Austria · City break

Salzburg City Guide

Baroque between mountains, Mozart on every corner and a fortress that has crowned the city for 900 years. From Mirabellplatz you walk through the Baroque garden, cross the Salzach into the old town and then climb up to Hohensalzburg Fortress. One ready-made day route covers that arc, no planning needed.

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Our walking tours of Salzburg

Ready-made routes from the station guide you through Salzburg, to the right spots from the very first step, with no planning needed.

Mirabell, Altstadt & Festung

From the Baroque Mirabell garden with its postcard view of the fortress, over the Makartsteg love-lock bridge into the old town, through the Getreidegasse with its guild signs, past Mozart's birthplace to Residenzplatz and into the Salzburg Museum. On to the early-Baroque cathedral, into the enchanting St. Peter's cemetery and up by funicular to Hohensalzburg Fortress.

Mirabell Gardens. The walk begins in the Baroque Mirabell garden of 1690, with symmetrical flower beds, statues and the famous central axis that frames the view across the river straight to Hohensalzburg Fortress. Film fans will recognise the "Sound of Music" setting. Early in the morning it's almost yours alone. Also make a note of the Müllner Steg, a few minutes' walk along the Salzach. From the footbridge you get the classic postcard view of the old town and fortress. And just beyond it waits the Augustiner beer garden, where you tap your own beer.
Makartsteg. The Makartsteg is the pedestrian bridge over the Salzach, covered in love locks. From the middle you get the classic Salzburg view, with the far bank, the old town and, enthroned above it, Hohensalzburg Fortress. One of the city's loveliest panoramas.
Getreidegasse. The Getreidegasse is Salzburg's most famous lane, narrow, tall and adorned with ornate wrought-iron guild signs that even fashion chains had to render artfully. A stroll through narrow passage-houses and courtyards, in the Baroque heart of the old town. At the western end of the lane, the Mönchsberg lift whisks you up in seconds to the Mönchsberg terrace by the M32. Arguably the best view over the old town and the fortress.
Mozart's Birthplace. In the middle of the Getreidegasse stands the bright-yellow house number 9, where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756. Today the museum shows his childhood violin, instruments, letters and family portraits. Arguably the city's most authentic Mozart site.
Residenzplatz. The broad Residenzplatz is the old town's grand central square, framed by the prince-archbishops' Residence and the cathedral. At its centre splashes the monumental Residenz Fountain, the largest Baroque fountain in Central Europe. A favourite meeting point and stage for concerts and markets.
Salzburg Museum (Neue Residenz). Right on Residenzplatz, the Salzburg Museum tells the city's story in the state rooms of the Neue Residenz. From the prince-archbishops via Mozart to modern times, opulently staged. A great place to really understand Salzburg; the tower also holds the famous carillon.
Salzburg Cathedral. The early-Baroque Salzburg Cathedral, with its mighty dome and marble twin-tower façade, is the city's religious heart. Mozart was baptised here in 1756, at its font. The bright, spacious interior and the richly decorated dome are worth a look.
St Peter's Abbey Church & Cemetery. At the foot of the Mönchsberg lies St. Peter's enchanting cemetery. Wrought-iron grave crosses and flowering plots against the sheer rock face, into which the ancient catacombs are carved. A quiet, magical spot and a "Sound of Music" location. The adjoining abbey church is richly Baroque.
Hohensalzburg Fortress. To finish, Hohensalzburg Fortress, one of Europe's largest surviving castles, which has crowned the city for over 900 years and was never taken. Up top wait state rooms, museums and courtyards. Above all the grand panorama over the Baroque old town and the Alpine chain. The funicular takes you up in comfort.

Planning your visit

One day is enough. The route from Mirabellplatz runs 3.5 kilometres through the baroque garden, across the Salzach into the Getreidegasse to Mozart's birthplace, on to the cathedral and up to Hohensalzburg fortress. The funicular saves you the climb. From up there the city lies between the mountains below you, and you see at once why it was built on this spot. Seven evening tips are ready, plus Hallstatt and Hellbrunn Palace for a second day.

Going out & nightlife

Rooftop bars

Steinterrasse (Hotel Stein). The legendary roof terrace over the Salzach has arguably the city's finest view, the old town and fortress directly opposite, plus a drink at sunset.

Nightlife quarters

Steingasse. The narrow, centuries-old lane on the right bank of the Salzach hides small, atmospheric bars and wine spots. Salzburg's most charming going-out corner at night.
Rudolfskai. The riverside street at the edge of the old town is young Salzburg's party strip, a dense row of bars and clubs, packed and loud at weekends until late.

Food & restaurants

St. Peter Stiftskulinarium. Central Europe's oldest restaurant, documented since 803, within the walls of St. Peter's Abbey at the foot of the fortress. Refined Austrian cuisine in historic vaults, with Mozart dinner concerts.
Augustiner Bräustübl (Mülln). A huge monastery brewpub in Mülln. You tap the beer yourself from wooden barrels, pick snacks from the food stalls, and in summer sit in a sprawling chestnut-shaded beer garden.

Bars & clubs

Rudolfskai & Giselakai (spät). As the bars fill up, the riverside at Rudolfskai turns into a club quarter. This is where Salzburg dances until morning, easy-going and all close together.

Stage & concerts

Salzburger Marionettentheater. Since 1913, exquisite marionettes have performed whole Mozart operas and "The Sound of Music". A unique, lovingly crafted experience that enchants children and adults alike.

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Practical information for Salzburg

Public transport

Operator. As the city's public operator, Salzburg AG runs the twelve trolleybus lines and the Albus bus lines of the city of Salzburg. The Salzburger Verkehrsverbund GmbH (SVV) goes further and combines the fares of Salzburg AG, the Salzburger Lokalbahn (SLB), ÖBB, the private operator Westbahn, and, across the border, Deutsche Bahn and Bayerische Regiobahn, into one shared zone system.

Network. Trolleybuses and buses, plus the funicular up to Hohensalzburg fortress.

Modes of transport. Trolleybus · Bus (Albus) · Regional railway (Salzburger Lokalbahn) · Bustaxi (dial-a-ride shared taxi as a night service)

Operating hours. Salzburg AG states twelve lines and 128 kilometres of track for the city's trolleybus network. The exact first and last departures vary by line and can be found in the individual timetable PDFs on salzburg-verkehr.at, as well as in real time in the SalzburgMobil app, which also shows combined journeys using bus, rail, bike, car and taxi.

Night service. The NachtStern runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and the night before public holidays, serving trolleybus lines 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 25 and 28 with four extra departures at 11.15 pm, 11.50 pm, 12.25 am and 1 am from the stops Rathaus, Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz (Fischmarkt/Fisch Krieg) and Theatergasse. These trips are covered by a regular local transport ticket. After that, the Bustaxi takes over, running fixed routes from Makartplatz and Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz at a flat fare of 4.50 euros per ride, regardless of which stop along the route you're headed to (timetable valid from 1 September 2024).

Buying tickets. Ticket sales by the driver ended on all trolleybus lines and most Albus lines as of 1 October 2025, with the exception of Albus lines 24 Freilassing, 35 Hallein, 36 Europark, 151 Gaisberg, 181 Walserberg and 840 Berchtesgaden. Anyone without a ticket beforehand can buy one at around 100 Trafiken and advance sales points across the city, at roughly 40 ticket machines at busy trolleybus stops, at ÖBB machines in the S-Bahn stations, at the ServiceCenter Verkehr offices, or through the SalzburgMobil, Salzburg Verkehr and ÖBB apps. By the end of 2026, 20 more machines are due to be added at bus stops. Tickets must be validated before the journey starts, there is no check-in/check-out system.

App and payment. Three apps are available for buying tickets on your phone, SalzburgMobil, the Salzburg Verkehr app, and the ÖBB app. At the roughly 40 ticket machines at busy trolleybus stops you can pay with cash in coins only, with debit cards including contactless via NFC, and with the common credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, American Express, UnionPay, JCP), also contactless. The machines don't accept banknotes.

Which ticket. At the fare level valid from 1 January 2026, a single ride costs the full price of 2.50 euros, but at Trafiken it's only sold in blocks of five. The machines don't sell single tickets at all, there the cheapest option is the hourly ticket at the full price of 2.60 euros, which allows transfers within one hour. The 24-hour ticket costs a uniform 5.20 euros whether bought at the machine or in advance, the same as two hourly tickets. Reduced 24-hour tickets cost 4.10 euros (seniors, with an ÖBB Vorteilscard Senior from age 65), 3.60 euros (youth under 19), and 2.60 euros (minimum family rate). Children up to their sixth birthday ride the trolleybus for free. For longer stays there's the myRegio weekly pass for 23 euros and the monthly pass for 71 euros (both for the Salzburg city region). As an alternative, the Salzburg Card bundles the entire local transport network with admission to more than twenty attractions for 24, 48 or 72 hours; for 2026 the 48-hour adult card costs 41 euros in winter season (1 Jan-31 Mar and 1 Nov-31 Dec) and 45 euros in summer season (1 Apr-31 Oct).

Fare zones. For tourists, only the core zone Salzburg matters, it covers the whole city including the old town, the main station and the airport. For trips into the surrounding area, such as Hallein or Freilassing, additional myRegio fare levels apply.

Tip. The fortress funicular saves a steep climb but is not covered by the transit ticket.

Getting there

Main station

Location. North of the old town, fifteen minutes on foot or three stops by bus.

Long-distance trains. At the station on Südtiroler Platz 1, alongside ÖBB, the private operator Westbahn, the Salzburger Lokalbahn (SLB), and Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Bayerische Regiobahn (BRB), which link Salzburg with Bavaria, all run services. On the western line, trains run from Vienna to Salzburg twice an hour on average, continuing hourly towards Innsbruck and Feldkirch/Bregenz. Via the new Koralm railway there are seven daily Graz-Salzburg connections, plus onward links towards Villach and Klagenfurt as well as Linz. The Nightjet runs daily on the Vienna-Bregenz overnight route with a stop in Salzburg. Official opening hours for the ticket counter and information desk are published, but exact times for the first and last long-distance train are only available through the day-of ÖBB timetable service, not as a fixed overall figure.

Opening hours. The ÖBB ticket counter is staffed daily from 5.30 am to 9.15 pm, the information desk from Monday to Saturday from 7 to 21 and on Sundays from 8 to 21. The station hall, with its 24-hour waiting room, stays open around the clock.

Airports

SZG

Into the city. Line 10 takes fifteen minutes to the city centre, line 2 takes twenty-three minutes to the main station. Both start at the Airport stop right in front of the terminal, a covered walkway leads there from the check-in counters.

Frequency. Both lines run daily, with line 2 operating at short intervals according to the airport. Exact frequencies and operating hours are listed in the line-specific timetable on salzburg-verkehr.at.

Local quirks

Not all Mozartkugeln are created equal. The original by Fürst is handmade, wrapped in silver and blue, and only available in Salzburg.
The MönchsbergAufzug, a second way up the local mountain. Besides the Festungsbahn funicular, the MönchsbergAufzug elevator runs straight from the old town up to the Mönchsberg and the Museum der Moderne. It's not covered by the public transport ticket either. A one-way trip up costs 3.40 euros, up and down together 4.80 euros (as of February 2026).
The Bustaxi, a dial-a-ride shared taxi after regular service ends. Once regular bus service ends, ordinary taxis take over fixed routes out from Makartplatz and Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz into the surrounding area, stopping at the normal bus stops along the way. The fare is a flat 4.50 euros, no matter how far you ride.

Good to know

Currency: EUR €
Emergency number: 112
Plug type: C · F
Time zone: Europe/Vienna
Driving: right

Speed limits. built-up areas 50 km/h, outside towns 100 km/h, motorway 130 km/h

Unlike in Germany, motorways have a fixed 130 km/h limit throughout, there are no unrestricted stretches. The 100 km/h rural limit is among the highest in the EU, only Germany and a few Irish roads allow the same.

Tipping. Five to ten percent, rounded up when paying.

Tolls. Motorways and expressways require a vignette, digital or as a sticker. Individual tunnels and passes carry an extra toll.

Access restrictions. Individual sections and cities have bans by emission class, signposted as IG-L routes.