Salzburg, Austria — Where to Go
Salzburg Sightseeing Overview
Salzburg has a long history going back to Roman times, but it was in the 16th century, thanks in great part to the strong will and grand vision of one of the city's famous Prince Archbishop rulers, Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, that it became the Salzburg we know today, with cobbled streets, narrow alleyways, elegant, secluded squares and fabulous architecture.
For a relatively small city, Salzburg has an astonishing number of interesting buildings, monuments, sights and attractions. The most prominent architectural style in the Old Town is the baroque, although there are many medieval, rococo and more modern buildings too.
Among the essential places to visit are the magnificent cathedral, the castle high above the city, the Festival Halls, Mozart's Birthplace in the lovely Getreidegasse Lane, St Peter's Abbey and Monastery and the old residence of the Salzburg prince archbishops.
Salzburg Tourist Information
Tourismus Salzburg GmbH
Auerspergstrasse 6
Tel: (0662) 889 870.
Website: www.salzburg.info
Salzburg's main tourist office is supplemented by additional tourist offices at street level dealing directly with any queries from tourists. There is one at Mozartplatz 5 (tel: (0662) 8898 7330) and another on platform 2A at the central railway station (tel: (0662) 8898 7340), both of which are open all year round.
Salzburg Sightseeing
The Salzburg Card (valid either for 24, 48 or 72 hours) includes free admission to all the city's attractions and free use of public transport (including the fortress funicular, the panorama boat on the river and the Untersberg cablecar) as well as discounts for cultural events and for various tours and excursions. You can pick one up at all customer service centers, in hotels and at tourist information booths.
Salzburg Sightseeing
The Salzburg Card (valid either for 24, 48 or 72 hours) includes free admission to all the city's attractions and free use of public transport (including the fortress funicular, the panorama boat on the river and the Untersberg cablecar) as well as discounts for cultural events and for various tours and excursions. You can pick one up at all customer service centers, in hotels and at tourist information booths.
Key Attractions in Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg's Cathedral
This is Salzburg's ecclesiastical center and one of the most significant pieces of early baroque architecture in the whole of Europe. Among the precious objects it contains is the font in which Mozart was baptized.
Domplatz 1A
Tel: (0662) 8047 1870.
Website: www.kirchen.net/dommuseum
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sat-Sun 1100-1800.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Overlooking and guarding the city from high above, Salzburg's castle is the largest fully preserved fortress in Central Europe and Salzburg's chief landmark with a history going back to 1077. It can be accessed by using the funicular railway (festungsbahn) up the hillside from Festungsgasse 4.
Mönchsberg 34
Tel: (0662) 8424 3011.
Website: www.salzburg-burgen.at
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1900 (May-Sep); daily 0930-1700 (Oct-Apr).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Getreidegasse
The Getreidegasse is the most famous shopping street in Salzburg, and it is famous not only for the excellent range of shops on offer, but also for the layout of the street and the peculiar and elegant interconnected houses, passageways and courtyards along the way.
Mozarts Geburtshaus (Mozart's Birthplace)
Mozart's family lived on the third floor of the Hagenauer House from 1747 to 1773, and it was here that the musical genius was born in 1756. Today the house is a museum with exhibits such as Mozart's childhood violin and several of his other instruments. There is also a museum at the Mozart family's residence (tel: (0662) 8742 2740) from 1773 to 1780 at Makartplatz 8.
Getreidegasse 9
Tel: (0662) 844 313.
Website: www.mozarteum.at
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1730 (Sep-Jun); daily 0900-2200 (July-Aug).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Salzburg Residenz
The former official apartments of the Salzburg prince archbishops is an extensive and impressive complex of buildings, which contains the Residenz Gallery (www.residenzgalerie.at), an excellent art gallery with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens and Brueghel, to name but a few.
Residenzplatz
Tel: (0662) 8042 2690.
Website: www.salzburg-burgen.at
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (Residenz Gallery closed Mon).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Further Distractions
Salzburg's Festival Halls
Guided tours are given (once daily in winter, twice in June and September and three times in July and August) of Salzburg's splendid and world-famous Festival Halls, where all main ballet, opera and musical concerts during the Salzburg Festival are performed.
Hofstallgasse 1
Tel: (0662) 849 097.
Website: www.salzburgerfestspiele.at
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
St Peter's Abbey and Monastery
St Peter's Abbey and Monastery is the oldest continuously active monastery in the German-speaking world, founded by the Frankish missionary Rubert after he arrived in Salzburg around 700. There are catacombs, probably of early Christian origin, in the area.
Postfach 113
Tel: (0662) 844 576.
Website: www.stift-stpeter.at
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1200 and 1430-1830 (no visits during mass).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
