Getting to know Salzburg
What you can do for free in Salzburg
- Visit Salzburg’s Old Town
If you are a fan of historic centres and places where you feel like you’ve traveled back in time, Salzburg’s Old Town is the place to go. Enjoy the baroque fountain in Residence Square, the dome of Salzburg Cathedral and the very diverse shopping streets. - Visit the Mirabell Gardens
Amazing Renaissance statues are surrounded here by perfectly kept lawns and hedges, along with vibrantly colored flowers scattered all over the place. Take a long walk here and enjoy the natural beauty. - Go for a hike
If you are looking for a more energetic activity, a hike on one of the many routes around the city of Salzburg is a great idea. Go high and enjoy the best of views!
Top spots to visit
- Hohensalzburg Castle
This castle was built in the year 1077, but most of what is still standing today dates from the yearly 1500s. Visiting and exploring this impressive fortress is a must-do if you go to Salzburg. - Salzburg Cathedral
You cannot miss this building; its 79 meter tall twin towers will definitely catch your eye. The cathedral itself is stunning, and the Cathedral Museum is an added bonus for its visitors. - Mozart’s birthplace
A very interesting place to visit, the house where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on the 27th of January, in 1756, is open to the public. You can walk through the rooms that were once occupied by the renowned musician’s family, and the museum that displays numerous objects related to Mozart’s life and art.
Hidden spots to visit
- Schloss Hellbrunn
This fascinating castle was the summer “playhouse” of Markus Sittikus, the archbishop of Salzburg. This place was built in 1619 purely for entertaining the archbishop and his friends during hot summer days, only during daytime; there are no bedrooms in the building. Being built over natural springs, the premises’ vast gardens are riddled with amazing fountains. - St. Sebastian’s Cemetery
A more grime tourist attraction, this cemetery is a special one; besides the multitude of differently “styled” skulls that you will see all over the place, what you will also find here are the graves of some important Austrian people, such as Mozart’s mother and the Archbishop Wolf Dietrich. - Zwerglgarten (Dwarf Garden)
A whole bunch of 18th-century dwarf statues are present all over this garden. Some may say they are not necessarily pleasant looking dwarfs, but who are we to judge? Explore this spot for a slightly different holiday experience.
Restaurants
European and Austrian cuisine are the main focus in restaurants in Salzburg, but visitors can find much more than that. Check out the best restaurants in the city, enjoy delicious meals at: The Glass Garden, Restaurant Esszimmer, Restaurant Ikarus, S’Kloane Brauhaus, Johanneskeller, Meet2eat Salzburg, Augustiner Braustuebl. You can find restaurant reviews online for many other restaurants that you may have nearby and are looking to make sure you make a good choice.
Recommended time for visiting
The months of June, July and August see a lot of tourists in Salzburg. The crowds will be big, but the weather is excellent, and the sun takes over the sky most days. The months of April, May, September and October see smaller crowds; if that’s something you’re looking for, wait for summer to end. Hotel rates are also slightly influenced (they usually increase) by the tourist flux during the summer.
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Avg. temp. (°C) | -1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 1 |