Perfectly composed: Things to do in Salzburg

With its pretty domes and spires, medieval fortress and mountain backdrop, at first glance, Salzburg looks like a setting straight out of a fairy tale. Austria’s fourth largest city lies to the west of the Bavarian border, around two hours’ drive from Munich International Airport and 300km from the capital, Vienna.  

If you’re planning to visit for the first time, you’ll find this is a place that strikes a fabulous balance between the cosmopolitan buzz of larger European cities, while retaining the character, beauty and intimacy of a quaint Austrian town. Whether you’re staying for a day or a week, you’ll find plenty of things to see and do in Salzburg.

Love music? You’re in luck. Salzburg is the birthplace of one of the world’s most revered classical composers. The Mozart Birthplace is a compact museum set in a pretty yellow townhouse (it’s so bright you can’t miss it!) in the heart of the old town, dedicated to commemorating the life and work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and one of the most essential places to visit in Salzburg.

Walk through these carefully restored former apartments and be transported to the 18th century. Explore various memorabilia and trinkets to learn more about the life of one of the Classical era’s most instrumental (ahem!) composers. You can even view a display of his former instruments, including a grand piano and violin. Whether you’re a fan of classical music or history, this little gem of a museum is sure to strike a chord.   

Look at any picture of Salzburg, and you’ll spot the imposing silhouette of Fortress Hohensalzburg, perched above the city. This medieval stronghold dates to the 11th century, and it’s well worth a visit, not just for its 1,000 years of history, but also for the spectacular, 360-degree views it offers of the city below.  

You can walk to the fortress from the old town in less than half an hour – but we’d recommend hopping on the funicular, which will zip you to the top of the steep hill in just over a minute! This way you can preserve your energy for exploring at the top and enjoy the wonderful views from the carriage.  

Take your pick from a mix of museums and exhibitions inside the fortress’s walls. Want to learn about life in the Middle Ages? Choose the Fortress Museum. Prefer action? The Armory is a treasury of medieval weaponry. And if you have little ones, the Marionette Museum displays a range of colourful carved puppets from the Salzburg Marionette Theatre. It’s the perfect way to keep them entertained while you soak up the historic atmosphere.  

Dating to the early 17th century, the historic Schloss Mirabell is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – as well as one of the most popular Salzburg tourist attractions. Its Marble Hall is a famously beautiful venue; it also once hosted performances by Mozart.  

Today, the sounds of his compositions still echo around the chamber, with regular concerts bringing classical and baroque music to a modern audience. The Schloss was also the backdrop to many of the iconic scenes in The Sound of Music. You’ll recognize its fountain from the famous scene in which Maria and the Von Trapp children dance around its pretty gardens singing ‘Do-re-mi’. 

Recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the old town is the perfect place to tick off some sightseeing in Salzburg as you stroll the pristine cobblestones and capture some snapshots. Here, you can find striking baroque and medieval architecture, including the 17th century cathedral with its signature twin spires and dome piercing the skyline, and the Glockenspiel Bell Tower that pinpoints the main square.  

Don’t miss Getreidegasse, a beautiful old shopping street with wrought-iron signs hanging outside many of the buildings. As the famed address of Mozart’s birthplace, it’s also the perfect spot to pick up a souvenir. From traditional chocolates to mini busts of the composer to Lederhosen, there are plenty of trinkets to help you commemorate your stay.  

You’re bound to work up an appetite with all this exploring – so make time to sample some traditional Austrian cuisine and experience its famous coffee culture. Café Sacher Salzburg offers a classically beautiful setting for lunch, dinner or a coffee, right in the heart of the old town.  

Here, you can tuck into hearty dishes like wiener schnitzel, veal goulash and strudel. Just make sure you leave room for dessert. You won’t want to leave without trying the Original Sacher-Torte, a spectacular chocolate cake, made famous by the Hotel Sacher. You can even buy some wrapped in an elegant gift box to take home from the Sacher Confiserie.  

You can also try an array of traditional dishes at the other restaurants in Hotel Sacher. For a hearty classic, tuck into Hirsch Wellington at the Restaurant Sacher Grill, or for a side of theatre, order the delicate beef tartare at the Restaurant Zirbelzimmer, which is prepared and served at the table. Delicious! 

For a flavour of the wider dining scene in the city, add Paradoxon to your shortlist, where dishes are a creative exploration of unexpected ingredients, fresh flavours and inventive presentation.    

The city is renowned for the quality of its local beer and generally agreed to be Austria’s beer capital. It is home to no fewer than 11 breweries, so you’re never too far from a hoppy treat. If you must pick just one, make it Augustinerbräu Kloster Mülln, a historic brewery founded by Augustine monks in 1621; a truly must-visit place in Salzburg.  

Here, you can drink tankards of beer drawn directly from the barrel, either in the atmospheric stone monastery building, or under the dappled shade of the enormous chestnut trees in the beer garden outside. There are also plenty of delicious traditional snacks on standby, so you can tuck into an array of pretzels, roast meat, dumplings and pork as you quench your thirst. How very refreshing.  

If you’re keen to experience a more outdoorsy facet of Salzburg, you don’t have to travel far to enjoy an uplifting Alpine hike. The peaceful forested hilltop of Kapuzinerberg is around 640 metres above sea level, and it’ll take you about an hour to hike to the summit and back from the city at a leisurely pace. 

At the summit, expect magnificent views of the entire city, framed by the Austrian alps in the distance. Take your camera, take a picnic, take a good book or just take your time and people-watch on your way up the hill. You’ll find a mix of locals and tourists beside you on the path, with plenty of little rest stops and benches for soaking it all in en route. The viewpoints offer particularly impressive panoramas at dawn and dusk – the perfect time to capture Salzburg bathed in golden-hour light for your holiday snapshots.  

Head out for a walk and you can see the best of Salzburg’s history, architecture and music without paying a penny.  

Start with one of the city’s squares – Residenzplatz in the historic old town has plenty of charm thanks to its baroque buildings. Don’t miss the dramatic Residenz Fountain at its centre, with ornate carvings of Triton the god of the sea surrounded by majestic, water-spouting horses. As well as admiring the architecture, Residenzplatz is an ideal spot to enjoy a little people-watching, too.  

Music is also freely available in abundance – spilling out the windows of houses, emanating from churches and echoing through parks and gardens. You’ll encounter plenty of street musicians, especially in summer as you stroll from one attraction to the next. Often, to enjoy music for free in Salzburg, all you have to do is listen.  

If there’s one thing that’s unmistakeably Salzburg, it’s the sound of nuns singing at Nonnberg Abbey. The abbey was founded in c. 715, so it’s been in continuous existence for nearly 1300 years! 

This Benedictine nunnery was famously depicted in the famous musical The Sound of Music, the setting for many of the early scenes. It’s also where the real-life Maria worked as a nun before becoming governess to Baron Von Trapp.  

Today, you won’t find the nuns singing Rodgers and Hammerstein, but you can hear the ethereal sounds of Gregorian chants echoing around its stone walls every morning at 6.45am. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience in Salzburg, and well worth waking up for. 

Absolutely! It’s a compact, walkable city, so visitors can squeeze a lot into a two-day stay in Salzburg. We’d recommend focusing your trip itinerary on what you love doing the most, so you don’t miss out on a must-see attraction.  

History lovers should start with the enormous medieval fortress of Hohensalzburg, the largest of its kind in Europe, and then take some time to explore the well-preserved old town, cathedrals and palaces.  

If you’re more into culture and music, make time for Mozart’s birthplace – or a Sound of Music tour, then unwind in one of the local city squares to the background melody of a street performer.   

And if nature is more your speed, all you have to bring are a sturdy pair of hiking boots and your camera – the incredible scenery is all there for the taking!