Salzburg, Austria Travel Guide

Salzburg, the "Sound of Music" town is the capital of the state of Salzburg. Salzburg is two hours from Munich by train. Geographically, its coordinates are 47.81 degrees north, 13.04 degrees east.

The population of the city of Salzburg is around 145,000 people. The federal state of Salzburg is composed of over 520,000 people. Salzburg is Austria's fourth largest city.

Salzburg's Airport, the W. A. Mozart Airport, is located 2 km from the German border and 4 km away from Salzburg city center. To get there by car, take the "Flughafen" (airport) exit. You can get to the airport by train from the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof in 15-20 minutes. There is also a bus from the train station to the airport every 15 minutes (30 on Sundays and holidays). A taxi to the city will cost 8-12 Euros.

Salzburg's main station is called the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. It's located in the north on the right bank of the Salzach River at Südtirolerplatz. It is a 20 minute walk to the old city.

The service is very good. Get a route map at the tourist office or your hotel. The adult fare was € 1.80 from a machine, € 1.90 on the bus at time of writing.

The Salzburg Card offers free use of the transit system as well as free admission to many museums.

The main tourist office is located at Auerspergstrasse 7. Phone: +43 (0) 662 889 870.

The Salzburg Card "provides free admission to Salzburg's museums, free use of the Fortress funicular, the Untersberg cableway, Salzach ship service and public transport. Salzburg Card holders can also take advantage of a number of discounts on concerts, theater performances or excursions to destinations in the Salzburg vicinity."

The Salzburg Card is available at hotel reception desks, information offices and at ticket offices.

0662

Salzburg is a city to be enjoyed throughout the year. Salzburg is most popular during the Salzburg festival in the summer, but it's a great place to go in the shoulder season, and there are, of course, winter sports and Christmas markets to consider. To see graphs of historic temperatures and rainfall in Salzburg, see Salzburg, Austria Travel Weather.

Hotels can get scarce in summer during the festival. You can find user rated hotels in Salzburg at Venere: Salzburg Hotels (Book Direct).

If you'd prefer to rent a vacation home or apartment in or around the city, see HomeAway's Salzburg and Outskirts Vacation Rentals (book direct).

For the traveler, Salzburg is certainly one of the most interesting cities in Austria. Home of the Salzburg Festival featuring Opera, Drama and Musical Concerts at various venues in the summer. Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart, and you'll know it just by walking through the streets and plazas.

What to Visit

Festung Hohensalzburg - The Salzburg Castle, built in the 11th century, is a must, if only for the spectacular view of the city and the alpine peaks surrounding it. You can walk from the old town or take the funicular. There's lots to see inside the fortress, including torture chambers and a couple of museums. There's even a "Christmas Eve gun salute" repeated on New Years.

Take a stroll around the Old Town - Salzburg was declared a UNESCO World heritage site in 1996, and the old town is a joy.

Stiftskerch St. Peter - Check out the catacombs behind the abbey built in 847.

Mozart's House - Visit the Mozart-Wohnhaus at Makartplatz 8 where he lived from 1773 to 1787.

The Sound of Music Tour - Ok, it's not something that interests everyone, but at even the Savvy Traveler took a liking to it while reviewing it for their Bad Taste Tour section. You'll get a glimpse of the beautiful countryside, as explained in this personal review.

The Natural History Museum is world famous including a 40 tank aquarium and a 200 animal reptile house.

Schloss Hellbrunn - Hellbrunn Palace is four miles outside of Salzburg, and is known for its Baroque gardens and most famously for its trick fountains--watch out or you'll get blasted. A tour of the palace and water gardens will run you about 7.5 Euros.

Hellbrunn Zoo where animals are held in pretty natural surroundings.

The Salzburg Open-Air Museum is 10 km south west of Salzburg. It records the rural way of life in Salzburg from the 16th to the 20th Century.

Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln at Lindhofstraße 7 5020 Salzburg Austria‎ was a brewery founded by Augustinian monks in 1621 and today is a brewery and beer museum. Things are still done the traditional way in the tavern; they'll fill a stone mug from the barrel for you. There's a huge beer garden with a great view.

South of Salzburg in Hallein is the interesting Celtic Museum, which tells the story of the Celt in the Salzburg region, especially their connections to early salt mining. There is also a reconstructed Celtic settlement in Hallein. Holding a Salzburg Card saves you 20% of the price of admission.

Popular Salzburg Coach Tours (Viator: Book Direct)

The Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden Tour from Salzburg takes you from your Salzburg hotel across the border to Bavaria, where you'll visit Kehlsteinhaus, known as Hitler's retreat, the Eagles Nest, which you'll tour with a professional guide.

The Original Sound of Music and Salt Mines Day Trip combines two very popular tours into a single 8 hour tour, one that takes you down into the famous Salt Mines for which Salzburg was named, and the other that presents visitors with a more sedate visit to the Sound of Music convent at Nonnberg Abbey.

See All Viator Salzburg Tours.

Pictures of Salzburg

Ready to see what all the fuss is about? Want some spectacular views? See our Salzburg Pictures.