A Guide To Salzburg And Its Surroundings

*Guest Post By Ildiko Siklodi*

A city dotted with castles, palaces and churches… Cocooned by the Alps and divided by the Salzach River… An artist’s paradise where cobblestone streets lead to the most spectacular Baroque buildings. Yes, this special place does exist. Known to many as the birthplace of one of the greatest composers of all time (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), Salzburg is steeped in history and bursting with charm. A destination my travel buddy insisted we visit. And I’m so glad she did — the city is even more incredible than I could’ve ever imagined…

Set against a backdrop of mountains, Salzburg’s historic centre (which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site) boasts buildings from periods ranging from the late Middle Ages to the 20th Century. But the city offers much more than beautiful architecture. In fact, there’s so much to see and do that it was difficult deciding how to spend our time there! Here is a mini guide to Salzburg to make your trip planning easier…

A Guide To Salzburg – What To See

Before you go anywhere, I highly recommend grabbing a Salzburg Card! It’ll grant you free entry to 25 attractions and museums in the city, free use of public transport and discounts on cultural events and excursions. We loved having the card because it was hassle-free and cheaper than paying for each attraction separately. Here are some of the perks we took advantage of by using the card:

Hohensalzburg Fortress

Considered by many as Salzburg’s most famous landmark, this is the largest completely preserved castle in  central Europe! We had a chance to walk through the fortress with audio guides, but what we loved most were the great views of the city from the top! Tip: if you’re using the Salzburg Card to enter, arrive before 11 am for free access to state rooms as well.

Cable Car Untersberg

For a view of the Rositten Valley and the surrounding mountains, we hopped on the cable car to the summit of Mount Untersberg. On a clear day you can see the Salzburg Lake District and the ice-capped Hohen Tauern mountains — but we made a mistake of going when it was very cloudy so make sure to get some guidance about conditions before going up (afternoons tend to be better)!

Salzach Cruise

I’m always interested in seeing cities from different perspectives so a cruise along the river via Amadeus Salzburg was a great way to explore. The riverboat has large windows for panoramic views, the Captain and crew are entertaining and we thought it was a great way to learn about the architecture and history of the surrounding buildings. The cruise starts at Makartsteg (Makart bridge in Salzburg’s historic city centre) and leisurely glides along the river for about 40 min. Note: it only runs from the end of March to the beginning of November.

Hellbrunn Palace

Hellbrunn Palace aka the pleasure palace was commissioned by Salzburg’s prince-archbishop Markus Sittikus in 1612 and designed to serve one purpose: to provide entertainment (no one every actually lived in the palace). We loved walking around the grounds and exploring; the beautiful, bright yellow Renaissance building made for great photos…

The trick fountains were particularly fun (especially for kids — the ones on our tour were very entertained): you never know what direction they will spray you from! Exactly the reason Markus Sittikus had them built: to entertain and astonish guests.

MönchsbergAufzug

This elevator lift is in the same building as the Museum of Modern Art and will whisk you up to some spectacular views of the city. You get a free ride with your Salzburg Card so it’s a great, quick stop to snap some photos.

Stiegl Brauwelt

Owned by the Kiener family for more than a century, Stiegl has grown from a small, local brewery to Austria’s largest and most successful private brewery. That was enough to get us to drop by for a tour (they offer many from general to one-day excursions) and beer tasting!  The Salzburg Card gave us free admission (regularly €11.50 for adults) and was a great way to see the in-house brewing facilities and learn about the ingredients and beer crafting process.

Mozart’s Residence

Reconstructed after being destroyed during Word War II, Mozart’s Residence re-opened to the public since 1996. We took some time to explore it via audio guide and were amazed by the original manuscripts on display. As a Mozart fan, I highly recommend taking the time to explore the various stations…

Aside from visiting the attractions listed above and exploring the historical centre by foot, we also made a point to go to the Mirabell Palace and Gardens (free admission). Famously featured in the Sound of Music, the grounds are stunning and a photographer’s dream. There’s so much to explore in the gardens from the Pegasus Fountain and Hedge Theatre to the Rose Garden and The Orangery — a great place for an afternoon stroll…

Oh, and we couldn’t leave Salzburg without seeing a concert!! So we headed to the oldest restaurant in Europe (first mentioned in 803) to attend the Mozart Dinner Concert. It was phenomenal. I couldn’t believe we spent an evening in the same space that the Mozart family once graced. Held in the Baroque Hall of Stiftskeller St. Peter (a famous Benedictine monastery in the oldest part of Salzburg), the architecture, candlelight and frescoes took us back to the 18^th century as soon as we stepped foot inside. The evening had a great flow with a series of engaging performances bracketing each course — I really appreciated this because it allowed us to completely focus on the talented musicians. And since the concert was quite intimate (appox 80-100 people in attendance), the entire audience had a chance to interact with the performers as they made their way around the hall. A very personal and memorable experience that I’d highly recommend!

Just Outside Of Salzburg..

Having heard amazing things about Hallstatt, we did a quick day trip with Panorama Tours to the picturesque village via coach bus. The ride was super informative as we learned a lot about the land and history outside of Salzburg. When we arrived, we were given the choice to explore the city by foot or take a train up the mountain for great views. Given we had limited time and wanted to see as much as possible (and the fact that it was a rainy, cloudy day), we opted to wander through the village…

Wow — what a beautiful place!! Situated at the bottom of a mountainous region with alpine houses, a gothic Catholic church and many paths that we (happily) got lost on, we were super impressed by the cute little town. I could’ve spent the entire day just snapping photos. Overall the tour was a nice introduction to the village and a great day trip from Salzburg — a definite must-do in my books!

A special thank you to Salzburg Tourism, Panorama Tours and Mozart Dinner Concert for hosting us for these experiences! All reviews and opinions are entirely my own.