Discover the beauty of the Rome of the North
Baroque towers rising above the city, winding lanes full of historic shops, picturesque cafés and restaurants, art and history on every corner. And on top of that, stunning alpine scenery and a glacier-blue river. These are all reasons why Salzburg is nicknamed the Rome of the North, and why it is one of the pearls on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Get to know it better, even in a single day. We have a few tips on what to see in Salzburg, what to visit and what not to miss.
The best of Salzburg
Start with Mozart, because Salzburg is Mozart. The brilliant composer was born here in 1756, and if you love his work, or opera in general, do visit Mozart’s birthplace in the very centre of the city. Today it is a renowned museum offering an intimate view of Amadeus’s life. His first child’s violin, letters in his own hand, the comb he used to arrange his distinctive hairstyle. That is only a small selection of the authentic curiosities you come across on the tour, and they carry you back in time.
If you come in June, you can heighten the experience with a visit to the world-famous festival, which turns Salzburg into one great stage full of classical music every year. Let the melody carry you and walk down the Getreidegasse, beneath the ancient hanging shop signs of Austria’s most beautiful shopping street. In one of its old passageways you will find a cosy café where, over an excellent coffee, you can relax and soak up the city’s unmistakable historic atmosphere.
The river Saalzach flows just a short way from you, and once refreshed you should head for its far bank. Here you will find the admirably beautiful Mirabell palace, built by the archbishops of Salzburg at the start of the 17th century. It is one of the city’s landmarks and ranks among its finest monuments, thanks above all to the stunning garden with its carefully worked geometric plan, hundreds of ornamental beds and an endless number of fountains and statues. You can wander its corners for as long as you like, ideally romantically as a pair.
A little less romance, but all the more fun, awaits you at the archbishops’ Hellbrunn summer palace in the south of the city. In Advent the lovely Christmas market captivates visitors here; in summer it is the water games, which in hot weather you and the children in particular will enjoy 1000%. Try catching the jets shooting up from the depths of the earth, wade among dozens of fountains decorated with picturesque statues, and enjoy the water features and the water-driven theatres. Have fun, and let yourself be fascinated by the fact that all of it was built hundreds of years ago.
Need to dry off a little? Go back to the city centre and take the cable car up the Mönchsberg, towards the sun and the warm wind. The Hohensalzburg fortress rises majestically here, guarding the city since the 12th century. Its interiors are worth a visit, but what will impress you even more is the view over the city and its surroundings. Mint-green baroque roofs, snow-white façades, and as far as the eye can see the alpine summits climbing confidently towards the sky. It is a picture you will want to keep in your memory as long as you can.
A few more unusual things to visit
Salzburg is a city that breathes history, yet it also combines tradition and modernity to good effect. Add something different to your stay and get to know a little more of this side of it too. You can start right on the Mönchsberg, where the purist building of the Museum of Modern Art stands beside the medieval fortress. It forms an ideal counterweight to the city’s historic landmarks and will charm you with its collection of contemporary work by Austrian and international artists.
An unusual combination of old and new is offered by the DomQuartier as well, an attraction of five linked historic buildings headed by the property of the Salzburg archbishops. A single ticket takes you into spaces long closed to the public, which introduce you to the history of the city through unusual combinations of exhibits. That gives your walks a new dimension, and a visit to the Salzburg Museum adds to it. It is one of the best in Austria, thanks in part to its bold use of modern exhibition technology.
The nearby Haus der Natur positively overflows with that technology, and takes you on a fascinating journey into the workings of our world and of nature. Make electricity, build a working bridge, learn how our body works, and set off into space and into the distant prehistoric past. Interactively, in a modern and playful way. And round off the experience of the aquariums full of sea fish of every shape and size at ZOO Salzburg, an ideal destination for a children’s outing.
It stands on historic foundations, as an original part of the Helbrunn summer palace, but today it is first and foremost a modern centre of zoological care, with savannah enclosures and more than 150 species of animal, from a mouse to an elephant. And from baroque to modern, from the surface of the river to the mountain tops. Salzburg offers you all of this and much more besides. You will spend a day here packed with experiences, and by the end of it you will want more days like it.
Would you like to spend a day like that in Salzburg? Or would you rather have several days at once? Book your stay with us and we will gladly arrange everything for you.