Salzburg, Austria City Guide || Things to do in Salzburg
Back in April when we cruised the Danube and Rhine, one of our stops was in Salzburg, Austria. We chose to forgo our included excursion (in a different city) and take the optional Sound of Music Tour to Salzburg. This was definitely one of the best decision we made on the Grand European Tour.
Before we dive into the nitty gritty, check out this travel diary we did of our time in Salzburg…
Salzburg Tips
What language do they speak in Austria?
In Austria they speak German! Here are a few phrases that can get you through the day…
Hallo - Hello
Auf Wiedersehen (a-veed-i-sane) - Goodbye
Bitte (bit-uh) - Please
Dankeschön (dunka-shoon) - Thank you
Ja - Yes
Nein (nine) - No
Austrian currency
In Austria, much like the rest of Europe, they use the Euro.
As always, we recommend having some cash on hand. However, Salzburg is a larger area, more touristy, so they have a lot of shops that accept credit cards. The cash would be if you wanted some delicious street snacks or souvenirs from smaller local shops.
Salzburg, Austria Weather (in April/May)
We had our Salzburg adventure in late April/early May. It was pretty chilly. Mid-forties to low sixties on average. But the number one thing is the rain! It was quite rainy in all of the cities we went to along the Rhine and Danube. Salzburg was no exception.
Bring a poncho or an umbrella with you.
Things to do in Salzburg
Salzburg Sound of Music Tour
This is a big one! There are a number of different tours you can take to see the city like Maria. Our Sound of Music tour was through Viking (we’ll tell you more about it in the Viking section of the post). Here’s a website where you can find out more about the Sound of Music Tours that are offered outside of Viking.
If you’d prefer to have a self-guided tour here are some of the sights you don’t want to miss:
Mirabell Gardens and the Pegasus Fountain - Mirabellplatz 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Schloss Leopoldskron (movie VonTrapp home) - Leopoldskronstraße 56-58, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Hellbrunn Palace - Fürstenweg 37, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Nonnberg Convent - Nonnberggasse 2, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
These are just a few of the awesome Sound of Music sites you can find in Salzburg. A simple Google search can tell you all you need to know.
Salzburg Mozart
If you know anything about Salzburg or Mozart then you probably know it’s his birthplace.
You can see the house he was born in and the one he grew up in. You can also take a Mozart tour. We didn’t personally take one, because we came for the Sound of Music, but you can find out more about the tours here. We did have the pleasure of seeing his homes and that was pretty stinking cool!
Other Salzburg Attractions
Highly, highly recommend just exploring the downtown Salzburg area. It’s absolutely stunning and there are so many shops, restaurants and coffeeshops to explore.
Also take a stroll across the lock bridge. Not only is it a cool attraction on its own, but it can offer you a stunning view of Salzburg. This city is an Instagram wonderland.
When you’re wandering around the city you’ll likely see small wrapped chocolate balls with Mozart’s face on them. These are called Mozartkugel and they were invented by Paul Fürst. Most of the ones we saw were in shiny red wrappers, but the original Mozartkugel are in blue and silver wrappers and can only be found at Cafe Konditorei. They have four locations around the city and you can even order online. We tried the red wrapped Mozartkugel’s and they weren’t our favorite chocolates.
If you’re looking for something more historical and maybe a little bit creepy, take a trip to Petersfriedhof (aka St. Peter’s Cemetery). It’s an extremely picturesque city and the burial place of some people you might recognize, like Mozart’s sister, Nannerl. It’s also the cemetery that inspired the Sound of Music scene where Maria and the Vonn Trapps are hiding from the Nazis. Learn more here.
What is the cost of optional tours of Viking River Cruises?
We get this question a lot and, unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer. It varies with each tour.
Most of the ones we have found range from $45-200 per person. The Sound of Music Tour was on the higher end ($150-200) but it included the bus ride to and from Salzburg, a full walking tour of the city, and lunch with a show in the city.
If you’re looking at going on a Viking Cruise then you probably already know that Viking includes one excursion at every port. It’s usually a walking tour of the city and a great way to see the area you’re in! These tours are incredible and they are INCLUDED in the price of your cruise.
If you want an experience that’s a little different like a Sound of Music Tour, folklore dinner, a trip to the opera or even a sausage making lesson, you’ll be paying for an optional excursion. We usually pick up one or two of these on a trip to immerse ourselves in the culture. They’re affordable for what you receive (usually a meal is included) and they are memories you’ll remember forever.
Have you ever been to Salzburg? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to check out our last city guide for beautiful Prague.
If you want to book the Grand European Tour, visit Viking’s website.
A very special thank you to our Patron, Sylvia Vasquez Plexus, for supporting us on this wild ride! If you’d like to become a Patron, we have some awesome reward tiers. Sometimes we even pick up little gifts for you along our travels.
Pin this post with the graphics below:
