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For a small city, Salzburg has a lot going on amongst its quaint streets surrounded by snow capped mountains.
The birthplace of Mozart, the home of The Sound of Music, apple strudel and the best schnitzel you’ll ever eat – Salzburg is a fantastic city break destination in summer or winter.
Welcome to your Salzburg Travel Guide, with all the best things places to eat, drink, things to do and where to stay.
Salzburg Travel Guide Contents
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WHERE TO EAT IN SALZBURG
Golden, tender schnitzel served with waxy yellow potatoes and ruby red cranberry sauce; crisp apple strudel swimming in hot vanilla custard; warming goulash with giant dumplings the size of your fist. Austrian food is heavy but delicious, and we didn’t have a bad meal the whole time we were there.
Zum Zirkelwirt
Pfeifergasse 14, 5020
Zum Zirkelwirt was the location of our first meal in Salzburg and we enjoyed it so much we went back again before our holiday was out. It’s also the location of the best schnitzel I’ve ever had – absolutely perfectly fried veal served with the obligatory cranberry sauce and potato rosti, as they had run out of the regular waxy potatoes that tradition dictates – shows how much schnitzel they must get through!
The spaetzle was exemplary, the tuna salad absolutely huge and the perfect light lunch, whilst my Dad claimed the roast pork he ate was among the best of his life. Zum Zirkelwirt also have a lovely outdoor terrace area so it’s perfect in the summer yet cozy inside during the cold winter months.
Wirtshaus Elefant
Sigmund-Haffner-Gasse 4, 5020
The restaurant of Hotel Elefant in the old town is a lovely place to stop for a long lunch or dinner, with some space outside to sit in the laneway during the summer.
Wirtshaus Elefant serves an excellent schnitzel, and if you’re keen to try the famous Salzburg Nockerl, a peaked soufflé dessert served with raspberries and always made for two people, try it here as it’s where it was invented.
Gasthof Alter Fuchs
Linzer Gasse, 47-49, 5020
We had some – you guessed it! – great schnitzel here and tried Austrian wine for the first time too; it was so good we drank exclusively Austrian wines for the remainder of our trip! A deceptively big restaurant with a courtyard at the back, the service was a little slow but in fairness the place was packed out, and rightly so.
Restaurant Stadtkrug
Linzer Gasse, 20, 5020
After the owner of our hotel telling us that he also owns a farm where they rear the beef used in the hotel restaurant, we decided to book a table out on the terrace one evening to try it for ourselves. It didn’t disappoint, both the steak and goulash were delicious.
Eis Greissler
Linzer Gasse, 35, 5020
The owners of Eis Greissler run an organic dairy farm in the hills of Austria, where they used to sell yoghurt and milk locally before turning their hand to ice cream and subsequently opening up a store in Vienna back in 2011.
Now their sustainable ice cream shops can be found all over the country and they stock creative flavours such as Sachertorte alongside more traditional ones. Not only is their ice cream excellent, it’s also extremely reasonably priced.
Cafe Tomaselli
Alter Markt 9, 5020
At approximately 300 years old, Cafe Tomaselli is one of Austria’s most famous coffee houses, and has been run by the same family for half the time it’s existed. The perfect spot for a coffee and cake pit stop whilst walking around and exploring Salzburg’s old town.
Cafe Würfelzucker
Griesgasse 13, 5020
For strudel served with ice cream, vanilla sauce and cream, go to Cafe Würfelzucker – you won’t regret it!
Cafe Sacher
Hotel Sacher, Schwarzstraße 5-7, 5020 Salzburg
Home of the original sachertorte, served in a grand room or outdoors on the terrace looking out onto the river.
FUN FACT: Hotel Sacher also served as the home of Julie Andrews whilst she lived in Salzburg to film The Sound Of Music.
BARS IN SALZBURG
IMLAUER Rooftop bar
IMLAUER Hotel, Rainerstraße 6, 5020
Rooftop bar with sprawling views of the old town and the mountains beyond, the IMLAUER Skybar is a bit further out from the centre but is open until 1.30am, making it a good spot for a late night drink looking over the city.
Alchimiste Belge
Bergstraße 10, 5020
Over 150 different beers are served at Alchimiste Belge so if that sounds like it’s up your strasse you should probably allocate a wedge of time to get through some of them.
Coquette Wine Bar
Bergstraße 9, 5020
Cosy wine bar serving charcuterie and tapas.
THINGS TO DO IN SALZBURG
The Sound of Music Tour
The best thing to do in Salzburg is the official The Sound of Music tour. There are two tours a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and there are multiple buses that go out every day – this is a large chunk of Salzburg’s tourist industry.
It’s a fantastic tour; the guides are knowledgeable about all the lesser known trivia, they play the soundtrack on the bus and encourage everyone to sing along and you are taken around to view multiple locations made famous in iconic scenes such as Sixteen Going On Seventeen and I Have Confidence.
You also get to go out to Mondsee outside of Salzburg and explore the town there; the cathedral here served as the location for Maria and Captain Von Trapp’s wedding in the film. Whilst you’re there get yourself to Cafe-Konditorei Braun for some expemplary apple strudel. Book here.
Mirabell Gardens
Take a wander around the perfectly manicured gardens of the Mirabell Palace, listed as a part of the Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg UNESCO World Heritage Site. You may recognise the steps, fountain and archway from The Sound of Music’s most famous song sequence: Do Re Mi.
You’ll swing by here at the end of The Sound of Music Tour should you be in town to do that, but the grounds are beautiful and well worth a visit whether you’re a fan of the movie or not.
Mozart’s Birthplace
A very interesting museum chronicling Mozart’s life in the building he was born in. The museum takes you through the very rooms of the apartment Mozart’s family lived in when he was born, detailing the lives of him and his family through the decades.
You can purchase combined entry to Mozart’s Birthplace and the smaller, less visited Mozart Residence on the other side of the river, where Mozart later lived. A combined ticket will allow you entry to both within 48 hours of purchase.
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Towering high above Salzburg old town and looking down over the river Salzach and mountains beyond sits the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the bones of which dates back to medieval times. Take the short ride on the funicular up to the top to take in the stunning views and wander around the Fortress, or walk up if you’re feeling energetic.
Salzburg Cathedral
If you go to a European city and don’t visit the local cathedral, did you even city break? Salzburg’s cathedral is very beautiful, restored to its former glory after the dome of the cathedral was bombed out during the war.
Hellbrunn Castle
Built in the early 1600s, Schloss Hellbrun is a beautiful baroque palace with stunning gardens, just outside of Salzburg city. Oddly, it was only ever intended for day use in the summer and therefore has no bedrooms! Not open in the winter months, but the gardens are very popular in the summer.
Walk with view
There is a archway on Linzer Gasse that leads up to Kapuzinerberg, a hill that overlooks the whole of Salzburg. It’s a steep but short walk and the views are rewarding – if you time your walk at dusk the hill gives you wonderful views of the sun setting over the city.
Marionette Theatre
That’s right, Salzburg has a marionette theatre, just like the Von Trapp children have in the film. The programme includes operas and naturally: The Sound of Music.
Salzburg Music Festival
The famous Salzburg Music Festival of music and drama takes place for a few weeks in the summer every year, so bear this in mind if you’re looking to book around that time – great if that’s your purpose for going, but if it’s not your thing it’s best to avoid those weeks as the city will be very busy and accommodation is likely to be more expensive.
Mozart Bridge
Another Salzburg sight made famous by the Do Re Mi sequence in the Sound of Music, this is an art deco pedestrian bridge over the River Salzach.
Market by the River Salzach
On summer weekends market stalls selling local arts and crafts line the River Salzach, making for a nice wander for an hour or so.
Leave Salzburg – take a train to Zell am See
Salzburg is a small city so can easily be done in a weekend, but I can’t recommend catching a train and visiting the mountains surrounding Salzburg enough. I’m a big Band of Brothers fan so I dreamt of seeing Zell am See for a long time (the lake features in the last couple of episodes of the show) and it didn’t disappoint; it’s gorgeous.
Popular in the winter for skiers, the summer months are much quieter but a no less beautiful time to explore lake Zell and the Schmittenhöhe mountain that overlooks it. We took the cable car up 2000m, wondered over to a restaurant at the top of the mountain, shared a plate of fries and drank wine in deckchairs overlooking the lake and mountains below and it is one of my favourite things I have ever done.
WHERE TO STAY IN SALZBURG
I enjoyed a comfortable stay at Hotel Stadtkrug on Linzer Gasse, in a building that dated back over 700 years. Linzer Gasse is a pedestrianised street with plenty of bars and restaurants and just a few minutes walk from the river and bridge to cross over into the old town.
A great location to stay and a lovely hotel which does a great breakfast, has staff who can’t do enough for you, and has a terraced restaurant serving excellent food for dinner. Book here.
Boutique Hotel & Villa AUERSPERG
This boutique hotel has the enviable balance of having quiet garden grounds but still with the advantage of a great city location nearby to all the best attractions. Friendly staff, comfortable beds, a spa and organic homemade breakfasts make Boutique Hotel & Villa Auersperg an excellent choice to stay in Salzburg. Book here.
Fancy staying in a palace? Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron is one of the original locations used for The Sound of Music – you’ll recognise the palace as serving as the location of the back of the family house, sitting on the edge of the lake.
Guests have access to many of the opulent rooms, the incredible Max Reinhardt library, and you’ll be hard pushed to find a more glamorous place to be served breakfast than the state rooms of a palace. Book here.
Modern and stylish design hotel in the city centre, close to the train station and a short walk down to the river and the old town. The hotel is family run and features a bar, restaurant and spa on site. A real gem. Book here.
Perfectly located in Salzburg’s old town, the building the Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt is home to dates as far back as the 1300s(!). Rooms are spacious, with traditional wooden beams, parquet floors and mountain views. Book here.
GETTING THERE AND AROUND SALZBURG
Return reward flights to Salzburg using your British Airways Avios points will cost you just 18500 Avios + £1 or 9500 Avios + £35, so you Salzburg can be a very good choice for a cheap city break.
Getting into the city on arrival is easy and quick; it only takes 15-20 minutes on the bus or train from Salzburg airport. A taxi will take you a similar amount of time and on average cost €20.
Salzburg itself is really small, so it’s easy to get around on foot, and some areas of the city are specifically pedestrianized to encourage this.
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Updated July 2025.
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