5 Best Bars in Salzburg, Austria

One of the largest beer cellars in Europe and the only one of its kind in Austria, the celebrated Augustinerbräu is at the north end of the Mönchsberg, a short walk from the Old City. Pick up a stone jug of strong, frothy, 10-week aged Märzen beer, made using the same recipe since 1621 and served directly from wooden kegs. With communal, dark-wood tables and beautifully restored chandeliers, the halls overflow with cheerful locals, and outside, where massive chestnut trees shade the sprawling garden, you'll find a complete cross section of Salzburg society. If you're feeling hungry, shops in the huge monastery complex sell a vast array of salads, breads, and pastries, as well as sausages and spit-roasted chicken. Advent and Lent offer special beers, because the Catholic church decreed that "drinking does not interrupt fasting." You can tour the brewery by appointment on weekday afternoons (€19.90 per person, including a souvenir); call to book.

This cozy little bar on the narrow Steingasse serves well-crafted drinks, an extensive selection of Austrian wines, antipasti, cold smoked locally caught fish, and small portions of savory Austrian favorites like faschierte laibchen (finely minced meatballs with bread and pickles) and krautfleckerl (square pasta with caramelized onions, shredded white cabbage, sweet wine, and cumin). Eclectic music runs the gamut from Tarantino soundtracks to Italian music to jazz.

Many like to stop here for a cold beer, but you should ponder the historic vibes, too. In this old inn Richard Mayr—a star of Vienna's State Opera House—was born. He later became one of the organizers of the music festival. After studying the parlor of Mayr's parents—a dark, wood-carved, neo-Gothic interior from the end of the 19th century—head for a table and order yourself a drink or a bite to eat.

The Sternbräu is a mammoth Bierkeller with eight rambling halls festooned with tile stoves, paintings, and wood beams. The chestnut-tree beer garden or the courtyard are divine on hot summer nights. If you're traveling in a group, consider booking the Sound of Salzburg Show ( www.soundofsalzburg.info), a popular evening event with unforgettable songs from The Sound of Music, traditional Salzburg folk songs, and a medley of Austrian operettas. The show costs €39 per person, including a drink, but you can combine with a Sternbräu meal for €59.

Sample the selections of this hometown-pride brew under the shade of chestnut trees as you watch the sun set over the rooftops and steeples of the Old City. The noted local architect Ceconi devised this sprawling place around 1901. The Keller is partly inside the Mönchsberg hill, right under the Festung Hochsalzburg, so its cellars guarantee the quality and right temperature of the drinks. It's a great place to stop for lunch, an afternoon snack, or an evening Prost with friends. Just beware: climbing up the relatively steep incline is easier than stumbling down after a few grosses (large beers).