Top 5 things to do in Salzburg

Mention Salzburg and the vision of Julie Andrews twirling her skirts and prancing around the hilltop comes to mind. In fact, the very reason for me to make a trip to Salzburg was to fulfil the childhood dream of visiting the place that I once admired onscreen. I didn’t stay very long in the beautiful city, but I did manage to see what I came here for and more. And here are five top attractions you’d need to see in Salzburg.

1. Take the Sound of Music Tour

I did say I came here because of the movie.  Naturally, the first thing I did when I reached the Bed and Breakfast was to book my Sound of Music Tour. These tours are easily available through your hotel concierge and they’ll even pick you up from your hotel. The tour typically takes around four hours, and will take you through familiar sights you would have seen in the movies. The best part of the tour? You needn’t be embarrassed to be a fan. Chances are your fellow tour mates are fanatics as well, and you’ll all have a good time belting out the songs from the movie. Read here for more details of what goes on during the tour.

 

2. See Salzburg from afar

 

Salzburg has quite a number of mountains, so get on top of one and enjoy a beautiful scenic view of Austria’s fourth largest city. The Untersberg Mountain is pretty near the Salzburg city center, easily assessible by bus and grants a sweeping view of the city. In fact, the mountain was said to inspire a series of works by German artist Stephan Hess. Going up the mountain is easy. There is a cable car service that lifts passengers over 1300m to the Geiereck peak. If you’re up for it, there’s also a hiking trail up the mountain too.

Don’t worry about packing food to combat hunger. There is a tidy restaurant selling Austrian fare and ice cold beer. I’ve got to admit, it’s quite an experience, tucking in at the top of the mountain overlooking the miniature city.

 

3. Explore the historic Old Town

Wandering around the labyrinthine streets in Salzburg’s old town is like taking a step back in history. Its baroque architecture is well preserved and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The streets are narrow but filled with quirky shops. But if you are adventurous, you’ll be rewarded with spoils. Some of the sights not covered in the Sound of Music Tour can be found in the city center, like the Mozartsteg, the Art Nouveau bridge where Maria brought the kids for a day out to town.

Tip: walking through the old town is a bit of a downer in summer. Because the streets are already narrow, sometimes, the crowds can get so thick that you get can get stuck along the narrow pathways for some time.

 

4. Visit the Hohensalzburg Castle

Perched on a hilltop just above the Old Town, the Hohensalzburg Castle is really more a fortress. Visible from most parts of the city center. It’s one of the biggest and best preserved fortresses in Europe. You could either amble up a steep hill, huffing and puffing for 15 minutes, or take a leisure ride in the glass funicular up.

There are chapels and grand halls to explore at the Hohensalzburg, and this fortress exploration may take you half a day, depending on how interested you are in ancient castles. You’ll also get to see a beautiful view of the city center from the hill.

 

 

5. Visit a Salt Mine

Did you know that Salzburg means Salt Fortress? There are a number of Salt mines around the region and visiting one is quite an experience. At the mine, you’d be asked to change into “mining attire” and taken on a slow ride on a mine truck and taken deep into the mine. As you go deeper, it gets colder, and you’ll be given an eye-opening tour of how the production of salt came about.

Salt mine tours are usually an up-sell item on the Sound of Music Tour, and doesn’t cost a bomb, definitely less than 20 Euros.

Tip: Don’t go if you’re claustrophobic. The mine is dark and has narrow passageways sometimes, you’ll feel the walls are closing in on you if you’re not comfortable in small spaces.

There are other sights to visit in Salzburg but these are definitely my top five. Have you been to the scenic city before? Which attractions are your favorites?