tour (aka walk around the fortress) and visit the museums to learn more about the history of the fortress – Fortress Museum, The Marionette Museum, Rainer Regimental Museum. There are a couple of restaurants located up here so you can dine with a view. I spent about 4 hours here and caught some sunset views of the city.
By the time I reached back down, it was about time for dinner. We grabbed something nearby and headed back to our hotel to rest.
Day 2
Getreidegasse
Head into town to grab some food and drinks along the streets of Getreidegasse. There are many shops and cafés to visit, with smaller lanes where you might stumble across hidden gems.
Mozart’s Birthplace
Whether you’ve studied music or not, visiting Mozart’s Birthplace museum is interesting to learn more about the composer and the lifestyles of people back then. It’s also fun to walk around the house and imagine what it’s like to live in Salzburg. The museum is located along Getreidegasse so it is pretty convenient if you are around the area. The walk around the museum should take about 30-40 minutes to complete.
Alter Markt
Another area to check out for more food, shops or random strolls is Alter Markt. During Christmas, the streets are lined with Christmas stalls so it is extra fun to visit. Find some food for lunch before setting off for the next area.
Salzach River
After lunch, take a stroll along the Salzach or go on a city cruise which is included in the Salzburg card. As you walk down the river, the views of the fortress and city from a distance or play with some rocks on the banks.
Mirabell Palace
Cross the bridge and head towards Mirabell Palace to admire the palace and gardens. Sound of Music fans will recognize some spots used in the film. I didn’t find any entrances into the palace past the main door but it is free to visit all other areas. During winter, the garden was not in bloom so it wasn’t very pretty. We ended up spending only about 30 minutes here.
Mönchsberg
If you’ve got the time and energy, head up the Mönchsberg! The walk brings you up the city mountain with peaceful views of of the Old Town. If you are ending your day with this, the sunset views are well worth your efforts!
There is so much more to do in Salzburg and I definitely want to come back to revisit old attractions and explore new ones. I hope you enjoy your time in Salzburg!
