The joke ‘if it’s baroque, don’t fix it’ would make a perfect motto for Salzburg; the picturesque old town nestled below steep hills looks much as it did when Mozart was born here, presenting postcard vistas from every angle. Ornate 17th-century buildings still line the narrow, cobbled streets beneath the landmark fortress, while manicured gardens surround the baroque Schloss Mirabell (Mirabell Palace).
Of course, in more recent times the surrounding hills have been alive to The Sound of Music, with movie locations in and around Salzburg, Austria’s 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 the new town plus Mozart’s Wohnhaus and Schloss Mirabell
Sights
A Unesco World Heritage Site, Salzburg’s old town is entrancing both at ground level and from the hills above.
Residenzplatz, with its horse fountain, is a good starting point. Head south to the Dom (Cathedral), with its bronze doors symbolising faith, hope and charity. From here, head west along Franziskanergasse and turn left into a courtyard for St Peterskirche. Among lovingly tended graves in this abbey’s grounds is the entrance to the Katakomben (Catacombs; adult/student €1/0.70; h10.30am-5pm summer, 10.30am-3.30pm winter). The Stift Nonnberg (Nonnberg Abbey), where The Sound of Music first finds Maria, is back east of the Festung Hohensalzburg.
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
The many archbishop-princes who ruled Salzburg lived in the fortress ((842 430-11; www.salzburgburgen.at; Mönchsberg 34; adult/concession for grounds only €3.60/3, with interiors & audio guide €7.20/6; h9am-6pm 15 Mar-14 Jun, 9am-7pm 15 Jun-14 Sep, 9am-5pm 15 Sep-14 Mar). The current incarnation dates from 1077 and houses ornate state rooms, torture chambers and museums.
It takes 15 minutes to walk up, or catch the funicular Festungsbahn ((849 750; Festungsgasse 4; adult/concession one-way, incl admission to fortress grounds €5.60/5; h9am-9pm May-Sep, 9am-5pm Oct-Apr).
Schloss Mirabell
The formal gardens, with their tulips, crocuses and Greek statues, are the main drawcard at this palace, built by the prince-archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his mistress in 1606. Standing at their western end and looking east towards the fortress gives you an iconic Salzburg view. Having featured in The Sound of Music, the gardens are now popular for weddings and open-air concerts.
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; h9am-6pm Sep-Jun, 9am-7pm Jul & Aug, last entry 30 min before closing) and his Wohnhaus (Residence; (874 227-40; Makartplatz 8; admission & has for Geburtshaus) only cover his early years before he left town in 1780, aged 24. A combined ticket for both is €9 (concession €7). The more extensive Wohnhaus houses the Mozart Sound & Film Museum (admission free).
Ask the tourist office about secondary Salzburg museums
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 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
Internet Access
Prices are €1.50 to €1.80 for 10 minutes.
Bignet ((841 470; Judengasse 5-7; h9am-11pm, 9am-midnight summer)
Cybar ((844 822; Mozartplatz 5; h9am-10pm)
Piterfun (Ferdinand-Porsche-Strasse 7; h10am
-10pm)
Laundry
Bubble Point Waschsalon ((471 14 84; Karl Wurmb Strasse 2; h7am-11pm)
Money
There are ATMs around the train station and at the airport.
Train station currency exchange counter
(h8.30am -7pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-2.30pm Sat)
Post
Main post office (Hauptpostamt 5010; Residenzplatz 9; h7am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8-10am Sat)
Tourist information
Commission for hotel reservations is €2.20, or €4 for three or more people.
Main tourist office ((889 87-330 for information, (889 87-314 for hotels; www.salzburg.info; Mozartplatz 5; h9am-6pm May & Jun, Sep & Oct; 9am-7pm Dec, Jul & Aug; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat Nov & Jan-Apr)
Tourist information counter (Platform 2A, main train station; h9.15am-8pm) Opening hours occasionally vary.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
The famous Salzburg Festival (www.salzburgfestival.at) of classical music is held from late July to late August. Book online well in advance if you want cheap tickets. In 2006 Salzburg is having a huge bash for the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth
Eating
Bio Bistro Spicy Spices ((870 712; Wolf-Dietrich-Strasse 1; mains €5.50) Go through a time warp back to the 1970s, where this compact restaurant serves ‘holistic’ Indian meals and salads, advertises self-help courses and sells herbal tea.
Picnic (Judengasse 15; mains €4.90-9.50; hclosed 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 (in the passageway off Getreidegasse 20; mains €5.20-12; hMon-Fri) Traditional Austrian food is served in a friendly, bustling environment here. 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 €5.50-9.90; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct) The meals here are standard Germanic fare – wurst, Wiener schnitzel and Züricher Geschnetzeltes (veal in cream sauce) – but the look of the food is completely overshadowed by fantastic hill-top views.
Some of the cheapest eats are available at the university Mensa Toskana (Sigmund Haffner Gasse 11; €3.50-4.20; h8.30am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8.30m-3pm Fri).
There are market stalls and fast-food stands on Universitätsplatz and Kapitelplatz. A Eurospar supermarket (hMon-Sat) is opposite the train station.
Drinking
Augustiner Bräustübl ((431 246; Augustinergasse 4-6; h3-11pm Mon-Fri, 2.30-11pm Sat & Sun) It’s Oktoberfest year-round at this huge hillside 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; h10am-10pm Apr-Oct) Below the fortress, this beer hall’s best feature is its terrace overlooking the town. 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.
Bar Flip ((843 643; Gstättengasse 17) This dark, low-ceilinged bar is the popular student option among the small cluster of hip bars around Anton Neumayr Platz. Serving cocktails and cheap beer, it stays open until 4am on weekends (2am other nights).
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