10 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Salzburg Austria 🇦🇹 | Salzburg Travel Guide

Salzburg, Austria is often overshadowed by the bigger names in Europe. But it might just be one of the most interesting cities to visit. A fortress above the rooftops, streets filled with music and mountains never far away. So it does have more to offer than most cities its size. So we've done Vienna on my list of videos. Now let's take a look at some of the most beautiful places in Salzburg. So it's best to start in the old town, the heart of Salzburg. And it's tucked between the Salzach river and the fortress above. So walking around you'll start to feel like you're in another era. The narrow streets, plenty of those colourful houses, there are church towers rising above the rooftops and all the little squares where cafes spit out into the cobbles. What I like about the city is it's very compact, easy to explore just by walking around. But every corner seems to hold something worth stopping for. So you can easily see why it earned itself a UNESCO World Heritage status. And I think the pleasant atmosphere, the sounds of bells and that much slower pace walking around the streets makes this city one of the best to visit. And just a top tip for you, I found a great cafe which is actually one of my favourites. Great coffee, really nice tasting desserts and I'll pop that up on the screen for you. Just a short walk from any part of the old town the streets start to open up right into Residenzplatz, one of Salzburg's grandest squares. And this area is surrounded by historic palaces and the square feels quite alive with a lot of people, a lot of movement. You will see the horse-drawn carriages along the edges and the splash of Residenz fountain in the centre. You may even hear the bells above ringing from the church. And from here the Salzburg Cathedral dominates the view. You can see its twin towers standing proudly against the sky. Now once you step inside the cathedral the atmosphere changes completely. The white walls, the golden altars and the light filtering down from the great dome high above. So this building has been destroyed and rebuilt more than once since the 8th century. Yet it still feels like the heart of the city. And back outside in Residenzplatz with the fortress rising above the cathedral beside you. So it's easy to see how this space has always been the stage for Salzburg's most important moments. And now we come to one of my favourite parts of the city, the white walls of Hohensalzburg fortress. You see it rise over the city like a watchful guardian. It was built more than 900 years ago and one of the largest fully preserved castles in Europe. And the best thing is you can see it from almost anywhere in the city. Now the walk up is quite steep and there's also a funicular that carries you to the gates in just a few minutes. Inside you'll see stone courtyards open onto towers, medieval rooms and old defensive halls that once protected the city. And from the ramparts the views are the real highlight. You can see the rooftops of the old town below, the Salzach river riding through the valley and the Alps stretching out onto the horizon. So it shows exactly how Salzburg has always been shaped by the fortress above. Now I paid for the all-inclusive ticket with the funicular and that gets you obviously the funicular, the castle grounds, the prince's chamber, the magic theatre and everything with it. And that was roughly around 19 euros but I think it's around 20 or 50 pence more. And only just a few steps from the cathedral the streets start to narrow again into what is Salzburg's most famous lane, Getreidegasse. And this runs like a very tight ribbon through the old town. You'll see the tall houses pressed close together and the signs that are still swinging above the shops. They're traditional shops which still show trade that once filled the streets long ago such as bakers, shoemakers or even goldsmiths. So this is a great location to walk around, you'll feel the charm of the streets and its tradition. You'll even find Mozart's birthplace and it's marked by a bright yellow house that draws a lot of people from all over the world just to see it. Across the river from the old town you'll find Mirabelle Palace and this sits behind the gates that open into one of the most elegant gardens in the country. There are long symmetrical paths and a fortress on the hill just beyond where you'll see fountains splash in the centre and the statues that line the walkways. Now the gardens are always busy and alive and you'll see people strolling, children playing near the pegasus fountain. You see even back in the day the palace itself was built in the 1600s and later redesigned in a baroque style but most people come not for its history but just the beauty of the ground. So this is a great place to relax, it feels more playful, a complete difference from the narrow lanes and the tight streets of the old town. But whether you step inside the palace or just stay outside in the gardens, it's still one of the spots where Salzburg is at its most welcoming. A short ride south of the city brings you to Hellbrunn, a bright yellow palace that was built in the early 1600s as a summer retreat for Salzburg's archbishop. So the palace itself is quite elegant but what really makes Hellbrunn famous are its trick fountains. Now these are hidden water jets that spring to life without any warning soaking random tourists at stone tables, grottoes and statues tucked around the gardens. So it was kind of designed as a place for fun and that feeling hasn't really changed in four centuries. But beyond the fountains the ground stretch into wide parks, ponds, tree-lined avenues and quiet spots to escape the summer heat. So this is more of a relaxed playful area completely different from Salzburg's more formal baroque style of a city and it does show a different side of Salzburg that's more about enjoyment rather than that kind of formal feel to it. One of the more popular attractions sits against the cliffs at the edge of the old town, St. Peter's Abbey. Now this is one of Salzburg's oldest religious sites but it's the cemetery that leaves the strongest impression. At the back there are catacombs which are carved directly into the cliff face, stone steps leading up to dark chambers once used by early monks. So it does have that eerie kind of feel to it but despite its age and history the area seems quite peaceful. So if it is something that you're interested in it's set beneath the fortress above. There's a cool little place that's on a wooded hill that rises on the opposite side of the Salzburg river from Salzburg's old town. It's covered in walking paths, stone steps that lead through the trees to viewpoints overlooking the city. From the top you can see the fortress, the river and the spires of the old town below. And the interesting thing is if you do go up the Salzburg's fortress you'll be looking across the river towards Kathusinerberg. Now you can't mention Salzburg without heading to one of their museums and I think you should head to the house of nature. It's easily one of Austria's most popular museums and it does feel completely different from the elegant baroque style of the old town because inside are aquariums filled with colorful marine life, dinosaur skeletons, space exhibits, a few interactive science displays which make it kind of easy for those of you who are visiting with families. So it's a kind of place where you can easily spend a couple of hours especially if you want a break from the churches and all the palaces without leaving the city. Now an important element I always add with my city breaks is to go on day trips and Salzburg is prime location to visit and I'm sure you recognize this storybook setting, the pristine lake, lush mountains and just a beautiful town. History of salt mining that dates back thousands of years and of course it is a very popular hot spot in Europe. But I highly recommend that you go whether it's the summer or the winter. If you're in Salzburg it's only going to take two hours and a bit to get there and it's worth visiting despite the crowds. You never know you might be able to catch it on a good day. But here it is and as you can see it's well worth visiting. And there you have it folks Salzburg a very interesting city you can visit if you decide to go to Vienna. It's a quick train ride to the east side of the country straight into Salzburg and of course if you do have the time you can visit Hausstatt while you're there. So thanks for supporting the channel and I will see you all on the next one!