The joke ‘if it’s baroque, don’t fix it’ would make a perfect maxim for Salzburg; the tranquil old town burrowed in below steep hills looks much the same as it did when Mozart lived here 250 years ago. Second only to Vienna in numbers of visitors, ornate 17th-century buildings still shadow the narrow, cobbled streets, while gorgeous manicured grounds surround the baroque Schloss Mirabell.
By night, the medieval Hohensalzburg fortress hovers in an arc of lights above the city. By day, the warren of courtyards, plazas, fountains and churches below is fully revealed. Visitors still tour movie locations used for The Sound of Music in and around Salzburg, Austria’s charming capital of kitsch.
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Orientation
The pedestrianised old town, with most attractions, is south of the River Salzach. On the north bank is Mozart’s Wohnhaus and Schloss Mirabell, as well as the new city centre.
Sights
A Unesco World Heritage site, Salzburg’s Old Town centre is equally entrancing whether viewed from ground level or from the hills above.
Residenzplatz, with its horse fountain in the centre, is a good starting point for exploration. Head south to the Dom (Cathedral), with its bronze doors symbolising faith, hope and charity.
From the cathedral, head west along Franziskanergasse and turn left into a courtyard for St Peterskirche. Among the lovingly tended graves in this abbey’s grounds is the entrance to the Katakomben (Catacombs; adult/student €1/0.70; 10.30am-5pm summer, 10.30am-3.30pm winter). The Stift Nonnberg (Nonnberg Abbey) is back east of the Festung Hohensalzburg and where The Sound of Music first finds Maria.
You can also walk along the crest of the hill behind the old town. Climb the steps from Toscanini Hof, behind the Festival Halls, or take the Mönchsberg lift (one-way/return €1.30/2.60) from Anton Neumayr Platz.
On the north side of the river, follow the stairs from Linzer Gasse 14 to the lookout at the Kapuzinerkloster (Capuchin Monastery).
Festung Hohensalzburg
Towering above Salzburg, this castle fortress (842 430-11; www.salzburg-burgen.at; Mönchsberg 34; grounds only €4, with interiors & audio guide €7.50; 9am-6pm 15 Mar-14 Jun, 9am-7pm 15 Jun-14 Sep, 9am-5pm 15 Sep-14 Mar), built in 1077, was home to many archbishop-princes (who ruled Salzburg from 798). Inside are the impressively ornate staterooms, torture chambers and two museums.
It takes 15 minutes to walk up the hill to the fortress, or you can catch the funicular Festungsbahn (849 750; Festungsgasse 4; adult/concession one-way, incl admission to fortress grounds €5.60/5; 9am-9pm May-Sep, 9am-5pm Oct-Apr).
Schloss Mirabell
The formal gardens of Schloss Mirabell (dawn-dusk), with their tulips, crocuses and Greek statues, are the main attraction at this palace built by the archbishop-prince Wolf Dietrich for his mistress in 1606. The view from the western end (looking east towards the fortress) is one of Salzburg’s most attractive.
The gardens were featured in The Sound of Music, and are now popular with wedding parties. Concerts are often held in the palace, and there are sometimes open-air performances in the garden. Parts of the garden are off limits in winter.
Museums
Although Mozart is a major Salzburg attraction, the man himself couldn’t wait to leave. Consequently, Mozart’s Geburtshaus (birthplace; 844 313; Getreidegasse 9; adult/concession €5.50/4.50; 9am-6pm Sep-Jun, 9am-7pm Jul & Aug, last entry 30min before closing) and his Wohnhaus (residence; 874 227-40; Makartplatz 8; adult/concession €5.50/4.50; 9am-6pm Sep-Jun, 9am-7pm Jul & Aug, last entry 30min before closing) only cover his early years as a prodigy and young adult, until he left town in 1780 at 24 years of age. A combined ticket for both museums is €9 (concession €7). The more extensive Wohnhaus houses the Mozart Sound & Film Museum (admission free).
The Museum der Moderne Rupertinum (8042 2541; www.museumdermoderne.at; Mönchsberg; prices vary; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun, to 9pm Wed) adds a contemporary touch to historic Salzburg. Ask the tourist office about other museums in the city.
Mausoleum of Wolf Dietrich
In the graveyard (Linzer Gasse; 9am-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-4pm Nov-Mar) of the 16th-century St Sebastian’s Church sits Wolf Dietrich’s not-so-humble memorial to himself. Both Mozart’s father and his widow are buried in the graveyard.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Austria’s most renowned classical music festival, the Salzburg Festival (www.salzburgfestival.at), attracts international stars from late July to the end of August. Book on its website before January, or ask the Festspielhäuser ticket office (80 45; Herbert von Karajan Platz 11; 9.30am-6.30pm during the festival, 9.30am-3pm during the few weeks before) about cancellations during the festival.
Getting around
Bus drivers sell singles for €1.70. Other tickets, including day passes (€3.20), must be bought from the automatic machines at major stops or Tabak (tobacco) shops.
Top Bike (0676-476 7259; www.topbike.at) rents bikes at the Intertreff Café, outside the train station, and on the main city bridge.
Information
Bignet (Judengasse 5-7; per hr €4; 9am-11pm, 9am-midnight summer) Internet access.
Main post office (Hauptpostamt 5010; Residenzplatz 9; 7am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8-10am Sat)
Main tourist office (information 889 87-330, hotels 889 87-314; www.salzburg.info; Mozartplatz 5; 9am-6pm May, Jun, Sep & Oct, 9am-7pm Dec, Jul & Aug, 9am-6pm Mon-Sat Nov & Jan-Apr)
Eating
There are market stalls and fast-food stands on Universitätsplatz and Kapitelplatz. A Eurospar supermarket (Mon-Sat) is opposite the train station.
Bio Bistro (870 712; Wolf-Dietrich-Strasse 1; mains €5.50) Vegetarian and vegan food is prepared fresh daily along with Eastern ‘holistic’ specialities and salads.
Picnic (Judengasse 15; mains €5-11; open daily May-Sep, closed Tue Oct-Apr) This charming grotto of vintage advertising signs and plastic flowers is great for sandwiches and pizzas and keeps longer hours than most. Give the gratins a miss however.
Wilder Mann (841 787; Getreidegasse 20; mains €5.20-12; Mon-Fri) Traditional Austrian food in a friendly, bustling environment, in the passageway off Getreidegasse. Tables, both inside and out, are often so packed it’s almost impossible not to get chatting with fellow diners.
Stadtalm (841 729; Mönchsberg 19C; mains €6-10; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct) The meals are standard Germanic fare – wurst, Wiener schnitzel and Züricher Geschnetzeltes (veal in cream sauce). You won’t care, though, with such fantastic views.
Toskana (Sigmund Haffner Gasse 11; snacks €3.50-4.20; 8.30am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8.30m-3pm Fri) Some of the town’s cheapest eats are available at the university Mensa.
Drinking
On weekend evenings, the crowds stream along Rudolfskai, Salzburg’s most famous stretch of bars, clubs, Irish pubs and discos. However, most punters are barely out of, or still in, their teens.
Augustiner Bräustübl (431 246; Augustinergasse 4-6; 3-11pm Mon-Fri, 2.30-11pm Sat & Sun) It’s Oktoberfest year-round at this huge hill-side warren of beer halls. Well, perhaps it’s not always quite so boisterous, but the local monks’ brew – served in generously sized ceramic mugs – certainly keeps the huge crowd humming.
Stieglkeller (Festungsgasse 10; 10am-10pm Apr-Oct) Below the fortress, this beer hall’s best feature is its terrace overlooking the town.
Bar Flip (843 643; Gstättengasse 17) This is a dark, low-ceiling student bar serving cheap beer and cocktails.
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