Salzburg, Austria - The city of music.

The word ‘Salz’ means salt in German and this is what Salzburg was historically known for before the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, widely recognized as one of the greatest composers of western classical music. But it was the 1965 movie, ‘The Sound of Music’ that truly put Salzburg on the global map. Even after almost six decades, the movie continues to enjoy a cult following with the shooting locales in Salzburg attracting over 300k visitors annually, more than double its population!

With the German border almost within walking distance, Salzburg’s location at the foot of the Alps is not as picturesque as that of Innsbruck, with the mountains a bit away from town. But the Old Town Center, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, retains its medieval charm. The standard picture of the Salzburg old town with the Fortress in the background conveys the impression of a charming town. And it is. River Salzach cuts through Salzburg with the old city(Alstadt) on the left side and the 19^th century new city(Neustadt) on the right side.

Beer capital of Austria

Salzburg is generally regarded as the beer capital of Austria. The oldest brewery, Stiegl, dates back to 15^th century. The biggest private brewery, Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln, has been producing beer since 17^th century. But the beer gardens are far smaller than the ones in Germany, though the largest one can seat over 1000 people. And as in Germany, outdoor seating is more functional than comfortable.

Getting to Salzburg

From nearby countries, train is perhaps a more convenient option. I travelled by Railjet from Innsbruck, departing little after noon that had the lowest fares for the day. The ticket prices are dynamic and since a number of trains run every day between Innsbruck and Salzburg, I did not book well in advance. When I finally made the booking about a week ahead of departure, the fare had gone up from about €20 to €46 or so per adult. I used the online booking platform ‘Trainline’ that offered the same fare as ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways. Couple of other private websites displayed a much higher fare so it is useful to always recheck with the train operator. For the journey from Salzburg to Munich, the ÖBB fares were higher than those offered by Deutsche Bahn.

The under 2 hours journey was quite scenic and comfortable. But I did struggle a bit with our big suitcase.

Salzburg has an international airport but with limited connectivity. Munich airport is closer to Salzburg than Vienna airport.

Train journey-Innsbruck to Salzburg

What to see in Salzburg?

Not much! Very few attractions in the town but there are very good options for day trips. While the area from Old Town to Mirabell palace is walkable, couple of journeys by public bus would be required for one or two attractions.

Main attractions can be covered in a day

I took the bus to Hohensalzburg Fortress in the morning and thereafter explored the Old Town. After lunch, went by bus(#25) to Hellbrunn palace before returning to Mirabell palace on the other bank of river Salzach. All in a day. And in between, I attended a half an hour concert in the Cathedral.

Hohensalzburg Fortress

Perched on a hill, it is the most visited attraction in Salzburg. Requires a short funicular ride though a walking path is also available. Many of the furnishings inside have been preserved for several centuries now. The Fortress itself is ~1000 years old. From the tower, one gets a 360° view of Salzburg.

I spent about 2 hours here. Concerts over dinner are held every evening in the Fortress. Extra fee is payable to visit the State rooms.

Model of Hohensalzburg Fortress, Austria

Old town(Alstadt)

The Old Town finds a place in the UNESCO World Heritage List for preserving its medieval baroque architecture. Vehicles are not allowed and that makes walking around a pleasure, much like some of the ‘old towns’ elsewhere in Europe. And like elsewhere, beautiful buildings, plenty of shops and restaurants with colorful signages make the area quite lively.

Salzburg Cathedral is perhaps the most well known structure in the Old Town. Very imposing and very beautiful inside. Rebuilt after being damaged during the world war II. It was lovely to attend a short classical musical concert here which is held everyday around noon time and costs €9 per adult. Over and above the entry/conservation fee of €3.50(with Salzburg card). The music was heavenly, thanks to the stone walls and the excellent acoustic system. No wonder the acoustics is often described as the heart and soul of a church.

I was initially not keen to get inside but fortunately, decided to attend the noon concert. Alternatively, one may opt for the Domquartier tour that includes the Residenz(of Prince-Archbishops) and the Cathedral terraces and organ loft.

Getreidegasse – The famous street in Salzburg, full of shops and restaurants and home to the building #9 that was the birthplace of Mozart. One can’t miss the ornamental and guilded signs protruding from the buildings in this street and elsewhere. The front and back of many of these historical buildings open onto two different streets. Publicity for this street is bit overdone I think.

Hellbrunn palace and trick fountains

Built in the 17^th century CE, the palace, together with the fountains and gardens is quite big. The palace itself is not very impressive but the trick fountains is worth a visit. Something different. Water fountains at various locations are controlled by levers. Entry is allowed at specified times and ‘live’ demonstrations are given. If one is not watchful, there is every possibility of getting drenched.

The Hellbrunn zoo is located close by.

Mirabell palace and gardens

The palace was built/rebuilt in early 17^th /18th century CE. It is nice, especially a walk in the gardens but nothing special. Few scenes from the movie ‘The Sound of Music’ were shot in the gardens.

Concerts

A trip to Salzburg would be incomplete without attending at least one concert. Among the options, there are concerts with dinner(Fortress, Mirabell palace, cruise etc.). Though they are pricey, the good news is vegetarian options are also made available on request.

Other attractions that I skipped

Sound of Music tour : Even after almost 6 decades, this iconic movie that was shot in and around Salzburg, still pulls in thousands of visitors every year. The tour takes one to all the locales where the movie was shot.

Mozart’s birth place:It was closed when I visited on a sunday but even then, I don’t think I would gone in. There is also Mozart residence where the great composer lived.

Museum of Natural History and Technology : I would have visited this museum if I had little more time. There is also Museum of Modern Art plus few more.

Boating in the river : Skipped because the river appeared quite shallow! Not at all tempting. One cruise is free with Salzburg card.

Cable car to Untersberg : The elevation is 1853m. Similar views from the fortress but this is at a higher altitude.

Don’t forget to buy Salzburg card

After Innsbruck, I found the Salzburg card to be very cost effective. Provides free travel by public buses and one time admission to all the attractions in Salzburg. Plus discounts. Funicular and Fortress(€14), Hellbrunn palace(€13.50), Cathedral conservation fee savings(€1.50) and couple of journeys by local bus more than recovered the cost. I purchased the 24hour card for €30 per adult.

A digital version is also available. The 48 hour card at €39 would be more appropriate if visiting other attractions and staying for 2 days.

Outstation/day trips

The scenery around Salzburg is a knock out. And most of the places can be reached by public transport which means booking a tour is not necessary. After a quick evaluation, I settled for the following 2 trips:

Hallstatt, said to be the most photographed village in the world. And by far the most popular day trip out of Salzburg. It is beautiful and unique and for that reason, has become an overcrowded tourist destination. More about Hallstatt in a separate post.

Werfen, famous for the ice cave, said to be the largest in the world, and the Fortress. More details in a separate post.

The other options that I considered:

Sankt Wolfgang/Sankt Gilgen, both in the Salzkammergut region, like Hallstatt.

Zell-Am-See and Grossglockner road. Best with a private car.

Salt mines : The white gold(aka salt) has been mined in and around Salzburg since 400BC. Hellein and Berchtesgaden(Germany) are the recommended ones.

Vienna too is an option but it needs more than a day. I had travelled from Innsbruck but for others, that too can be option. Plus Berchtesgaden in Germany.

Salzburg itself can actually be a very good choice for a day trip, from Munich or Vienna.

How many days for Salzburg?

Most of the attractions in Salzburg can be covered in one full day. Two days would be ideal if visiting museums, attending a concert or taking the cruise. Add additional days for the day trips. For a regular traveller, I don’t think there is anything unique in Salzburg and therefore, it makes sense to give priority to day trips.

Where to stay?

I chose to stay within walking distance of the railway station(Salzburg Hauptbahnhof). Simply because I travelled by train from Innsbruck, the main bus station is just outside the railway station making it very convenient for day trips by rail/bus, and I was to travel to Munich by train. Alstadt or Neustadt are both very good options but the hotels here are pricey. But wherever, make sure the local bus stop is within walking distance. Room sizes are likely to be small and I had to be content with room size of little more 200 sq. ft.(~20m²).

A 3-4 star hotel will cost upwards of €200 per night for a couple, with breakfast. Salzburg has more of boutique hotels as compared to branded international chain of hotels and they can offer competitive pricing, depending on the season.

Accomodation was the single biggest item in my budget. On an average, €300+ is required for a couple per day, including accomodation.

When to visit Salzburg?

Salzburg is an all year destination but if day trips are planned, September and October should be the first choice, assuming one wishes to avoid the crowd. I visited in early October and even then, there was a bit of crowd. March to May and November should also be less crowded. Salzburg receives snowfall in winter and the months of May to September receive more rainfall than other months. In fact, Salzburg is also called the rain capital of Austria, with annual average rainfall of over 1000mm.

Werfen Ice caves can normally be visited from May 1 to October 31 while Hallstatt is open through out the year.

Salzburg card is priced a bit higher from May 1 to October 31. Perhaps this gives an indication of when bulk of the tourists visit.

Vegetarian food

As in Germany, the word vegan is used more than vegetarian to describe a food item. And not everyone is able to firmly confirm vegan is actually vegetarian without any meat flavor. One such restaurant, ‘Heart of Joy’ on Franz-Josef-Strasse 3, not far from the railway station and Mirabell palace, does make this distinction. And the menu is fairly elaborate though limited for pure vegetarians. ‘My Indigo’ too has few vegan joints in Salzburg. No such problems with Indian and Italian restaurants. Among the Indian restaurant, I liked Taj Mahal. The Indian owner has been running this joint for 25 years or so. I avoided the smaller Indian restaurants. There are plenty of Italian restaurants though. For a couple, the cost of a meal ranged between €35 to €40 and more. With a drink.

There is also a ‘subway’ near the railway station.

Visa, currency, tipping, data connection

Schengen visa is required for Indian passport holders. Currency is euros and by and large, credit card worked everywhere except couple of small joints. So good to carry some cash especially for the day trips. For tips, I stuck to usual rounding off or an average of 10% or so. In one Italian restaurant in Alstadt, the server openly solicited tips. And in fluent english so I could not pretend I did not understand! But that was an exception. Anyway, the guy was cheerful, helped me with the menu options and hence, I did not mind paying more than the normal.

Data connection proved very useful during day trips. But just for Salzburg, there is no need except to hunt for vegetarian restaurants! Of course, a better option is to mark up few of them on the map. Most of the restaurants are concentrated in Alstadt or Neustadt.

Is Salzburg worth visiting?

Beautiful town with limited attractions. On a standalone basis, unless you are visiting for a specific purpose such as Salzburg festival or Christmas, it will be ok to opt for a day trip from places such as Munich or Vienna. But if you have planned for short trips out of Salzburg, it is an ideal base.

I will thankfully remember Salzburg for helping me in getting rid of my more than a decade old Rayban sunglasses. I had placed it on a bench next to the river bank to click a photograph. And forgot to pick it up. It was missing when I returned an hour later to check.