If you’re going to Austria anytime soon, then Salzburg and the picturesque lakes nearby should definitely be on your “to-see” list. The birthplace of Mozart, this city is the perfect mixture of nature, history and beautiful architecture. With gorgeous baroque buildings, museums and parks Salzburg is worth a visit whether you’re traveling with kids, family, friends or solo. There are also many things you can do for free and/or cheap, in fact, you don’t need a ton of money for most of the things I’ll mention in the list. So, here are 10 must-see and do things in Salzburg and the area!
Tip: Get The Salzburg Card
Before we get to the best things to see and do in Salzburg, if you wish to visit multiple attractions within the city and use public transportation, getting the Salzburg Card available for 24, 48 or 72 hours might be worth it for you!
Now that you’re all set, let’s get to what’s there to see and do in Salzburg!
1. Take a Walk Through The Salzburg Historic Center
Walking is the best way to experience any city and the Baroque historic center of Salzburg, which also happens to be the city center, is no exception.
Explore the many monuments, churches, shops, restaurants and coffee spots in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Some of the more popular attractions you will find here include Mozart Square, Salzburg Cathedral, Mozart’s birthplace, the Salzburg Museum and Residenzplatz.
2. Walk Along The River
We extended our walk outside the city center and went to the other side of the river Salzach which divides Salzburg in two parts. Walking over one of the many bridges connecting the two parts of Salzburg, you’ll see a beautiful view over the historic center.
As you can see, it is especially beautiful at night and I highly recommend also a walk along the river.
3. Visit The Hohensalzburg Fortress
Now if you want to have an even better 360 view over the historic center of Salzburg, go visit one of the biggest castles in Europe. The Hohensalzburg Fortress is located on a hilltop and you basically cannot miss it. It is visible from almost anywhere in the city including from the Salzach river and the Mirabell Gardens. Speaking of…
4. Mirabell Palace and Garden
One of the most popular and beautiful things to see in Salzburg is the Mirabell palace and its gardens. We were a bit late for the palace but loved walking through the beautiful gardens at almost sunset.
As mentioned you get a good look at the Hohensalzburg Fortress on the one side and walking in the opposite direction you see the Mirabell palace in all its glory. Getting there is around a 10-minute walk from the city center.
5. Hellbrunn Castle & Garden
A bit outside of the city you will find the Hellbrunn castle with its fabulous gardens and trick fountains. You can take a walk and enjoy the greenery or even have a picnic when the weather is nice. And if you’re with kids – there’s a huge playground for them to enjoy for free too.
6. Salzburg Lakes
This is probably on top of my list of the best things to see and do in and close to Salzburg. In case you didn’t know – about 30 minutes drive from Salzburg you will find the most beautiful area of mountains and lakes called Salzkammergut.
We’re talking crystal clear water, surrounded by stunning mountains, yes, it’s as if you’re in a fairy tale. Or a travel magazine.
In two days, we visited 5 different lakes – Fuschlsee (closest), Wolfgangsee, Mondsee, Attersee and Traunsee (furthest from Salzburg).
Maybe it was a bit too much, but I think about those lakes quite often and I highly recommend visiting at least one. Especially in summer, when you can also go to the beach.
You can enjoy a walk, coffee or lunch on the lake and explore the towns.
In my opinion, the best way to get to the Salzburt lakes is driving, this way you can stop on the way and enjoy the scenery (I recommend not taking the highway, but smaller roads). But you can also get there by taking the bus (150) or booking a tour.
7. Have Coffee or Lunch With A View
While you’re spending the day at the Salzburg lakes, make sure to stop for coffee or lunch somewhere in the mountains. Don’t hesitate to take the trip there, it’s SO worth it.
We did this on two days of our trip and visited two different places.
One was Waldhof-Alm overlooking a golf course near Fuschlsee (great food and loved the green fields)
and the other one at Panoramagasthof Druckerhof with a view of Attersee (here the views and the animals won us over).
There are probably more than these two hotels/restaurants, but I can recommend paying a visit to both if you’re in the area and the weather is nice.
8. Visit A Museum
If the weather isn’t perfect and you’re into museums and exhibitions you can visit some while you’re in town. Actually, visiting a museum might be one of the best things to do in Salzburg, because there is so much to see!
Here are some of the more popular museums and exhibitions that you might want to see:
- Museum of Natural History
- Mozart’s Birthplace
- DomQuartier Salzburg
- Stiegl-Brauwelt (if you’re into beer – exhibition and tasting)
- The Toy Museum
- Hangar-7 (a museum/event venue with restaurant and an exhibition of flying bulls planes and Formula 1 race cars)
- Museum of Modern Art
9. Visit The Zoo
Last on the list of things to do in Salzburg is visiting their zoo. This again, will be a great idea to keep your kids happy while travelling! The Salzburg Zoo is pretty close to the Hellbrunn Castle, so if the weather is nice – you can definitely spend the day there.
10. Enjoy Austrian Food And Coffee
And last but not least – indulge in some Austrian food! I know I mentioned lunch already, but I love food, what can I say? My personal favorites here include Käsknöpfle (that’s a type of Mac and cheese in Germany and Austria) and the Kaiserschmarrn (super tasty Austrian pancakes). Beware, both are super heavy, but delicious!
Other dishes that I could recommend are the Vienna Schnitzel and Apple Strudel.
As for places to eat, we visited the two places I mentioned, an Italian place I don’t remember the name of (also wasn’t anything impressive) and we had Schnitzel at Bärenwirt in Salzburg.
How To Get To Salzburg And Around
Salzburg has an airport, but if you’re not flying directly there you can get to the city easily from Munich or Vienna airport. You can drive, take Flixbus or the train.
As for how to get around the city and to the Salzburg lakes – public transport is a great option (don’t forget to get the Salzburg Card if you’re also visiting museums and other attractions). If you want to visit the lakes, you will need to take bus 150 to whichever lake town you want to visit (like Fuschl on Fuschlsee or St. Gilgen on Wolfgangsee).
Renting a car can also be a great option if you’re more people and if you’re with children.
Where To Stay
For our trip, we stayed in Motel One, which was fairly affordable, pretty basic, but very clean and comfortable. The only downside was that it was a bit outside the city center, but we were closer to the Hellbrunn castle.
