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Why Salzburg Needs to be on Your Bucket List
Salzburg should be added to your travel bucket list today. It’s a dreamy, romantic place rich with scenic views and history, nestled in Austria just outside of Germany. I visited Salzburg as a weekend trip over my stay in Munich, Germany for work. It was very easy to get there from Munich, and I highly endorse this destination!
I traveled to Salzburg as a solo female (which I totally recommend), but Salzburg is also a wonderful place for couples to visit...with places like the Love Locks Bridge, palaces, and the Von Trapp gazebo from The Sound of Music, where the love songs “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and “Something Good” were filmed.
First Impressions
Salzburg was my first time to Austria - I have yet to explore any other areas of the country. But Salzburg was the perfect place to start if you’re new to traveling the country. The city has a lovely river (Salzach River) running through it, dividing the Old City (Altstadt) and the New City (Neustadt). The Old City is characterized by medieval and baroque buildings. Needless to say, the Old City is primarily where I spent the majority of my time because of its beautiful cathedrals, historical buildings, and old world aesthetic.
Pro Tip: Old City and New City are both very walkable and easy to get around. But if you are looking to save a little money on hotel, I recommend staying in New City. I stayed in New City, which was a little cheaper than staying in the heart of the Old City due to its popular tourist attractions. But I could easily walk, bus, or taxi over to Old City from where I stayed without any issue.
When I got to the Salzach River, I was struck by how scenic the views of the Eastern Alps were in the background. The Old City was speckled with light and pastel colored buildings with a white fortress that sat at the top of a hill. Pretty dang insta-worthy if you ask me...
As I walked through the city, I also notice how well-preserved the entire city was. It was remarkably clean and the old buildings were pristinely kept - no graffiti as you may find in Italy. It felt as if you had been transported back to the Baroque days of extravagant arts and refined splendor. I was surprised to see this because you would think that much of the historical city would have been destroyed from World War II, as some nearby German cities had, however it’s still much intact and is one of the few remaining examples of a town in its style.
About Salzburg
The city is one of the best preserved city center north of the Alps and features beautiful Baroque style architecture. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as of 1996 and is home to approximately 35 churches.
Salzburg Cathedral
Salzbug literally means “Salt Castle.” Beginning in the 8th-century, Salzburg was frequented by barges carrying salt on the River Salzach. In 1077, the Hohensalzburg Fortress was built by Archbishop Gebhard (who lived there) - hence Salt Castle.
A big claim to fame for this city is the fact that the 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg. His original home is now a museum which you can visit in addition to a few other famous Mozart sites.
Mozart’s Birthplace
The next big claim to fame for Salzburg is that the city was the setting for the musical play and film, The Sound of Music. The Sound of Music tours are quite popular, taking tourists to all of the prominent settings from the film that people so fondly remember from the film.
Salzburg is not the cheapest place to visit - its GDP per capita is greater than the average for Austria and for most European countries. But I would not let that deter you from visiting. I still highly recommend saving to travel here - I personally managed the trip pretty affordably as a solo female traveler. The travel experience in Salzburg is well worth the cost in my opinion!
How to Get to Salzburg
I would say that Salzburg is an easy city to get to via plane, train, bus, or even canal cruise (which is how my friend visited Salzburg...she went on a river cruise of Europe!)
By Plane
- Lufthansa (Star Alliance)
British Airways (OneWorld Alliance)
Austrian Airlines (Star Alliance)
Smaller airlines include:
- Brussels Airlines (Star Alliance)
Eurowings (no alliance)
Turkish Airlines (Star Alliance)
Wondering what an Alliance is or which Alliance you should choose? Check out this article here which breaks it all down.
The W.A. Mozart airport (SZG) is 4 kilometers from the city center. Once landed, I recommend hopping on the No. 2 or No. 10 bus for the cheapest route (single ticket €2.50, children €1.30 up to 15 years).
The No. 2 bus runs daily every 10/20 minutes between Salzburg Main Station and the airport. Sundays and public holidays every 20 min. Journey time: approx. 23 minutes
The No. 10 bus (Mon-Sat) departs every 10 minutes from the airport to the city center. Journey time: approx. 15 minutes
By Train
I was in Munich, Germany for work, so I took a train ride from Munich to get to Salzburg. There were multiple departures in a single day to get to the city. Salzburg is also easily accessible from Vienna.
All trains to Salzburg arrive at Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. It’s about a 20 minutes' walk to the Altstadt (old city), but upon arrival, I headed to my hotel to check in, which was in Neustadt (new city).
In front of the train station is the main bus terminal and taxi rank. A taxi ride to the centre costs about €10.
When to Visit Salzburg
Salzburg is very walkable and features beautiful gardens and outdoor venues. Therefore, I recommend visiting in the warmer months so that you can enjoy some of the best aspects that Salzburg has to offer.
March and April are a bit chilly but there may be some spring blooms beginning to grow at that time. Highs are in the 50s (Fahrenheit) and rain will be more common (like most spring seasons).
The summer is a popular time to visit due to the nice weather (60s and 70s), but the tourist count rises during this time. I visited Salzburg in early June - it was beautiful weather the whole trip. Though there were tourists, I didn’t find that the number of tourists was too overwhelming to deal with. Rain is still common at this time (although I lucked out!)
The best time to visit Salzburg for good weather, fewer crowds, and cheaper prices is within the months of September to October - this is because some of the summer crowds have settled and the temperature is quite comfortable for being outdoors (upper 50s and 60s).
Although it never rained on my weekend visit, it’s advised to bring an umbrella or rain jacket. Rain is common throughout the year.
A few features that I like:
Lightweight and Compact - 0.98 LB and 12.2” in size
Windproof Design - no more flipped umbrellas!
Reverse Folding Design - the wet stays on the inside and not on you!
Automated Open/Close - single press of a button to open AND close
Sun and Rain Protection - 210T Teflon fabric that’s waterproof AND UV resistant to protect your skin
Warranty - 1 year replacement guarantee from DKSUKO
Affordable - less than $20
Getting Around Salzburg
Salzburg was not a huge city, so I found that it was very easy to get around. I mostly walked during my time in the city, but other options include bus, bike, or car service.
Buses and Trolleys
The bus lines are widespread and run frequently, so this is a solid option for those who don’t wish to walk or bike around. Trolley buses run every 10 minutes during the day, while most regular buses come every 15 minutes. A special timetable is available between July and August. Click here to review the current bus schedules.
You can purchase a single ticket or 24-hour tickets. I advise the 24-hour ticket if you plan to hop around the central zone, since it’s cheaper that way. A week pass is advised if you are staying more than 4 days in the city.
Salzburg offers their own transportation mobile app (Salzburg Verkehr app) that you can download to find the best path to your destination, or you can use Google, which offers solid public transportation information all across Europe.
Car Service
A car service is rarely needed because the city is so walkable and the bus system is very reliable, however if you prefer private transfer and/or you are in a hurry to get somewhere by a certain time, you may want to opt for a taxi or rideshare service. At the time of my visit, Uber was not available (but it is now as of late May 2019.) Because Uber was not available at the time, I downloaded the mobile app FREE NOW (formerly mytaxi).
Download FREE NOW here.
Despite the fact that Uber has now been introduced to Salzburg, you may still want to consider using the MyTaxi app even if you have Uber because, sometimes, it takes a city awhile before a significant amount of drivers become available, especially if the locals have grown accustomed to using a different mobile service.
Bikers below Hohensalzburg Fortress
Major Attractions in Salzburg
There are a LOT of interesting attractions to see in Salzburg - ranging from historical, like Mozart’s Birthplace, to social and cultural, like Stiegl-Brauwelt, an interactive beer exhibition with an outdoor shaded patio and restaurant.
When I’m in a town where I don’t speak the native language and it’s for a short period of time, I typically opt for a private or small group guided tour. But I actually found Salzburg so easy to get around on my own, that I chose to travel solo during this weekend trip.
If you are considering booking a tour to see all of the MANY sights in Salzburg, read my blog post, The Pros and Cons of Booking a Private Tour Guide Experience. Then take the quiz below to find out which option better suits you!
Image courtesy of Salzburg.info.
- For travelers who want to hit all the top spots in Salzburg: Salzburg Highlight Tour with Fortress Hohensalzburg
- For 'The Sound of Music' lovers looking for affordability: The Original Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg
- For 'The Sound of Music' lovers looking for luxury and exclusivity: 'The Sound of Music' Private Tour with Breakfast at Schloss Leopoldskron
- For travelers looking for a cultural dinner experience: Mozart Concert and VIP Dinner at Fortress Salzburg with River Cruise
*Though I did not go on every one of these tours myself, I heavily researched the options and read through the many reviews, so that you don’t have to! (Side note - if you have a trip where you are interested in booking a tour but don’t have the time to read through all of the options and reviews, you can hire me to do the work for you! Learn more here.)
Get a Salzburg Card
You may also want to consider a Salzburg card, which is what I purchased for my weekend in the town. Depending on how many tourist sites you plan on seeing, the Salzburg card is worth the purchase. With the purchase of a Salzburg card, public bus rides are included. This includes: trolley buses 1-14; regular buses operated by Albus: Citybus A, lines 20-28, 34, 35, 151; trains operated by Salzburger Lokalbahn as far as the Acharting halt.
Here are some of the benefits of this card:
One-time free admission to ALL city tourist attractions and museums
Free travel on public transportation (except s-railways / S-Bahn)
Discounts on cultural events and concerts
Discounts at many excursion destinations
Express entrance (in some cases), without having to stand in line at the ticket window
Just a few of the free admissions with the Salzburg Card (there are 32 in total!):
Hohensalzburg Fortress (and Cable Railway to the Fortress)
Cable Car Untersberg
Mozart Residence
Stiegl-Brauwelt - an interactive world of beer
Salzburg Museum and Neue Residenz
Mozart’s Birthplace
DomQuartier Salzburg
Salzburg City Cruise
Hellbrunn Palace and Trick Fountains
St. Peter’s Monastery and Cemetery and Catacombs
The card is available for 24, 48 or 72 hours, which was really convenient for the amount of time I was there. I purchased the 48 hour card to use on Saturday and Sunday, after I had arrived on Friday night. What was even more convenient, was that my hotel sold the cards in the lobby, so I didn’t have to go out of my way at all to make this purchase.
Find out the current Salzburg Card prices here. I had purchased my 48 hour card for €34.
To find out how to best maximize your weekend in Salzburg, read my other posts on my time in Salzburg!
Have you ever traveled to Salzburg, Austria before? What was your favorite destination? Let me know in the comments below! Have I convinced you to add Salzburg to your bucket list? I hope so!
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.
