Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

By Air

Salzburg Airport, 4 km (2½ mi) west of the city center, is Austria's second-largest international airport. There are direct flights from London and other European cities to Salzburg, but not from the United States. From the United States you can fly to Munich and take the 90-minute train ride to Salzburg, or you can take a bus run by Salzburger Mietwagenservice. Taxis are the easiest way to get downtown from the Salzburg airport; the ride costs around EUR 13-EUR 14 and takes about 20 minutes. City Bus No. 2, which makes a stop by the airport every 15 minutes, runs down to Salzburg's train station (about 20 minutes), where you can change to Bus No. 3 or 5 for the city center.

By Boat

For a magically different vantage point, take a round-trip boat ride along the relentlessly scenic Salzach River, departing at the Markartsteg in the Altstadt from April until October. The boat journeys as far south as Hellbrunn Palace (depending on the water level). In June, July, and August you can also take the cruise as you enjoy a candlelight dinner—the real dessert is a floodlit view of Salzburg.

By Bus

A tourist map (available from tourist offices in Mozartplatz and the train station) shows all bus routes and stops; there's also a color-coded map of the public transport network, so you should have no problem getting around. Virtually all buses and trolleybuses (O-Bus) run via Mirabellplatz and/or Hanuschplatz. Single bus tickets bought from the driver cost EUR 1.80. Special multiple-use tickets, available at tobacconists (Tabak-Trafik), ticket offices, and tourist offices, are much cheaper. You can buy five single tickets for EUR 1.60 each (not available at tourist offices), a single 24-hour ticket for EUR 3.40.

By Car

If driving, the fastest routes into Salzburg are the autobahns. From Vienna (320 km [198 mi]), take A1; from Munich (150 km ), A8 (in Germany it's also E11); from Italy, A10. The only advantage to having a car in Salzburg itself is that you can get out of the city for short excursions. The Old City on both sides of the river is a pedestrian zone, and the rest of the city, with its narrow, one-way streets, is a driver's nightmare.

Great Itineraries

If You Have 1 Day

Start at the Mozartplatz,not just to make a pit stop at the tourist information office, but to sweeten your tour with a few Mozartkugeln from the nearby chocolate manufacturers Fürst. Flower-bedecked cafés beckon, as does the palatial Residenz,home to the great prince-archbishops and the center of Baroque Salzburg. Nearby is the Dom,Salzburg's grand 17th-century cathedral. Across the Domplatz is the Franciscan church, the Franziskanerkirche. A bit to the south is the Romanesque-turned-Rococo Stiftkirche St. Peter,where, under the cliffs, you'll find the famous Petersfriedhof —St. Peter's Cemetery, whose wrought-iron grills and Baroque vaults shelter the final resting place of Mozart's sister and much of Old Salzburg. Take the Festungsbahn cable car (it's just behind the cathedral) up to the Fortress Hohensalzburg —the majestic castle atop the Mönchsberg peak that overlooks the city. Enjoy a rest at the Stadt Alm restaurant or picnic in a quiet corner. Descend back to the city via the Mönchsberg express elevators. Head over to the Pferdeschwemme —the Baroque horse trough that is a somewhat bewildering tribute to the equine race—then over to the Getreidegasse. In this venerable merchant's quarter, posh shops set in pastel-covered town houses announce their wares through the overhanging wrought-iron scroll signs, and some of the houses have hidden courtyards set with timber-lined balconies. Next up is the most famous address in town: No. 9 Getreidegasse—Mozarts Geburtshaus,the birthplace of Mozart. After paying your respects, head over to the Alter Markt to welcome twilight with a Kaffee mit Schlag (coffee with whipped cream) at Café Tomaselli.

If You Have 3 Days

With three days, you can explore the Altstadt —the Old City—and the New Town. Try to catch an evening concert—perhaps of Mozart's music. For your third day, try one of four options: book a Sound of Music tour, then, in the afternoon, take a ride up the Untersberg; or opt for a boat trip along the Salzach river south to the 17th-century Hellbrunn Palace with its mischievous water fountains; or take an excursion to the picture-book towns of the Salzkammergut. A fourth idea is to walk for about two hours over the Mönchsberg, starting in the south at the Nonnberg Convent and continuing on to the Richterhöhe to enjoy the southwestern area of the city. Above the Siegmundstor, the tunnel through the mountain, there is a nice belvedere to take in a city view. But the most fascinating view is from the terrace in front of the new Museum der Moderne,which you reach after passing the old fortifications from the 15th century. Continue on to the Augustinerbrä, the large beer cellar at the northern end of the hill for some of the best brews and conviviality in town.

By Train

Yours truly, can get to Salzburg by rail from most European cities. Salzburg Hauptbahnhof is a 20-minute walk from the center of town in the direction of Mirabellplatz. The bus station and the suburban railroad station are at the square in front. A taxi to the center of town should take about 10 minutes and cost EUR 9.

Tours

The Old City, composed of several interconnecting squares and narrow streets, is best seen on foot. Salzburg's official licensed guides offer a one-hour walking tour through the Old City every day at 12:15, which starts in front of the Information Mozartplatz (EUR 9—owners of the Salzburg Card get a reduced fee).

Several local companies conduct 1½- to 2-hour city tours. The tour will be in a minibus, since large buses can't enter the Old City. Tours briefly cover the major sights in Salzburg, including Mozart's Birthplace, the festival halls, the major squares, the churches, and the palaces at Hellbrunn and Leopoldskron. Bob's Special Tours is well known to American visitors—the company offers a 10% discount to Fodor's readers who book directly with them without help from their hotel. Salzburg Panorama Tours and Salzburg Sightseeing Tours offer similar tours.