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How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Salzburg - Second Day
This post picks up from where the post How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Salzburg - First Day leaves off. If you haven’t read that first, I highly recommend that you pop over to that post to get a full travel itinerary of the perfect weekend in Salzburg for your first full day. The first day focuses more on all of the walkable sites located in the city center. For your second day, you will need a car or public transportation to get to a few more must-see spots within the Salzburg city lines.
>> Related reading: Why Salzburg Needs to be on Your Bucket List <<
If you decide to opt for public transit, which I recommend (it’s super reliable, easy and affordable), I would recommend that you look into purchasing a Salzburg Card while you are in town. The card is good for 24, 48 or 72 hour periods, and gives you access to the public bus system at no additional cost. Furthermore, the card grants you free admission to many tourist sites. If you plan on going to see the tourist sites in this travel itinerary, the Salzburg Card will definitely save you money. My hotel offered the card for sale at the lobby, so I could easily purchase when I checked in.
Second Day of the Perfect Weekend in Salzburg
Salzburg was simply perfect on the first day, and even more on the second. The first stop on your second day will be to Untersberg - a mountain viewpoint with one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the city!
Untersberg Cable Car
Untersberg is a prominent mountain straddling the border of Austria and Germany. It’s super easy to get to - You can reach the Untersberg lift on public transportation: Catch the No. 25 bus, getting off at the stop for “Grödig Untersbergbahn”. It’s less than 10 miles outside of the city center, and boy is it worth it.
If you go in the morning, the cable car will likely not be as full, but I’ll admit, my descent on the cable car was pretty packed. It’s totally worth it. Going up the mountain in the cable car was fun - as you went up, you could see more and more of the countryside outside of Salzburg, and then all of a sudden, you were shrouded in clouds that consumed the whole cable car. When you arrived out of the mist at the top, the views were breathtaking.
Fun fact - Untersberg has some myths and legends surrounding it. First story is that an Emperor fell asleep inside the mountain and his beard started to grow around the table that he fell asleep at. When his beard grows around the table on a third time, the end of the world would come.
These mountains are also referenced in The Sound of Music - it is known as the “distinctive, lopsided peak” that’s seen at the end of the movie. It is also the site where Julie Andrews sang ‘The Hills are Alive.’
The views are simply breathtaking. There’s also a couple small restaurants at the top where you can grab a snack. It’s quite the location to enjoy a Radler!
Hellbrunn Palace & Trick Fountains
It’s insanely beautiful - every bit of it. But for me, Hellbrunn was the favorite because…
It’s a palace. I’m obsessed with them. ‘Nuff said!
The grounds were stunning and a picnic is just perfect there.
The Trick Fountains were so unique and fun.
Hellbrunn was commissioned by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus in 1613 with the vision to “create a place that was beyond belief.” It’s known as a pleasure palace - a place for soirees, summer retreat, and celebrations - not as a permanent residence. Therefore, there are no bedrooms in the villa. It’s designed in the early Baroque style.
The Trick Fountains were especially fun with grottoes and fountains - they were built with pranking in mind by Markus, who had quite a sense of humor, so be prepared for some fun water surprises! There’s also a very impressive mechanical, water-operated theater with figurines and music. These fountains are only open from April to October, so I recommend planning your trip within those months because the tour is worth it!
The grounds are simply stunning - they are open year-round and you can find locals playing sports, walking, and picnicing on the grounds (over 60 hectares!) There is a restaurant onsite if you prefer to dine on site, or this is the perfect place to pack a picnic for!
If you are still on the hunt for more The Sound of Music spots, you will be pleased to find the famous gazebo on the grounds there where the songs “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and “Something Good” were filmed. Though this is not the original setting, it is the original gazebo. It’s locked but still lovely to stumble upon as you stroll through the Hellbrunn Palace grounds!
Stiegl-Brauwelt
Stiegl is Austria’s largest and leading private brewery. The slightly sour Stiegl beer is the most popular beer in Austria that isn’t owned by Brau Union.
Tours are conducted daily which covers the museum and in-house brewery in German so if you want the English tour, it’s offered once a day at 3 p.m. While there, you can see how 90,000 bottles of Stiegl-Bier are filled every hour!! Best part, this tour is also covered by your Salzburg Card.
You can end your tour with a beer flight and happy hour Austrian snack in their scenic biergarten (beer garden). My absolute favorite was the Stiegl-Radler Grapefruit - so delicious and refreshing.
On the way back to my hotel, I witnessed this super talented street performer!
Mozart Concert & Dinner at St. Peter’s Abbey
After a little happy hour, I headed back to the hotel to get showered and ready for a nice dinner and Mozart concert at St. Peter’s Abbey. This was a lovely highlight of my trip that was both cultural and entertaining.
I recommend that you arrive thirty minutes to an hour early to enjoy a cocktail in the open atrium of the Stiftskulinarium before being ushered to the music hall for your dinner and concert. Stiftskulinarium is one of Europe’s oldest restaurants, offering dishes inspired by historical recipes from the 1700s. The venue was first mentioned in 803, securing the documented title of Europe’s oldest restaurant!
Baroque Music Hall at St. Peter's Abbey
After enjoying a cocktail at this historic restaurant, it’s time to be seated at white linen covered tables in a candlelit baroque-style music hall. You can enjoy a three-course meal while entertained by a live classical concert performance in traditional costume playing some of Mozart’s most recognized pieces. Talented opera singers perform arias and duets from “The Magic Flute,” “Don Giovanni,” and more. Alcoholic drinks are available for purchase.
Semi-frozen parfait of forest honey on two different sauces
Which destination on Day 2 interested you the most? I’d love to know. As I said earlier, mine was Hellbrunn Palace!
Travel well and often,
author bio
Known as The Jet Set Blonde, Brittany Ryan inspires others to add more adventure to their childfree travel experiences. Brittany has visited 23 countries (and counting!) Connect with her to get access to detailed childfree travel itineraries, travel guides for weekend getaways, and updates on adult-only hotels, resorts, cruises, and other travel amenities.
