SALZBURG, AUSTRIA
Salzburg is generally considered Austria’s little sibling but not so fast! This small city is saturated with personality, beauty, rhythm, and artwork! I mean, come on - it is the birthplace of both Mozart AND the “Sound of Music” (although the musical film doesn’t mean much to Austrians). One walk around town through the plazas, gardens, and palaces will have you thinking, “What’s so bad about being the little sibling anyway?”
Attractions:
Residenzplatz: “Sound of Music” aficionados will recognize the fountain in Salzburg’s main plaza! Residenzplatz is also adjacent to Salzburg Cathedral.
Mirabell Palace and Gardens: This tourist favorite is free to enter. This is a great place to walk around and take photos. So much to see here!
Augustinerbrau – Kloster Mulln: The best place in Salzburg to stop for a refreshing beer. It’s Austria’s biggest tavern and has been open since 1621!
Free Walking Tour: Like most European cities, Salzburg has a free walking tour in which you pay what you think the tour is worth at the end. Highly recommend as its a great way to see the city! You can reserve your spot here.
Mozart’s Birthplace: The house in which Mozart was born is now a three-story exhibition. Due to its size, you likely won’t need more than an hour here and admission costs €11.
Sphaera & Woman in the Rock: These sculptures were created by Stephan Balkenholin and are located in two separate places in Salzburg. Sphaera is in Kapitelplatz and is 9 meters (30 feet) high. Woman in the Rock is elsewhere; I’ll let you find her for yourself! The sculptures are open to interpretation but it appears as though they are both looking for each other!
Salzwelten Hallein: This famous salt mine is 30 minutes south of Salzburg. You can get here by car, bus (€2.70 one-way ticket on bus 41), or train (€4.80 one-way ticket). A tour costs €23.
Fortress Hohensalzburg: One of the largest medieval castles in all of Europe and located in the center of Salzburg’s old town. There is a funicular that will take you to the castle hilltop every 10 minutes (less than a two minute ride). You can also do the 20 minute walk if you’d like.
Other things to check out include: Stiegl Brewery, Schloss Hellbrunn, St. Peter's Abbey, Plaza de Mozart, and Hangar-7.
Accommodation:
Meininger: This hostel chain has many locations all over Europe. The Salzburg hostel in particular has a very social common area and kitchen. It’s about 30 minutes walking from the city center.
Transportation:
Munich, Germany is 1.5 hours by train from Salzburg and costs €42. The bus ride is 2 hours and costs €10.
Innsbruck is 2 hours by train from Salzburg and costs €66. The bus ride is 6 hours and costs €18.
Vienna is 2.5 hours by train from Salzburg and costs €64. The bus ride is 8 hours and costs €38.
Zurich, Switzerland is 5.5 hours by train from Salzburg and costs €117. The bus ride is 8 hours and costs €23.
Prague, Czechia is 6.5 hours (indirect) by train from Salzburg and costs €108. The bus ride is 6 hours and costs €25.
