Salzburg
3
Day Itinerary •
Austria
Three days in Salzburg and its surrounds take you through the most beautiful small city in the Alps and out into the extraordinary Salzkammergut lake district, one of the finest landscapes in Central Europe. From the extraordinary Baroque old town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to the Hohensalzburg fortress above the city and the extraordinary emerald lake of Hallstatt with its 7,000-year salt mining history. This route covers the essential Salzburg region. The extraordinary Baroque old town with its cathedral, the Residenz palace and the Mirabellgarten, the Hohensalzburg fortress giving the finest panorama over the city and the Alps, the extraordinary Hellbrunn Palace with its trick fountains, and the Salzkammergut lake district with Hallstatt, the most photographed village in Austria.
Best Time To Visit
April to October or December
Getting There
Fly into Salzburg or Munich, train 1.5 hours
Getting Around
Salzburg Card covers all transport and museums. Car needed for Salzkammergut
Budget Per Day
Approx 90 to 160 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and day trips
DAY 1
SALZBURG OLD TOWN
MORNING
SALZBURG OLD TOWN AND THE CATHEDRAL
Salzburg's old town is the finest Baroque city north of the Alps and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its extraordinary domed cathedral, archbishop's residence and monastery complex compressed into a small space between the Salzach river and the Festungsberg cliff. The Dom, consecrated in 1628, is the finest Baroque church in Austria. The extraordinary frescoed ceiling and the four bronze entrance doors symbolising faith, hope, charity and the church are outstanding. The old town is the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music. Travel: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
THE RESIDENZ AND THE GETREIDEGASSE
The Residenz palace is the most extraordinary secular Baroque building in Salzburg, its extraordinary state rooms frescoed by Johann Michael Rottmayr in 1690 and furnished with extraordinary period furniture. The Residenzgalerie above contains an outstanding collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings. The Getreidegasse, Salzburg's medieval main shopping street, is lined with extraordinary wrought-iron guild signs dating from the 18th century. Mozart's birthplace at number 9 is the most visited museum in Salzburg. Entry approx 12 euros. Travel: 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
THE MIRABELLGARTEN AND THE SOUND OF MUSIC
The Mirabellgarten on the right bank of the Salzach is the finest Baroque formal garden in Salzburg, its extraordinary sculptures, parterres and fountain giving the most famous view of the old town and the Hohensalzburg fortress behind. The garden was used for the Do-Re-Mi sequence in The Sound of Music. The Mirabell Palace beside it contains the extraordinary Marble Hall, the finest concert room in Salzburg and the setting for the young Mozart's early concerts. Garden entirely free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Petersfriedhof, the cemetery of the St Peter monastery, is the most extraordinary medieval cemetery in Austria, its extraordinary carved rock chapels and graves set against the sheer cliff of the Festungsberg. The catacombs in the cliff face above date from the early Christian period. Entry to the cemetery free. The catacombs entry approx 2 euros. The finest hidden spot in Salzburg's old town.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Tomaselli, Salzburg The oldest coffee house in Austria, open since 1703. Coffee and extraordinary Salzburg cakes. | Lunch: Stiftskeller St Peter The oldest restaurant in Central Europe, established in 803 AD in the monastery cellar. Local trout and Gruner Veltliner. | Dinner: Restaurant Zum Mohren, Salzburg Outstanding traditional Salzburg restaurant. Local venison and Styrian wine.
DAY 2
HOHENSALZBURG AND MOZART
MORNING
THE HOHENSALZBURG FORTRESS
The Hohensalzburg fortress above Salzburg is the largest fully preserved medieval castle in Central Europe, rising 120 metres above the old town on the Festungsberg. Built from 1077 and expanded continuously until 1681, the fortress contains extraordinary State Rooms with Gothic wooden ceilings and a remarkable collection of medieval weapons. The panorama from the fortress walls over Salzburg, the Salzach valley and the Alps is the finest in the region. Funicular and fortress entry approx 16 euros. Travel: 20 min funicular and walk
MIDDAY
MOZART'S BIRTHPLACE AND THE OLD TOWN
Mozart's Birthplace at Getreidegasse 9 is the most visited museum in Salzburg, the extraordinary apartment where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756 containing his childhood violin, a clavichord he played and extraordinary portraits of the family. The old town beyond is extraordinary at midday when the tour groups thin. The extraordinary Kollegienkirche by Fischer von Erlach and the Dreifaltigkeitskirche on the right bank are both extraordinary. Birthplace entry approx 12 euros. Travel: 30 min bus to Hellbrunn
AFTERNOON
HELLBRUNN PALACE AND THE TRICK FOUNTAINS
Hellbrunn Palace south of Salzburg was built in 1615 as the summer residence of Archbishop Markus Sittikus and contains the most extraordinary trick fountains in Europe, a series of garden water jets designed to soak unsuspecting guests at the archbishop's whim. The mechanical theatre in the garden, with 141 moving figures operated by water power, is extraordinary. The Sound of Music gazebo stands in the Hellbrunn gardens. Entry approx 14 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Untersberg mountain on the southern edge of Salzburg at 1,853 metres is the most extraordinary excursion from the city, its cable car rising from the valley to give the most extraordinary panorama over Salzburg, the Bavarian plain and the entire chain of the Northern Alps. Cable car approx 26 euros return. The summit walk along the limestone plateau is extraordinary in summer.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Bazar, Salzburg Outstanding art deco cafe on the Salzach. The finest view of the fortress from a Salzburg terrace. | Lunch: Restaurant Sternbrau, Salzburg Outstanding Salzburg brewery restaurant. Local Stiegl beer and traditional Austrian food. | Dinner: Esszimmer, Salzburg Two Michelin stars in a beautiful setting. The finest restaurant in Salzburg. Book weeks ahead.
DAY 3
HALLSTATT AND THE SALZKAMMERGUT
MORNING
HALLSTATT, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE IN AUSTRIA
Hallstatt is the most photographed village in the world, its extraordinary cluster of pastel houses clinging to a cliff above the emerald Hallstatter See with the Dachstein glacier behind. The village has been continuously inhabited for 7,000 years and gives its name to the Hallstatt period of prehistoric European culture. The salt mine above the village, reached by funicular, is the oldest salt mine in the world. The Charnel House beside the parish church contains 1,200 decorated skulls. Salt mine entry approx 30 euros. Travel: 20 min boat or bus around lake
MIDDAY
THE HALLSTATT SALT MINE AND MUSEUM
The Hallstatt salt mine above the village is the oldest salt mine in the world in continuous operation, its extraordinary underground chambers and lakes accessible by a remarkable wooden slide used by miners for centuries. The Hallstatt Museum beside the lake contains the finest collection of prehistoric Celtic artefacts in Austria, excavated from the extraordinary burial site above the village that revealed 2,000 graves dating from 800 to 400 BC. Museum entry approx 10 euros. Travel: 45 min drive to Salzkammergut lakes
AFTERNOON
THE SALZKAMMERGUT LAKES
The Salzkammergut lake district contains the most extraordinary concentration of Alpine lakes in Austria, 76 lakes in the extraordinary valley system between Salzburg and Styria. The Wolfgangsee, Mondsee and Attersee are the finest, each with extraordinary turquoise water and mountain backdrops. The village of St Wolfgang on the Wolfgangsee with its extraordinary late Gothic altarpiece by Michael Pacher is a hidden masterpiece of Austrian art. The White Horse Inn on the lake is extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Dachstein ice caves above Hallstatt are the most extraordinary cave system in the Salzkammergut, a series of extraordinary glacial ice formations in limestone caves at 1,350 metres, including the extraordinary Mammoth Cave system and the Giant Ice Cave with ice formations up to 500 years old. Entry approx 15 euros. The cable car to the cave entrance gives extraordinary views of the Dachstein glacier.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Hallstatt lakefront Coffee on the most beautiful lakefront in Austria before the day visitors arrive by boat. | Lunch: Restaurant Braugasthof, Hallstatt Outstanding restaurant in the village. Local lake fish and Austrian white wine. | Dinner: Weisses Roessl, St Wolfgang The original White Horse Inn on the Wolfgangsee. Local pike and Salzkammergut wine.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Old Town, Nights 1 to 2 Hotel Sacher Salzburg or Goldener Hirsch. Walking distance to everything. Approx 120 to 400 euros. Budget Option Hotel Stadtkrug or IMLAUER Sky. Excellent value with extraordinary views. Approx 70 to 140 euros.
Top Tips
1. Walk the Getreidegasse at 7am before the tour groups arrive. The extraordinary guild signs and Mozart's birthplace are best seen in silence.
2. The Hohensalzburg funicular is included in the Salzburg Card. Take the first ride at 9am for the fortress entirely to yourself.
3. Hallstatt is most beautiful at dawn and dusk. Stay the night in the village for the extraordinary early morning light on the lake.
4. The Hellbrunn trick fountains are the finest Baroque garden joke in Europe. Go at 2pm when the tour groups are fewest.
5. The Salzburg Festival runs July to August. Standing room tickets are available from the box office on the day of performance.
6. Buy a Mozartkugel from Furst, the original manufacturer, not from souvenir shops. The genuine article is sold only at their own stores.
Total Budget
90 to 160 euros/day