Confession: I didn’t do Salzburg right. Friends and I decided to drive from Munich to Vienna and make a pit stop in Salzburg. After hitting traffic and taking backroads through Germany (which was actually the best thing that could’ve happened!), we arrived in Salzburg a couple hours later than planned, hungry and in sour moods. I thought our trip to Salzburg was going to be a bust, especially after we got lost walking around the town looking for the castle cable car, but nothing can ruin the beauty that is Salzburg.
Salzburg is a tiny town that is perfect for exploring in a day, especially if you are looking for a break from Munich. We had to stop first and grab lunch at a local restaurant [Café Wernbacher], where they definitely separated the Americans from the rest of the patrons – seriously, it was us, a couple from Texas, and another group of girls from Wisconsin all in our own little corner! The restaurant was close to the Mirabell Palace and Gardens, which might look familiar to some. It’s the spot where they filmed “Do-Re-Mi” in Sound of Music!
Salzburg Tip: If you love Sound of Music, there are plenty of places around the town that you can go to see filming spots. Some travel companies even have Sound of Music-specific tours!
We explored the gardens and got pictures in all the key Sound of Music spots. From here, we headed to the town center where you can purchase a Salzburg Card. This card gives you free access to the town’s attractions, such as:
- Mozart’s birthplace
- Mozart’s residence
- Hohensalzburg Fortress and the cable car
- Salzburg Zoo
- Marionette Museum
- Salzburg Residenz Palace – State Rooms
- And lots more!
It also gives you free access to the town’s public transportation. For only 27 euro, I really felt it was worth it (and we only used it for two sites because of our earlier set back).
After snapping pics with Mozart, we headed to find the Hohensalzburg Fortress. This is the fortress at the top of the hill that overlooks the town. The only problem…we could not find it! After an hour of wandering around looking for the entrance to the cable car, we had given up hope. Transportation to the top was closing in 15 minutes, and we were sure we weren’t going to make it. Five more minutes of walking, we turned a corner and THERE IT WAS!! Right back by where we started (face palm). We ran to the cable cars and sprinted through the turnstiles, and let me tell you – all the wandering was WORTH IT. Just take a lot at the pictures below. It was stunning, breathtaking and just what we needed to lift our spirits.
At the top, you can wander around and take pictures from every side. You can even grab a drink and relax while overlooking Salzburg. On the way back down, we took in the last of the views and headed to dinner. While walking, we passed Mozart’s birthplace and residence. It was amazing that you could pass such a historical site while just searching for dinner. The small-town feel, with huge historical importance, didn’t cease to amaze me.
We grabbed an amazing dinner at Café Costa (it was one of my favorites of the trip!), and walked back to grab our car.
There is so much to see and do in Salzburg, and I know that we barely scratched the surface of what the town has to offer, but that is the great thing about traveling – it gives you an excuse to come back!
Have you been to Salzburg? Tell me what I missed below!
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