Salzburg is a city in western Austria, known for its rich history, stunning architecture, and musical heritage. The city is situated on the Salzach River and is surrounded by lush green hills and mountains.
We spent a few days in Salzburg exploring the city and its surrounding areas during the summertime. If you have at least one day in Salzburg, here’s a list of the top attractions in this charming Austrian city.
Walk along Salzach river
Salzburg stands on the banks of the Salzach River, with both sides offering beautiful green areas with footpaths and promenades. Several bridges cross the river within the city, allowing easy access between the two sides while offering scenic views from both riverbanks.
The Altstadt, or Old Town, is located on the left bank of the river, while the Neustadt, or New Town, is situated on the right bank.
One of the bridges, the Makartsteg, is a pedestrian footbridge covered with love locks. Visitors can purchase a lock right there, engrave it with names, and attach it to the bridge as a symbol of their love.
Take a break in the green areas overlooking the river or relax at one of the charming riverside cafes.
On certain weekends from May to September, the Salzachgalerien art market takes place along the river. The Altstadt riverbank comes alive with numerous stalls offering a variety of arts and crafts. I even spotted a stall selling New Zealand salt! I had no idea it was so renowned that it’s brought across the globe to Austria for sale. 🙂
Getreidegasse in the Altstadt
Getreidegasse is one of the oldest and prettiest streets in the Altstadt. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a pedestrian zone filled with shops, small passageways, cafes, and restaurants. One of the notable houses on Getreidegasse street is the house where Mozart was born.
What I really loved about the street, besides the colorful houses and shops, were the iron guild signs hanging from the buildings on both sides of the street. They made the place fell very charming!
Mozart’s birthplace and residence houses
House number 9 on Getreidegasse, known as Mozarts Geburtshaus, is where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. This bright yellow house is easy to spot, thanks to the crowds taking photos in front of it. Inside, there’s a museum where you can see the place where Mozart spent his childhood.
Mozart-Wohnhaus is another museum in Salzburg dedicated to Mozart and his family. Located at Makartplatz 8, this house is where Mozart’s family moved after the children grew up.
Mozartplatz and Residenzplatz
Residenzplatz and Mozartplatz are two well-known squares in the old part of Salzburg, located next to each other. Mozartplatz features a statue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and is surrounded by some shops and cafés. It blends seamlessly into Residenzplatz, a large public square with the Residenzbrunnen fountain at its center.
If you visit during Christmas time, you’ll find one of the city’s Christmas markets there. We were there in the summer and enjoyed the beautiful architecture, the huge marble fountain, and simply the nice atmosphere of the old city.
Salzburg Cathedral and St. Peter’s Abbey
Right beside Residenzplatz is Salzburg Cathedral, also known as Salzburger Dom. Step inside to admire the baroque-style architecture and visit the cathedral where Mozart was baptized. Nearby is St. Peter’s Abbey, one of the oldest monasteries in this region of Europe.
Kapitelplatz (or Chapter Square)
If you walk from Salzburg Cathedral in the direction opposite to Residenzplatz, you’ll arrive at Kapitelplatz square. There, you’ll find the ‘Sphaera’ sculpture, featuring a man standing on a golden globe.
Here is the example of the walk visiting all the places mentioned above:
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Hohensalzburg Fortress in Salzburg is one of Europe’s largest and best-preserved medieval castles. Open year-round, it has a museum, an arsenal exhibition, a puppet museum, and beautiful views to Salzburg city.
Hohensalzburg Fortress sits atop Festungsberg hill, and you can reach it either by walking or taking the Festungsbahn funicular to the top. The funicular entrance is near Kapitelplatz, at the start of Festungsgasse.
We booked tickets to the castle online to avoid waiting in line at the ticket office. The entrance tickets included a round trip on the funicular, which also let us skip the queue for the funicular tickets. You can book your tickets to the fortress online.
At the top, there is a viewing platform with spectacular views of the city. Make sure you don’t miss it!
Inside the castle, you’ll find many exhibitions, narrow passages, spacious rooms, the prince’s chambers, a torture room, and an old puppet exhibition. You can also access the top of a watchtower and explore the large courtyards within the fortress walls. It’s absolutely worth a visit!
Mirabell Palace and Gardens
Mirabell Palace and its gardens are on the opposite side of the river from the old town. They’re open to the public with free access. If you’re a fan of old classic movies, be sure to visit the gardens – some scenes from ‘The Sound of Music’ were filmed there.
We visited in the evening, and while we didn’t see the gardens in daylight, we enjoyed the quieter atmosphere with fewer crowds.
If you’re traveling with young children, there’s a playground near the Mirabell Gardens called Zauberflötenspielplatz. You can also explore the Dwarf Garden, which has many small dwarf statues that kids might find interesting. A bit further away, there’s another nice green area to walk around called Kurgarten.
Salzburg by night
If you’re spending the night in Salzburg, go for an evening walk in the city. After the sun sets, the city becomes especially magical when illuminated by the street lights.
Is Salzburg worth visiting?
Our answer is Yes, absolutely! Salzburg offers something for everyone – historical sites, cultural experiences, outdoor adventures, and natural beauty, to name a few. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring the city, and it also served as a convenient base for several short trips nearby.
How many days to spend in Salzburg?
Although this guide is for One Day in Salzburg, we recommend staying for at least two days. While you can see the city’s top attractions in a single day, an extra day will let you enjoy everything at a more relaxed pace.
We stayed in Salzburg for four days – explored the city, visited Hohensalzburg Fortress, and went on a few day trips.
What are the best day trips from Salzburg?
Read our dedicated post for the best trips from Salzburg: 5 Best Day Trips from Salzburg
Where to stay in Salzburg?
We always use Booking.com to book accommodations for our travels:
Where to travel from Salzburg?
After Salzburg, I suggest visiting the beautiful alpine city of Innsbruck, which offers plenty to see and do year-round. On the way, take a small detour to Hallstatt – you won’t regret it!
Since Salzburg is close to the German border, it also makes sense to head to nearby Munich and start exploring the Bavaria region from there.
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We loved Salzburg! So much to see in such a compact Old Town
Salzburg looks amazing. I loved Vienna which was my only Austrian experience, so I’m eager for more. One of the largest forts in Europe you say! If that’s not reason enough I don’t know what is.