The 9 essential things to do in Salzburg

Visit Salzburg: what best things to do and see in this famous Austrian city for seeing Mozart born?

For those who have the romantic soul, there is an all-found destination, namely the fabulous history-filled city of Salzburg, Austria. Evidently, when one evokes this ancestral city, one thinks of the composer of genius Wolfgang Mozart who resided there all his life. But can we limit this place to a person? Of course not. So here are the essential things to do in Salzburg!

For culture addicts, for those who love the charm of old, the small middle-aged corners, for architecture lovers, visiting Salzburg is falling on small pepits. To organize in your stay in Salzburg, we have listed the monuments not to be missed, the walks to do and the places to see!

1. The Fortresse of Hohensalzburg

It is the symbol par excellence of the city: its building began in the 11th century and ended in the 16th century. Today it is one of the best preserved fortified castles in all of Europe. Easily identifiable from the heart of Salzburg, it dominates the city at more than 100 m altitude and the view is simply magnificent. Multiple rooms can be visited like the golden lounge, the marble pillars room, the torture room, the dungeon, the terrible forgotten...

The cathedral is a monument not to be missed in Salzburg, it is the spiritual center of the whole city. With its marble façade, its imposing dome and the various precious objects found therein, one can imagine the prefecture of such a building throughout the successive reigns of the archbishop princes. The cathedral is surrounded by three squares which are well known to the inhabitants: the square of the cathedral, called Domplatz, to the south the square of the Chapter with the Neptune fountain and its magnificent waterfalls then to the north, the place of the Residence where you find the largest baroque fountain in all Europe (not counting Italy of course).

2. Residenzplatz

Speaking of the Residence, here is another monument of the city that is known for its tides over the past centuries. From the 12th century to the beginning of the 19th century, it was here that the archbishop princes ruled. It should be noted that the young Mozart, who was only 5 or 6 years old, gave his first recitals, especially in front of Prince Colloredo and that the whole world was able to discover the precocity and genius of this child. You can also visit the different display rooms on the second floor as well as the gallery on the third floor. Finally, the inner courtyard leads you directly to the famous Hercule fountain.

3. Getreidegasse, old town of Salzburg

Salzburg has many small streets, especially in the old town. It is in this landscape between rivers and mountains that the Getreidegasse, also known as the “gray street” has developed its reputation. In the past, it was the shopping street of the city but nowadays it has not lost its superb and many tourists come to make purchases. With its wrought iron sign that recalls the Middle Ages, its 4 or 5-storey old houses that house courses and passages, this street will charm you and carry you in another time.

4. L’Abbaye Saint-Pierre

On the west side of the Kapitelplatz in Salzburg, we find the Abbey St-Pierre. Founded by Saint Rupert in 690 AD, it is surely the oldest Benedictine monastery in all of Austria, and served as the archbishop’s residence until 1110. While the current buildings date mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries, they remain an impressive testimony of the old architectural skills, as can be seen with the tower of the building, one of the first of its kind in Europe.

Near the abbey is the abbey church of St. Peter, which was built in 1130 and which still remains the only Romanesque church in the city. Note that Mozart played on the great organs of this church. In the courtyard of the monastery you will find the Saint-Pierre fountain that dates from the beginning of the 17th century. Finally, it is possible to discover the Petersfriedhof, a cemetery where many Austrian personalities were buried, including Salzburg, but also to visit the catacombs that lead to a pit where Mozart's sister Maria Anna was buried, nicknamed Nannerl.

5. The birthplace of Mozart

Mozart's home can also visit. It is located on the no less famous Getreidegasse, number 9. Wolfgang Amadeus, born on 27 January 1756 (he died on 5 December 1791 to Vienna ) lived in this house until his 17th birthday. Be imbued with the atmosphere of this life where the Mozart couple gave birth to 7 children, of whom only Nannerl and Wolfgang survived. You will be able to imagine the life of Mozart with furniture, instruments, truthful letters, paintings and the kitchen of the house. On the second floor is an exhibition entitled Mozart in the Theatre with a number of illuminated miniature stages illustrating its many achievements.

6. The Puppet Theatre

For those who have a soul of a child or who love to marvel at simple pleasures, puppet theatre is a world-renowned theatre. Frequently, pieces of opera like The Magic Flute Mozart's sieur are offered. Puppets are very expressive, very large and as much decorations, the effects that techniques are breathtaking. And what to say of this song, of those voices that invade the audience and give you the shiver in your back! With a Baroque style room that can accommodate up to 350 people, it is a pleasant time that you will spend 2 or 3 hours. Created in 1913, it is one of the oldest puppet theatres in Europe.

7. The Mirabell Castle and its gardens

In Salzburg, on the charming Mirabellplatz, the castle of Mirabell (Schloss Mirabell) was renovated in the baroque style between 1721 and 1727 before being restored in the neoclassical style of the period after a fire in 1818. During a visit, you will admire the spectacular large staircase, built in the 18th century, with a number of statues by Georg Raphael Donner and his students. The Marble Hall (always used for concerts) and the Baroque Museum of the Schloss Mirabell, located in the Gärtnergebäude, exhibit the European art of the 17th and 18th centuries.

In the south of the Mirabell castle, the Mirabellgarten, an excellent example of baroque landscape built in 1690 with many terraces, marble statues and fountains. The old 18th century volier is now used for exhibitions, and at the southwest corner of the gardens is a small open-air theatre. Another important villa of this period is the Château de Hellbrunn (Schloss Hellbrunn), this famous secondary residence of Archbishop Sitticus built in 1619 and popular for its exquisite gardens.

8. Hangar-7

The Hangar-7, owned by the founder of Red Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz, is not a hangar in the strict sense, but rather a multifunctional building with a collection of 25 planes, helicopters and Formula 1 racing cars. This inshell-shaped elliptical glass and incurved steel roof also houses the Flying Bulls, an aviation team also owned by Mateschitz. Hangar-7 houses two bars, including one of the best restaurants in the country, the Ikarus, starred at the Michelin guide. Each month, a new great chef arrives by plane from a different country to offer a high-voltary number to the enthusiastic public tasters.

9. Neugebäude and the Salzburg Museum

On the Residenzplatz, there is the Neugebäude (new building), erected in 1602 as a guest house of the archbishop and enlarged in 1670. In addition to the provincial government offices and the Salzburg Museum, the building is famous for its carillon (Glockenspiel). Built in 1702, it contains 35 bells that play air from Mozart's vast repertoire three times a day (7am, 11am and 6pm). Guided tours of the carillon are available. One of the highlights of the experience is to hear the famous “Tureau de Salzburg”, the organ in the nearby palace of Hohensalzburg, answer the carillon with a choir. Also, don’t forget to visit the church of Saint-Michel (Michaelskirche), located north of the Residenzplatz, at the corner of the Mozartplatz with its monument to Mozart in 1842.

How to get to Salzburg?

It is possible from Paris to take a direct flight to Salzburg with the Eurowing company from 50€ per round trip. The easyJet company also serves the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart airport in Salzburg but not from France, so it will be necessary to stop in London, Berlin or Amsterdam for example. To find cheap flights to Salzburg, you can visit our partner's website Skyscanner .

Where to stay in Salzburg?

From the historic centre to the residential area, Salzburg offers wide choice of accommodation Whatever the budget. To find a cheap hotel in Salzburg, search this Compare hotels .

Main photo credit: Flickr – Brandon Burns