Salzburg
Salzburg is the most beautiful city in Austria; modern yet oozing a perfect blend of history & entertainment, together with a requisite backdrop of snow-covered mountains. Salzburg is the home of Mozart & dominated by a splendid 900yr old fortress and the intricate spires of a multitude of historic buildings rising above its superbly preserved 'old town'.
Any visit to Austria should include a few nights in this wonderful city. Whether it is history, the arts, culture, walking, nature, shopping, or eating & drinking that interests you, Salzburg caters to all. And of course, no visit to Salzburg is complete without a visit to Austria’s best beer hall, the Augustiner Braustuebl.
Pros & Cons for Salzburg
Pros
- Vibrant city, even in winter - perfect for long walks exploring its many hills, nooks & crannies.
- Incredible cityscape, historic buildings, bridges, castles, natural features, views & culture.
- Fabulous place to unwind, wander, stroll, discover & relax.
- Amazing accommodation in the ‘old city’ with excellent availability in winter (except Saturday nights).
- Magnificent range of beer halls, cafes, bars, restaurants & shops, including Austria’s best beer hall.
- Easy public transport access by train from & to anywhere in Europe.
- Numerous world-class Austrian Alps ski resorts within 2 hours or less by train.
Cons
- The train station is a long walk from the city centre (but that is really picky as there are trams, buses & taxis that will get you where you want to go!).
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- You will fall in love with this city.
- Some parts of the old city can feel a little touristy - just keep walking, you are a tourist after all!
Skiing & Snowboarding near Salzburg
Salzburg is perfectly located to access numerous excellent Austrian ski resorts, making it possible to do an awesome multi-resort ski safari by train (or car if you must!). The resorts are all world class & include the one of the Powderhounds 'best overall' rated ski areas. In a clockwise direction, the Upper Austria & Styrian resorts include Krippenstein, Tauplitz & Schladming 4-Berge. From Schladming, the Salzburgerland mega resorts of Obertauern, Snow Space Salzburg (Wagrain et al), Gastein, Zell am See (& Kaprun), Skicircus Saalbach (at Fieberbrunn or Leogang) & Kitzbuehel are all in quick succession. Kitzbuehel is furthest from Salzburg, less than 2½hr by standard local trains. Awesome! A host of smaller, traditional & quirky ski resorts are ready to be explored amongst our afore mentioned favourites. Powder chasers will also want to check out Zauchensee, located between Obertauern & Snow Space Salzburg.
Things to Do in Salzburg
Sensational Salzburg provides the perfect location to experience a unique European city during an Austrian Alps ski holiday. The amazing cityscape dominated by the 900yr old Festung Hohensalzburg (Hohensalzburg Fortress) & a backdrop of snowy peaks is a sure-fire way to get the juices flowing. The centre of the city is compact enough to see on foot, avoiding any need for use of public transport.
A tour of the fortress is essential for anyone that has never experienced the grandeur of a European castle. The fortress is perched on one of several hills surrounding the old town. The hills provide not only a touch of nature close to the city, but also some fine viewpoints, winter walking & history. An early morning stroll through the city’s laneways & ancient fortifications up the Kapuzinerberg to the sound of tolling church bells as the first of the sun’s rays fall on the city’s fortress & many spires is worth the effort. Similarly, on the opposite side of the Salzach River, an afternoon spent wandering the Mönschberg, then watching the city lights come on from the banks of the river is wonderful.
Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart & home of the Sound of Music. Sound of Music Tours may seem a touch kitsch but can be great fun & super informative. Mozart’s birthplace & residence are just a small part of a wide range of museums, galleries, palaces, cathedrals, bridges & gardens in a city full of delightful surprises. From late November to Dec 26, the Christmas Markets are open into the evening at 3 Salzburg locations, providing the sights, tastes & smells of a traditional European Christmas to be remembered.
No overnight stay in Salzburg is complete without a tour of the many bier halls & breweries, some dating back to the 13th century. There is even an official Salzburg Bier Route taking in the best of them. A small sample of the best would include a stop at Gäblerbrau, Sternbräu, Augustiner Braustübl & Stiegkeller. At Augustiner Brau, enter via the back door on Augustinergasse for a more dramatic entry via stone hallways & heavy wooden doors.
Aside from the beer halls, our favourite cafes, bars & restaurants are centred around the vibrant (& non-touristy) Linzer Gasse & Priesterhausgasse but exploring any of the central Salzburg nooks & crannies will reveal numerous local gems.
See the Salzburg city map here.
Away from the city, it would be churlish not to spend a morning, afternoon or night in nearby Hallstatt. Famous across the world for its picture-perfect location, Hallstatt is a tourist mecca (or nightmare depending on the time of day). Taking the train & ferry across the lake is a novel way to get to Hallstatt. The train journey is two parts with a change of train at Attnang-Puchheim. The pedestrian only village is without doubt a photographer’s dream location in good light.
Where is Salzburg Austria?
Salzburg is in north-central Austria hard on the border with Bavaria Germany. By road, the city is only 145km east of Munich but nearly 300km west of the Austrian capital Vienna. The world's greatest ski city of Innsbruck is 180km to the west by road. Gateway airports are at Salzburg (SZG) or Innsbruck (INN) (for European & UK flight origins) or Munich (MUC) (for everyone else).
If you want to POW (Protect Our Winters), travelling to Salzburg from anywhere in Europe is recommended by train. Search & book train tickets to Salzburg here.
From Salzburg there are wonderful railway lines to all the nearby ski resorts. Some are amongst the world’s great train journeys, including the trip through the lakes of the Salzkammergut to Obertraun (& its ski area of Krippenstein), then onward toward Schladming. Travel direct from Salzburg to Gastein, Innsbruck, Schladming or Zell am See by train takes less than 2hr.
In a post COVID-19 world, some travellers may feel safer taking a private transfer from the airport or a major city to their ski destination or perhaps rent a car to do a full road trip ski safari. Search & book here for all private transfers to Salzburg & all ski resorts.
Salzburg Accommodation
Salzburg is a large cosmopolitan city with a full range of hotel, apartment & guesthouse accommodation options within the beautiful 'old town', the surrounding city & hillsides. Salzburg's 'old town' is fabulous & straddles both sides of the Salzach River. Staying overnight here is a must. For something completely different try the Gästehaus im Priesterseminar Salzburg. The entry through huge wooden doors is enough to suggest one is going into a different world. Enjoy the silence!
Search & book here for all Salzburg accommodation.
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Salzburg in 2019 & thoroughly enjoyed the history, vibrancy & nightlife. In fact, it is one of our favourite cities in the world to visit during winter & one of our favourite cities full stop. Hard to beat a bracing morning stroll in the local hills with cathedral bells tolling & an ancient fortress with snow-capped mountains as a backdrop. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how the Austrian ski resorts compare on the Austria ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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