Salzburg is one of the most beautiful and underrated cities in Austria. It offers the perfect mix of history, culture, and charm. Known as the birthplace of the world-famous composer Mozart, the city also gained fame as the backdrop for ‘The Sound of Music‘ movie. It’s an ideal destination for a weekend getaway – you can easily explore most of Salzburg in just two days.
But why choose Salzburg? Let’s start with a bit about the city itself. The name Salzburg means – Salt Fortress. This comes from its rich history of salt mining, which played a big role in the city’s development and wealth. In fact, salt was once so valuable it was called “white gold”. Salzburg is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sits at the foot of the Eastern Alps and is known for its stunning views, narrow alleyways, and historic castles.
In this guide, I’ll share the best things to do in Salzburg. And if you have a little more time, I’ll also include a quick trip to Hallstatt – often called the most beautiful village in Europe.
Day 1 – Exploring the Old Town, Historic Sights & Local Beer
We took a direct flight from London to Salzburg. From the airport, we caught a bus to our hotel, which was located very close to the main train station. We stayed at Cocoon Salzburg – a lovely, cosy hotel with a warm and welcoming vibe. After relaxing, we headed out on foot to explore the Old Town.
Altstadt and Getreidegasse
One of the best things about Salzburg is that the city is very walkable. Most of the main sights are close to each other, so you can easily explore everything on foot. We started our walk through the Salzburg’s Old Town (Altstadt) – one of the most charming parts of the city. This area is full of baroque buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and beautiful squares. As we walked deeper into the Old Town, we came across the Alter Markt (Old Market), a lively square that dates back to the Middle Ages. It’s a great spot to grab a coffee, people-watch, or browse through local shops.
From there, we strolled down Getreidegasse, one of Salzburg’s most famous and picturesque shopping streets. It’s lined with traditional wrought-iron signs, boutique stores, cafés, and souvenir shops. This street is also where you’ll find the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at Getreidegasse 9 – a must-see for music lovers and history buffs.
Salzburg Cathedral, Residenzplatz, Mozartplatz
After that we headed to Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) – a magnificent cathedral and one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. This is where Mozart was baptized. The interior is stunning, with impressive frescoes, soaring ceilings, and a peaceful atmosphere. You can also visit the crypt underneath, which adds to the cathedral’s rich history.
Tickets for the cathedral can be bought from here.
Just a short walk from the cathedral is Residenzplatz, one of the largest and most beautiful squares in the city. Tall, old buildings surround the square, and a big baroque fountain called Residenzbrunnen sits in the middle. It looks like it could be from Italy.
From there, we made our way to Mozartplatz, a nearby square that features a statue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart right in the center. It’s a quiet, open space where you can reflect on Salzburg’s rich musical heritage. We rested there for a while to grab a coffee and enjoy music from local artists playing in front of the Mozart statue.
It was almost evening by this time so we strolled towards the Salzach River and crossed the Makartsteg Bridge, commonly known as Salzburg’s Love Lock Bridge. Couples have filled the bridge with colorful padlocks, and it gives one of the best views of the Old Town, with the fortress rising in the background
We passed through neighbourhoods where houses cling directly to the steep rock cliffs, creating a dramatic and beautiful backdrop. It’s such a fascinating blend of natural landscape and city design.
Augustiner Bräu
We made our way to the famous Augustiner Bräu, Salzburg’s oldest brewery, located in the Mülln district. Founded in 1621 by Augustinian monks, this brewery is an absolute must-visit for beer lovers. The atmosphere is traditional and lively. You walk in, grab a ceramic beer mug from the wooden shelves, rinse it at the fountain, and take it to the counter where fresh beer is poured straight from wooden barrels.
Inside, you’ll find a large beer hall and an open-air garden, both full of locals and tourists alike. There’s also a food arcade where different stalls serve Austrian favourites like pretzels, sausages, roast pork, schnitzel, potato salad, chicken and sweet treats. It’s self-service, so you can mix and match as you like. After dinner and a couple of mugs of beer, we walked back to our hotel (Cocoon Salzburg) which took us around 20 mins to reach.
Day 2 – Fortress Hohensalzburg, St. Peter’s Abbey, Kapitelplatz and Mirabell Gardens
For Day 2, you can either take a quick detour and go to Hallstatt or explore more of the city. We went to Hallstatt on Day 2 and stayed there for a day and then covered the remaining places in Salzburg on Day 3.
Click here to read about Things to do in Hallstatt
Funicular and Fortress Hohensalzburg
Our first stop of the day was the fortress but before heading up to the fortress, we made a quick stop at Fabi’s Frozen Yogurt, a lovely little spot on Universitätspl. They offer a variety of flavours and fun toppings – there is always a huge queue outside their shop so you can imagine how famous it is.
Then, we made our way to Festungsbahn Funicular which takes you up to the impressive Fortress Hohensalzburg in under a minute. It’s an easy ride with great views over the rooftops of Salzburg.
Ticket prices : Adults: €13.90 (round-trip funicular + fortress admission), Children (6-14): €7.90. You can buy the tickets from here.
You can hike up instead if you’re feeling energetic, but the funicular saves time and gives you a nice scenic start to the fortress visit. Located high above the city, Fortress Hohensalzburg is one of Europe’s largest and best-preserved medieval castles. Originally built in 1077, it has centuries of history packed into its walls. Inside, we visited the medieval state rooms, the small fortress museum, and the quirky Marionette Museum. The panoramic views from the top are spectacular – you can see the Old Town, the Salzach River, and the surrounding Alps.
We stopped for lunch at the fortress restaurant, which offers terrace seating with amazing views over the city. Here you can try traditional Austrian food and dessert especially Salzburger nockerl.
St. Peter’s Abbey & The Old Mill Bakery
After coming back down, we visited St. Peter’s Abbey, one of the oldest monasteries in the area – it dates all the way back to the 7th century. Right next to it is a beautiful cemetery with old gravestones, colourful flowers, and a very calm atmosphere. You can also explore the catacombs, which are carved into the rock above the graves. You have to climb some stairs to see the catacombs but it is really interesting and is open daily except on public holidays.
Near the abbey, we found the Stiftsbäckerei St. Peter, one of the oldest bakeries in Europe. It still uses a traditional water-powered mill to grind grain, and they bake fresh bread using centuries-old methods. I would definitely recommend to try the breads from there. Unfortunately, the bakery was closed when we arrived there.
Kapitelplatz
Next, we walked through Kapitelplatz, a lively square at the foot of the fortress. Here you’ll find the famous golden sphere sculpture – a large golden ball with a statue of a man standing on top. It’s a fun photo spot, and the square often has street performers or small market stalls depending on the season.
Mirabell Gardens
To wrap up the day, we crossed the river and visited the Mirabell Gardens – a beautifully designed garden filled with fountains, flowers, and statues. It’s peaceful and perfect for a late afternoon stroll. It’s also famous for being featured in a scene from ‘The Sound of Music’ movie.
Since we had spent the previous night in Hallstatt, we returned to Salzburg and checked into the Leonardo Hotel Salzburg. It’s a modern and comfortable hotel close to the city centre, perfect for a short stay. The rooms were clean and cosy, and it was a great base for ending our Salzburg trip.
Hope you like this guide. If you have any questions – feel free to leave a comment and I’d be happy to help.