Discover Salzburg

Salzburg combines a well-preserved historic cityscape with museums, city mountains and green spaces. This gives you several starting points for planning your trip: you can focus on history and collections, walking trails or the summer cultural programme.

Cityscape and history

Salzburg’s historic centre has retained much of its cityscape and street layout. Its Baroque appearance is largely thanks to the Italian architects Vincenzo Scamozzi and Santino Solari. Hohensalzburg Fortress stands on the Festungsberg above the rooftops of the Baroque Old Town. Construction began around 1077 under Archbishop Gebhard.

The Kapuzinerberg also offers a chance to combine local history with time outdoors. The Basteiweg on its southern side offers views of Salzburg’s Old Town from several points. The hill is also home to eleven Calvary chapels, considered a popular expression of 18th-century religious devotion. The viewpoints and chapels offer different perspectives: one looks out over the city, the other explores its religious history.

Museums and historical perspectives

A tour of the DomQuartier traces 1,300 years of Salzburg’s history of rule, as well as its art, music and architecture. The Residence includes 15 state rooms spanning more than 200 years of history and styles. The DomQuartier also brings the historic centre’s former political and ecclesiastical power to life for visitors.

Mozart’s Birthplace at Getreidegasse 9 offers another way to explore Salzburg’s history. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in this house in 1756. A one-hour tour takes you through the original living quarters and a reconstructed 18th-century bourgeois apartment. On display are original documents, letters and mementos, as well as historical instruments, including Mozart’s childhood violin and his clavichord. The Haus der Natur in Salzburg’s Old Town adds a museum covering more than 7,000 m² to the city’s cultural attractions.

City mountains, river and green spaces

The Mönchsberg rises above Salzburg’s Old Town. Meadows, small woods and viewpoints are as much a part of its character as its role as a local recreation area. It has easy walking paths as well as varied routes for hikes in the city. These two types of paths offer different ways to experience the hill, without requiring you to set aside time for a particular length of tour.

The Salzach flows through the heart of Salzburg, dividing the city into the historic Old Town and the more modern New Town. There is also an extensive network for cyclists: Salzburg has more than 180 kilometres of cycle paths. Most run along the Salzach and through the city’s parks and tree-lined avenues.

Nature takes centre stage along the Almkanal. The willow stands there are an important habitat for wildlife; rare small animals live in the trees, particularly beetle species classed as relict species of primeval forests. At the same time, the Almkanal has been preserved and protected as a cultural monument unique in Europe. The site thus brings together the canal’s ecological importance and cultural heritage.

Hellbrunn and the summer programme

Hellbrunn Palace was built between 1612 and 1615 as a summer residence. The permanent exhibition “SchauLust” lets visitors explore the rooms and learn about the history of the estate. During a tour of the Hellbrunn trick fountains, an audio guide at 21 stops also explains the historic Mechanical Theatre. The park offers a different focus: its water parterre is modelled on an Italian Renaissance design and features ponds, statues and flower arrangements. There are also areas for walking and a large adventure playground for children.

For more than 100 years, the Salzburg Festival has brought opera, theatre and concerts to Salzburg every summer. Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s play “Jedermann” has been performed outdoors in Domplatz, against a Baroque backdrop, since the festival began. If you are travelling for a performance, check the dates during your stay.

Getting around the city

Salzburg’s public transport includes electric trolleybuses and bus routes. During the day, trolleybuses run every 10, 15 or 20 minutes; most bus routes run every 15 minutes. As service intervals may change, check the current timetable before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Thalgau, Plainfeld, Mattsee, Faistenau, Elixhausen, Nußdorf Am Haunsberg, Helming, Bergheim.

Go to the regional travel overview: Salzburg-Flachgau.