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Salzburg

Worth visiting

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Type of sights

Old town

 

Name and address

Salzburg

AT-5020 Salzburg

GEO-data

Geodetic coordinates

47.798483 13.046565

Elevation

433 m

Communication

Salzburg, Blick vom Mirabellgarten auf die Festung.
Salzburg, Blick vom Mirabellgarten auf die Festung.
Salzburg, Dom
Salzburg, Dom
Erzabtei St. Peter, Salzburg
Erzabtei St. Peter, Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg

Salzburg is a city in central Austria, near the German (Bavarian) border with a population of some 146,000 in 2013. If you have seen the movie The Sound of Music, you may think you know all there is to see in Salzburg. Admittedly, it is difficult not to burst into songs when you're walking along the Salzach River, or climbing up to the Hohensalzburg fortress which looms over the city. But there is a lot more to this compact, courtly city than Julie Andrews and as Mozart's birthplace.

Understand

Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria (after Vienna, Graz and Linz) and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Its "Old Town", with its world famous baroque architecture, is one of the best-preserved city centers in the German-speaking world and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Origins of name

The name Salzburg, literally "Salt Castle", is derived from the barges carrying salt on the Salzach river, which were subject to a toll in the 8th century.

Early history and medieval period

Traces of human settlements dating to the Neolithic Age and later a Celt camp have been found in the area. Starting from 15 BC, the small communities were grouped into a single town which was named by the Romans as Juvavum. Little remains of the city from this period.

The Festung Hohensalzburg, the city's fortress, was built in 1077 and expanded in the following centuries. Independence from Bavaria was secured in the late 14th century.

Independent state

Salzburg was the capital of an independent state from the early 14th century until 1805. It was ruled by prince-archbishops, who became rich by the salt mines located in the south of the city. This led to the architectural gem you see today, as materials and architects were imported from Italy and other European countries. This is also why, compared to other Austrian cities, sacral monuments surpass the few secular buildings in every respect. The prince-archbishops were forced to give up their political powers during the French occupation in 1805, when Napoleon Bonaparte introduced the concept of separation of Church and State in all the occupied territories.

Salzburg Card

Depending on how long you want to stay in Salzburg and how much you want to pack into one day, the Salzburg Card could be a good investment, it includes:

  • Free single admission to all the city's attractions.
  • Free use of public transport throughout the city, including fortress funicular, panorama boat & cable car Untersberg.
  • Attractive discounts for cultural events.
  • Discounts for various tours and excursions.

Salzburg Card 24 h/Adult: €26.00, 48 hours: €35.00, 72 hours: €41.00

See

  • Hohensalzburg Fortress (Festung), Mönchsberg 34,  +43 662 84243011. Located on top of a mountain, the Festung offers breath-taking views of Salzburg and the Alps. One area of the fortress offers visitors the chance to look down on a field below to find only one house, the executioner's residence. It was believed to live anywhere near the executioner was bad luck. Inside the fortress is a museum of medieval weapons, life on the fortress, and torture instruments. Public concerts are often held here in the evenings, reservations are recommended. On nights with concerts, it is possible to remain within the walls past dark. To avoid the vertical hike up to the fortress, a funicular is available to ride, for a fee. Adults: €11 (funicular) €7.80 (walking up), Children (6-14 years): €6.50 / €4.50, Family ticket: €26.20 / €18.20. 
  • Alter Markt Square. Various shops in this area are quite old and impressive. For instance have a look at the interior of the pharmacy called Fürsterzbischöfliche Apotheke. No pictures though, this is a pharmacy not a tourist attraction. 
  • Schloss Mirabell +43 662 80722334. M,W,Th 8AM-4PM; Tu,F 1PM-4PM. Located right next to the Salzach river and the Mozarteum University of Music and Arts lies a beautiful castle with gardens, built by an archbishop for his beloved courtesan. Watch out for the "Garden of Dwarfs" and the Garden of Roses. Inside, you find the marble stairs of Raffael Donner, and the world's most beautiful wedding hall, the Marble Hall. If you plan to marry there, reservations should be made at least a year in advance. Weddings in English are only held on Tuesday and Friday. If you don't speak German, you can't get married any other day! 
  • Dom zu Salzburg (Salzburg Cathedral), Residenzplatz. In Cathedral Excavations Museum you can see objects excavated from a Roman villa and foundations of the west towers of the Romanesque cathedral both of which stood in the area of today's cathedral. 
  • Getreidegasse - A long yet narrow street running parallel to the river in the centre of town, with lots of shops, famous for the old (or old-style) signs of profession outside each store.
  • St. Sebastian Cemetery- Holds not only the graves of Mozart's wife Constanze Weber-Nissen, but also the must-see Mausoleum of Archbishop Wolfdietrich.
  • St Peter's Church, Cemetery, and Catacombs- Perhaps most remarkable are the small catacombs (€1 Adults, €0.60 Children) carved into the nearby cliff side. Climb up for a couple of small chapels and a nice overlook.
  • Kapuzinerberg. This steep hill can be accessed through Linzergasse in the old part of town. Once you're in you're in deep forest. There are several paths that bring you to the top (where the Franziskischlössl fortification stands - today it's a restaurant) via either a paved road - no traffic, though - or a forest track with steps. There are several viewpoints along the way. The views of the city, and the Alps, are spectacular, the air is fresh and it makes for a superb little excursion without leaving the city.
Museums
  • Mozarts Geburtshaus (Mozart's birth house), Getreidegasse 9,  +43 662 844313. Open daily 9AM-6PM (Last admission: 5:30PM), open until 7PM Jul-Aug. The Mozart family lived in this house in the heart of Salzburg from 1747-1773, where W.A. Mozart himself was born on 27 January 1756. The house is now a popular museum devoted to Mozart and his family, with interesting memorabilia and letters. Well worth a quick visit. Adults: €10, Youths and school groups 15-18: €4, Children and school groups 6-14: €3.50, Family tickets (2 adults with children): €21. 
  • Mozarts Wohnhaus (Mozart Residence), Makartplatz 8,  +43 662 87422740. Open daily 9AM-6PM (Last admission: 5:30PM), open until 7PM Jul-Aug. Mozart’s Residence was reconstructed after being destroyed during World War II and was opened to the public in 1996. Adults: €10 (with birth house: €17), Youths and school groups 15-18: €4, Children 6-14: €3.50, family: €21. 
  • Salzburg Museum, Mozartplatz 1. Very new, trying really hard to tell you about Salzburg's history. 
  • Toy Museum (Spielzeugmuseum), Bürgerspitalgasse 2,  +43 662 62080830 0. Founded in 1978, the Toy Museum has the largest collection in Austria of European toys. The "Kasperltheater" puppet show has been held every Tuesday and Wednesday at 3PM for the since the early 1990s. Adults: €2.70, Seniors, Children, youth (16-26): €2, Students (6-15): €0.80. 
  • Museum of Natural History (Haus der Natur Salzburg), Museumsplatz 5,  +43 662 8426530. Open daily 9AM-5PM. Adults: €4.50, Seniors (60+) or with a pass: €4, Students (under 27) and Children (4+): €2.50. 
  • Salzburg Museum of Modern Art (Museum der Moderne Salzburg). Two locations: Wiener Philharmonikergasse 9, and Mönchsberg 32. The Salzburg Museum of Modern Art is on the cliff overlooking the old town. It houses contemporary art works from the 20th and 21st centuries, along with rotating international art displays. Open Tu-Su 10AM-6PM, W 10AM-8PM, closed M. 
  • Residenzgalerie (Residence Gallery Salzburg), Residenzplatz 1.  

Eat

A typical dessert from Salzburg is the Salzburg Nockerl. Don't try to eat it on your own, it's too heavy for one person!

Budget
  • Wilder Mann, Getreidegasse 20. Wilder Mann offers traditional Austrian cuisine. The restaurant provides large portions and friendly-service. Smoking is allowed in the restaurant. 
  • Augustiner Bräustübl, Lindhofstrasse 7 (near Muller Hauptstr, or Augustinergasse 4, On the Mönchsberg, bus stop Landeskrankenhaus),  +43 662 431246. Beer garden with self-brewed beer, and market-like shops to buy food. You can bring your own food (not drinks!) if you want. 
Mid-range
  • Bärenwirt, Müllner Hauptstraße 8,  +43 662 422404. Traditional food, traditionally furnished restaurant, rather cheap, fabulous beer from the close by Augustiner Bräu.
  • Zirkel Wirt, Papagenoplatz, Old Town. Delicious traditional and some not-so-traditional food, vegetarian-friendly, great beer, good atmosphere.
  • Gabler Bräu, Linzergasse 9,  +43 662 889650. Traditional food of high quality, a big selection of salads from the self-service-menu. 

Sleep

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Useful

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Rights characteristic / license

by-sa: CREATIVE COMMONS Attribution-ShareAlike

Link to the description of the license

creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Input taken over from:

Wikivoyage contributors, 'Salzburg', Wikivoyage, The FREE worldwide travel guide that anyone can edit, 20 October 2016, 18:56 UTC, <https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Salzburg&oldid=3069680> [accessed 4 November 2016]

taken over / edited on

04 Nov 2016 - 05 Nov 2016

taken over / edited by

biroto-Redaktion

Added on 04 Nov 2016,

last edited by »biroto-Redaktion« on 22 Dec 2018