Basic Facts About Salzburg
Salzburg is a city in central Austria, at the northern edge of the Alps. Its population is approximately 150,000. After Wien, Graz and Linz, it is the fourth largest city of Austria.
Salzburg was the center of an independent principality until the Napoleonic Wars. In 1815, it became part of Habsburg Austria at the Congress of Vienna. Today, Salzburg is the capital of the Bundesland province. Salzburg means "salt castle", referring to the mightly fortress which sits enthroned high above this Baroque city. In 1997, the city's Baroque town centre was rated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
Why do tourists choose Salzburg?
Salzburg is a popular tourist destination for visitors from all over the world. Firstly, because of its Baroque architecture and its magnificent Old Town, then because of its festivals such as the world-class Salzburg Festival, concerts and theatre performances during the summer. It is among Austria's richest provinces. Salzburg is known as a conservative, religious, exclusive place, and finally because, it is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Salzburg Dom (Salzburg Cathedral) is the biggest of all the city's many churches. Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) was built in the 15th century and it has still a great condition, The Residenz (Residence Palace) is one of the city's most important landmarks. Besides these monuments, the following are regarded as a "must see" in Salzburg: Festung Hohensalzburg (Hohensalzburg Fortress), Schloss Leopoldskron (Leopoldskron Castle), Schloss Mirabell (Mirabell Castle), Schloss und Schlosspark Hellbrunn (Hellbrunn Castle and Park) and St. Blasius Kirche (St. Blasius Church / Gothic Hall).
Cuisine and the "Schranne"
There are many ways of getting to know Salzburg. Sit down in a magnificent café, restaurant or inn and look forward to the delights in store for you: the fluffy genuine "Salzburger Nockerl" is just as tempting as the tasty "Bauerngröstel". Whether regional Austrian cooking or international cuisine, whether simple or epicure - on a stroll through Salzburg, whoever seeks, shall find. Every Thursday morning Salzburg residents and guests meet at the market known as the "Schranne", a colorful market in front of St. Andrew's Church. It is dominated by a characteristic hustle and bustle in any kind of weather; fresh products, flowers and traditional handicrafts sell their hot cakes.
Salzburg Summer Festival
The Salzburg Festival (Salzburger Festspiele) is a significant festival of music and drama. It is held in every summer (for five weeks starting in late July). The mission of Salzburg Festival is to make people understand better the classical music and opera, and also to support the talented artists by giving them educational opportunities.
Traditional Salzburg Costumes - past and present: a fine exhibition of traditional everyday and festive dress as worn in the city and Province of Salzburg. Both contemporary costumes and examples of historical dresses from the baroque and Biedermeier epochs are on view.
Birthplace of Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27th January of 1756 in Salzburg. His birthplace was in the Getreidegasse, and the house serves as a museum these days. It is one of Salzburg's most important monuments and thousands of visitors come to his birthplace every year. At the age of six, Mozart started to show interest in violin, piano, and composition. He performed in public with great success, and after several concerts in Austria, he became very popular. Later, he started an extensive tour across Europe several times and he became the world's most famous composer ever. Salzburg is very proud of Mozart and every year, more and more tourists come to learn about the brilliant musician's birthplace.
Distance to Other Large Austrian Cities
Linz: 134 km, Vienna-Wien: 299 km, Graz: 278 km, Innsbruck: 186 km
The Salzburg Card
If you visit Salzburg, it is strongly recommended to purchase the Salzburg Card, as it will provide:
- free Salzach ship service
- free use of the Fortress funicular
- free use of Untersberg cable-way
- free use of public transportation
- special discounts on concerts, theater performances and excursions around Salzburg
- free admission to all the museums and tourist attractions of Salzburg
The card is available for 24, 48 and 72 hours. Most of the hotels sell the card at the reception desk, and you can also pick-it up at any of the tourist offices in the city.
Here is a list of Salzburg attractions which offer free admission to owners of the Salzburg Card: Domgrabungsmuseum, Cathedral Museum, Festspielhäuser, Fortress Hohensalzburg, Almpassage & World of Marionettes, Georg Trakl research - and Memorial, Museum of Natural History - Museum of Nature and Technology, Hellbrunn Palace and Trick Fountains, Michael Haydn Museum, Catacombs of St. Peter, Mozart's Birthplace, Mozart's Residence, Mozart Sound and Film Collection, Mönchsberg Elevator, Panorama Museum, Museum of Modern Art - Mönschberg, Museum of Modern Art - Rupertinum, Residenz State Rooms, Residence Gallery, Salzburg Museum - New Residence, Baroque Museum, Toy Museum and Historical Musical Instruments, Stiegl Brewery World, Untersbergbahn, Folk Museum and Salzburg Zoo.
Price of The Salzburg Card
For the period between January 1 - April 30 and November 1 - December 31, the price of the card is 22/30/35 EURO/adult for 24/48/72 hours. For the period between May 1 and October 31, there is a surcharge of 3 EURO/card. Children between the age of 6 and 15 get a 50% discount from these rates.
The Salzburg Airport
The Salzburg Airport is one of the most popular, smaller Austrian airports. It is 3 km from the city, and it has two terminals. Several large airlines offer cheaper flights to/from Salzburg, such as Air Berlin, EasyJet, Flybe, German Wings, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Ryanair and Thomas Cook. Most of the flights arrive from Germany, Greece, Spain, Great-Britain, Italy, Vienna and Linz.
From the airport, the best way to get to the city center is by an airport taxi. You can find taxis directly in front of the airport terminal. The journey will take about 15-20 minutes, and it will cost 33 EURO/transfer for 1-4 persons and 43 EURO/transfer for 5-8 persons. You can book your transfer in advance through the following site: Salzburg Airport Transfer.
Salzburg's Train Sation
The central railway station of Salzburg is about 15 minutes from the historical center of the town. There are lots of restaurants, shops and hotels within a few minutes walking distance from the station, so arriving at Salzburg by train is strongly recommended. The suburban railway of the city connects Salzburg with the surrounding towns. The Salzburg railway line is the oldest (since 1860) and the most important mean of transportation in this region of Austria. Every day, about 15, 000 people commute by train (35 km) between Salzburg and the Northern Flachgau region.
Public Transportation in Salzburg
The public transportation system of Salzburg is easy to use and perfectly suitable for tourists with little knowledge about the city. Every road leads to the city center. Use the trolley-bus or bus to get around in Salzburg, with departures every 10 minutes during the day. You can buy cheap tickets for public transport in kiosks or at major stations. We recommend you to purchase a 24-hour ticket because it is the most comfortable and economical option.
Distance between Salzburg and Other Cities
Salzburg - München (Munich): 144 km (about 1 and half an hours)
Salzburg - Vienna (Wien): 299 km (about 3 hours)
Salzburg - Bratislava: 383 km (about 3 and half an hours)
Salzburg - Prague (Praha): 526 km (about 5 hours)
Salzburg - Budapest: 547 km (about 5 hours)
Salzburg - Innsbruck: 180 km
Salzburg - Bozen: 300 km
Salzburg - Bucharest: 1361 km
Salzburg - Graz: 283 km
Salzburg - Klagenfurt: 217 km
Salzburg - Linz: 141 km
Salzburg - Bregenz: 431 km
Here are some strongly recommended hotels and pensions in Salzburg:
1) Hotel-Pension Adlerhof** cheap, yet very clean rooms with private bathroom, free parking