Salzburg, Austria is one of the most beautiful and underrated cities I’ve visited in my years of travelling. In the USA, this city is most known as the filming location for the Sound of Music, but interestingly enough, most Austrians are not actually familiar with the movie.
Fun fact: the word “Salzburg” translates to “salt castle”, which can be attributed to the salt mining and trading in the area!
While the Hallein Salt Mine is one major site to see, there are lots of other activities in the area to explore too within walking distance inside the city. My best advice is to invest in the Salzburg Card, as it will give you free access to most of the popular attractions.
Day 1
1. The Sound of Music Tour – 9:15am
Start off the day with a 9:15am Sound of Music Tour, which picks you up from Salzburg. The tour lasts 4 hours and hits several notable spots from the film: the “Do Re Mi” Steps, the buildings where parts of the Von Trapp family home were filmed, the “16 going on 17” gazebo, and the final stop: the gorgeous Mondsee (Moon Lake) Wedding Chapel where Maria and the Baron were married.
In Mondsee, you also get some time to explore the town and relax at a café for a while. Try some of the local pastries and apple strudel! My favorite souvenir was a Christmas ornament in the style of an Austrian puppet. When you pull the strings, the arms and legs move!
The tour ends near the Mirabell Gardens, so you have plenty of time to revisit the Do Re Mi steps and other notable spots in the area. There’s a beautiful arched walkway that I highly recommend checking out. Great for pictures!
2. Mozart’s Birthplace – 1:30/2:00pm
Your next stop after lunch is Mozart’s Birthplace. This museum houses artifacts from Mozart’s life and was very educational. It’s a self-guided tour, so you can go as quickly or as slowly as you like through the house, but normally takes around an hour. Regular entry is €13.50 a person, but they have special prices based on age (“jugend” or “young people” discounts are something I found frequently throughout Austria – more on that in my future posts!). If you are a Salzburg cardholder, entry is entirely FREE!
3. *Grünmarkt – 2:30pm
On your way towards the Fortress, you should definitely stop for a snack or dessert at the Grünmarkt! They have gigantic pretzels, delicious bratwurst, and all other kinds of treats to try.
4. Liebesgrotte (Love Grotto) – 3:00pm
After you finish at the market, make your way over to the Liebesgrotte. Liebesgrotte is a small cave known as the “love grotto”. It’s a fun little stop and photo op on your way to the FestungsBahn funicular that will take you up to Hohensalzburg Fortress. There’s a cute sign in front of the grotto that states: “One kiss in the love grotto and your love will be everlasting”. If you’re with a significant other, then this is especially a must! But make sure to bring a 1€ coin with you to seal your fate.
5. *FestungsBahn (Funicular to Hohensalzburg Fortress) – 3:15pm
Next, walk to the FestungsBahn to catch a scenic ride up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress. This funicular is also FREE when you have the Salzburg Card, or just a fee of €5.50 for adults and €2.10 for children for one trip up and down the funicular without a Salzburg Card.
6. *Hohensalzburg Fortress – 3:30pm
Once you step off the FestungsBahn into the Fortress, you’ll have the rest of the day to explore all the museums the Fortress has to offer. I highly recommend checking out the armory. I personally find ancient armor very interesting and loved that portion of the day. There’s even a restaurant where you can dine with the view of Salzburg and, if you time it right – catch the sunset like I did!
DAY 2
Trail to Berggasthof Johannishögl and the Church of St. Johannes the Baptizer – all day
Every single hike I did in Austria ended at a restaurant where I got some amazing kind of snack and drink with a great view. Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) or emperor’s dumplings are two of my favorites! One of my all-time favorite activities was walking to the Berggasthof Johannishögl and Die Kirche St. Johannes der Taüfer (the Church of St. Johannes the Baptizer) from my Airbnb in Salzburg. Neubichler Alm is another inn and restaurant nearby that’s got a great view of the alps while you dine.
NOTE: Make sure you check the times for sun up and sun down so you won’t be walking home in the dark!
This hot apple strudel was one of my all-time favorites! And I tried A LOT while I was living there…
So how did we walk there? My friends and I followed a hike starting in Salzburg all the way to Piding, Germany and the Berggasthof Johannishögl. To get there, we crossed over the magical Hammerauer Brücke (Hammerauer Bridge) into Germany and walked from there up to the Berggasthof Johannishögl and Die Kirche St. Johannes der Taüfer.
The Hammerauer Brücke itself is a super unique photo op. Halfway through, you’ll have one foot in Austria and one foot in Germany!
It was definitely an all-day event, so I don’t recommend planning anything else for the day you choose to do it. It was an unforgettable experience and I absolutely recommend it on your next Salzburg visit!
*Make sure for each place you plan to visit, you check the opening times, as they vary throughout the year.
Have you done any of these activities before? Got any new ones to add? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
