Salzburg Travel Guide | My Life Trips

Salzburg

Information

Salzburg is the fourth largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Its “old town”, with its world famous baroque architecture, is one of the best preserved urban centers of the German speaking world and it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Salzburg is located in central Austria, very close to the German (Bavarian) borders and has a population of about 150,000 inhabitants. It is Mozart’s birthplace and generally everything in the city has some reference to him. The Salzach River and the Hohensalzburg Castle, which overlooking the city, are its main attractions, of course along with the tremendous atmosphere that the whole city has all year round.

What To See...

Salzburg Castle

Salzburg Castle is the largest fully preserved castle in Central Europe and is the main attraction of the city. Millions of tourists visit it every year and of course it is one of the sights that you have to see if you are in Salzburg. Tickets cost 15 Euros per person and include travel up and down with the funicular and access to the interior and the exterior of the castle, as well as the museums.

Residenzplatz

This is the most central and beautiful square in Salzburg. Here you will find the city’s cathedral and a large fountain right in the center of the square. The baroque style is perfectly matched to the atmosphere and architecture of the entire city and from here also you can have access to the castle, as the cable car is only a few meters away.

Getreidegasse

Salzburg’s most central and commercial street is Getreidegasse. This beautiful, multiphotographed street of the city hosts some of the finest restaurants, cafes and one of the most famous sights, the home where the great composer Mozart was born! During the holiday season this street is really magical, as the whole city of Salzburg of course.

Mozart's House

The home where Mozart was born is one of the most visited museums in Austria today and is the ultimate attraction, especially for his fans. Inside the house you will find personal items, scores and much more related to him. The ticket costs 11Euros per person and the museum’s opening hours are from 9-5 daily.

Mirabell Palace

The Mirabell Palace and Gardens is one of the most beautiful spots in the city! A magnificent garden with the palace, and the Salzburg castle as a background make up one of the most beautiful sceneries you can see in this city. Many of you, will recognize the scenery, as here were filmed the well known movie ”The Sound Of Musik”. The entrance is free and it is sure one of the sights that you should not miss!

Kapuzinerberg

Kapuzinerberg, is a 640 meter hill and is located to the right of the Salzach river. The green park is an ideal place for hikers and various other sports activities. The view is truly unbelievable from the top of the hill and it is the most beautiful view in the city along with the castle. Your visit here is simply a must!

Nearby Excursions

There are really countless choices for one day excursions from Salzburg, especially if you have rented a car. The city is very close to the German borders and specifically with the most beautiful part of Germany, the Bavarian Alps! The choices are really too many, as the Bavarian Alps have so many things to see (our suggestion is to spend a whole journey on this really magical place), but we will suggest you the nearest and the most beautiful excursion in our opinion.

The excursion we recommend you is Berchtesgaden and Lake Königsee! Berchtesgaden is only a 30 minute drive (25 km) from Salzburg and is one of the most beautiful villages in the German Alps. In a fairytale scenery, with the imposing Watzmann mountain as a backround, you will once again be able to admire how beautiful this region is!

Just a 15 minute (6 km) drive from Berchtesgaden you can find yourself in the most beautiful lake of Germany, which is none other than Königsee! Hidden in the Alps, lake Königsee is one of the most famous and beautiful places in Bavaria. Here you can stroll, go for hiking or just take the boat and have a mini cruise around the lake. The ticket costs 15 euros per person roundtrip.

What To Eat

We have told many times that the kitchen of Central Europe is one of our favorites. Austrian cuisine, that it is quite similar to German, has a lot of interesting things to try, which will be discussed in detail on a subject in our blog soon. Salzburg is a very touristic destination and have many restaurants in the city center. We will recommend you a restaurant where we ate and left us completely satisfied.

The restaurant is the Stieglkeller right under the castle of the city, just a few meters from the cable car. A huge indoor and outdoor restaurant which has great food. The view from the restaurant’s terrace is stunning and the food of very good quality at very reasonable prices. Meat naturally dominates most of the restaurant’s dishes, and as we said before the Austrian cuisine has too much in common with the German. The local beer of the area, which is called Stiegl, is great and we suggest you try it.

How to move

Salzburg is a relatively small city with most of the sights being around the Salzach river. If your hotel is in the city center then probably you do not have to use any means of transport, as everything is between walking distance .

Salzburg Airport is only 15 minutes away (11 km) from the city center by car and is very easily accessible. Another alternative option is of course Munich airport in Germany which is about 2 hours away from Salzburg (150 km).

Where to stay

Accommodation in Salzburg is relatively expensive, as a double room in the city center starts at around 70 Euros and accordingly to the area and accommodation type, can easily exceed 100 Euros for one night. You can make your reservations here via Booking.com

Booking.com