Austria is one of the most beautiful countries we’ve stepped foot in. If mountains are your thing, it will not disappoint. When we were routing out our path from Grenoble to Prague, we wanted to stop somewhere along the way to break up the train journey. Salzburg was the perfect spot.
The price tag on this city is not very friendly to budget travelers, but it was so highly recommended. We wanted to explore Salzburg, but had to do it all in one day. While there is a lot left on the table to do there, we wanted to share how we spent our day because we checked off all the top things we wanted to see.
Salzburg in One Day
We started our day around 8:30 AM, but you can sleep in a little later if you want. It just depends on how long you want to spend in each place, so we always like to give ourselves a little extra time.
Mirabell Palace Gardens
The gardens here are spectacular. With fountains, unicorn statues and a garden of gnomes, it’s the perfect place to start your day with. If you want pictures without others in them, you’ll probably want to start right at sunrise. It wasn’t too busy when we were there around 8:30 AM, but a few tour groups walked through loudly.
Hike Around in Kapuzinerberg
There are quite a few different trails in this park area. Almost all of them offer some view of the city below and the mountains around. You can choose to spend a few hours here getting your heart rate up on the hills or take the shortest route which is a simple 30 minute loop along the old city walls. It was nice to get a little time in nature since we wouldn’t have the time to get out into the surrounding mountains. Also, this is the best view in the city.
Snack up in Linzer Gasse Platzl
This beautiful square is near one of Mozart’s residences that houses some exhibits on his life. There are lots of food options here. Since we were trying to save as much as possible, we opted for some croissants from a bakery to keep us going. (Pretty soon we are both going to turn into croissants and I won’t be mad about it.) You’ll be near the river now and can find the pedestrian bridge to cross.
Fortress Hohensalzburg
You cannot miss this giant fortress on the hill in the middle of town. The tour brings you inside with headphones and walks you through the building of the fortress and all the different additions made by the ruling Prince Archbishops over the years. It originated in the 11th century and has been added on to with each new occupant. The museum was really cool and interesting. Lots of simple to follow history about this region of Austria. Trying to keep all the empires and centuries of history straight in Europe has been a struggle for us, so I like to call out any museums that weren’t completely overwhelming.
Residenzplatz
Surrounded by the palace and the cathedral, this square is one of the most photogenic in town. There are a few highly recommended museums in this small area, but we didn’t have time. It would be a good place to explore on a rainy day or if you had a couple extra days to spend in Salzburg.
Mozart’s Birthplace
Did you even go to Salzburg if you don’t have a picture of the yellow townhouse? I have to say it’s pretty cool to read a little about Mozart and his genius and then see where his life began. The street that the house is on is a great one to walk and find lunch as well.
Grünmarkt
Outdoor markets are the best way to get a cheap meal in our opinion. This market had lots of different stalls with fresh product, food trucks and interesting trinkets to look at. There are plenty of souvenir stands here as well, but they appeared to be local artists selling the items that they had made. My favorites were the Christmas ornaments. It’s a great place to people watch on a sunny afternoon.
From here, you’ll head back towards the river and walk off some of the food you just ate. It’s time for a cold beer.
Augustiner bräu – Kloster Mülln
Since 1621, this monastery has been brewing up one kind of beer. There is a huge outdoor beer garden with big tables and an indoor hall with all kinds of local food vendors. When you arrive, you walk inside, grab a mug off the wall, approach the cashier with money and then bring your glass up to the people next to the kegs. If that sounds weird, just watch a few people do it. The beer is fantastic and we shared our table with some interesting characters. It’s the perfect way to celebrate a day filled with sightseeing and learning.
Dinnertime
If you don’t eat meat, Austrian food isn’t going to be your favorite. We opted for a pizza place that had high ratings. Plus, we like to eat pizza in every country. There are tons of amazing restaurants in Salzburg, so if you aren’t budget traveling and splitting meals like us – get crazy and explore. If you want pizza and friendly service, we would recommend Pizzeria Toscana. Plus, the owner’s wife makes all the desserts at home and sends them to the restaurants in Tupperware containers. The chocolate mousse was excellent.
Movie Time – The Sound of Music
We wrapped up our day in Salzburg with a viewing of The Sound of Music at our hotel with our feet up. You can do a full tour of all the places they filmed the movie, but if you’ve seen it enough, you’ll spot them on your own while exploring like we did. It has us wanting to plan a trip to this Trapp Family hotel in Vermont.
Salzburg Route Map
Get the full list in google maps here.
Hotel Info
Here is the link for the Salzburg hotel we stayed in. It was extremely close to the train station and had a pretty good price since it was last minute. It wasn’t right in the middle of the main tourist area, but wasn’t a big deal since the town is super walkable. They also have a bar on the top floor with great views of the whole area.
Have you been to Salzburg? What was your favorite place there?
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