Top 10 Travel Tips for Salzburg

The Top 10 Things To See And Do In Salzburg

1. In and Out of Austria
   You might as well save some money before you arrive in Salzburg and you can do that by booking your internal European flights with one of the many low cost airlines around. A prime example of this money saving in action is Ryanair. During the special (and frequent) online sales you can get a €25 return to Salzburg from London, and when you take hand luggage only and check in online - you automatically get priority boarding. So in other words, a return flight for approximately $40 and the right to queue jump. Great stuff.
2. Getting Into The City
   If you arrive in this Austrian city by plane then the easiest way to get to the city centre is to hop on the bus outside the airport. Look for one that’s attached to an overhead electric line and bound for Hauptbahnhof! Tickets aren’t expensive but if you buy a Salzburg Card - don’t forget you get an airport transfer as part of this. When you arrive at Hauptbahnhof head down Rainstr. towards the river and follow the water. This is a great way to familiarise yourself with the city. Better yet, trains also arrive into Hauptbahnhof - so if you arrive on a diesel towed carriage then all you have to do is follow the same easy steps to get into the city. About ten minutes in you’ll come across Mirabell Gardens (Mirabellgarten) – a great place to begin your exploration.
3. The Hills Are Alive
   Love it or loathe it The Sound of Music is ingrained into everyone’s musical memory and when you’re in Salzburg, it’s impossible to avoid the former film sets of the world’s most successful musical. Mirabell Gardens is one such set and you can bob up and down on the steps (just like the Von Trap brats) to your heart’s content. The €37 Sound of Music bus tour also sets off from near here – specifically the big red tourism box in Mirabellplatz. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but they do serve cheap beer on the bus, enforce communally comical yodelling and take you to the breath taking sight that is - Wolfgang Lake. The Schnitzel stop is also a plus but sadly it’s not served with noodle.
4. Where to Stay
   Where else but the Yoho International Hostel on Paracelsusstrasse. It’s actually more like a hotel than a hostel and refreshingly you don’t pay hotel prices. The key card lockers in every room look after your essentials, every amenity is super modern and the location means that you are only minutes away from the centre of town, and all the good times to be had along the river. There’s also an internet cafe in the hostel - for those all important keeping in touch duties and a bar that serves up some very affordable - liquid refreshments. Also if you have your heart set on Oktoberfest you can save some money by staying in the Soho and jumping on one of the many trains to Munich. The journey time isn’t horrible and the stress free surrounds of Salzburg are perfect for chilling out after all that beer fuelled partying!
5. Authentic Austrian Food
   A tiny walk away from the hostel you will find a restaurant called Die Weisse at number ten, Rupertgasse. This eatery serves up the real deal in Austrian food and it isn’t afraid to employ a hefty amount of taste enhancing, deep fat frying! A top tip to bust through the fat as it settles in your stomach and kills you appetite - is to sample a few shots of schnapps. This might sound like a throw back, drinking tip from the days of student bar crawls but the Schnapps in Salzburg isn’t the cut price rubbish, found in budget bars. The alcohol actually alleviates the overwhelming sense that your stomach might be about to explode in the middle of the restaurant, and it doesn’t go straight to your head – straight away. Die Weisse is half eatery, half trendy wine bar - where the lighting is low, the beer is free flowing and the locals are good looking. For a taste of a truly authentic Austrian dish - try Kasnocken.
6. Get Out Of Salzburg
   If you’re a fan of Clint Eastwood and you’ve seen the film Where Eagles Dare, then this short excursion out of Salzburg should definitely be added to your to do list! Grab an express train from Hauptbahnhof and head to Werfen. A day return is only €14.20 and what greets you is well worth the 40km journey, south of Salzburg. Hohenwerfen Castle is a beautiful 15-minute walk from the station and inside you will find falconry, flattery and fatty foods. The daily falcon shows bring you within wing beating distance of several deadly birds of prey, the tour guides verbally charm the pants off just about every backpacker and the food is as God intended. Deep fried and followed by shots of grease busting, indigestion avoiding Schnapps – specifically Vogelbeerschnapps. You can wander round most of this former film set and play double agent - to your heart’s content.
7. Mozart’s Music
   Contrary to popular belief Austrians do not eat Schnitzel with noodle, they don’t yodel at every opportunity and they do not love what Julie Andrews did for their international stereotype. One thing they do however have great pride in is the music of Mozart. The Mozart Concert Dinner in the St Peters Stiftskeller restaurant - demonstrates this perfectly and if you’re lucky enough to be travelling with a significant other, the candle lit courses, between live operatic singing and orchestral masterpieces provide the perfect romantic backdrop. The food served up is prepared according to the recipes around in the 18th century and for once the polenta on your plate is both tasty and edible.
8. Shopping
   If you always factor in time for LMSO (last minute shopping opportunities) then here’s a helping hint. Arrive for your Mozart dinner an hour or two early because the lanes around the St Peter Square are riddled with boutiques and international brands. The high rise, narrow streets are a little bit like Amsterdam - but without the red light ladies, the tobacco ban and the prolific spliff menus. Amidst the maze of stores that act like a magnet to your credit card there’s also a great, satirical photo opportunity to be had. Look out for a fifties, Art Deco store called Schmuck. It’s too good to pass up a comical pose outside this establishment.
9. Fortress Hohensalzburg
   This bad boy is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe and its picture perfect nature gets it onto popular postcards, across the city. It’s 250 meters long, 150 meters wide and the views from atop are astounding. It is of course swarming with frustration inducing tourists, in a fashion akin to bees kept out of the hive with Valium laced smoke, but it is worth the stress. In World War One the castle was used as a prisoner camp, detaining Italian prisoners of war but these days the only captives you’re likely to see are weary tourists, queuing for the cable car.
10. Wind Down in the Park
    Ticking off tourist attractions on your to do list can be a tiring activity so when you’ve accomplished your itinerary, reward your tired feet with a sit down in Mirabellgarten (Mirabell Gardens). Yes it is the former scene of the Von Trap kids bobbing up and down in a superbly happy manner but don’t let that perturb you. This is a beautiful and well maintained garden, it’s great for people watching and if you’re lucky you’ll see a fashionable attired, tight fisted local - strip down to his long johns and delve into the fountain to collect the wish making money, thrown in by tourists. Strange but entertaining none the less.

Images courtesy of Visit Salzburg and Salzburgerland