Salzburg Holidays

Salzburg - where Mozart wrote the tunes, Julie Andrews sang in the fields, and every cobbled street looks like it was designed for an album cover. Whether you’re a history lover, an outdoor adventurer, or a foodie, this enchanting city has a mix of old-world charm and modern elegance that’s impossible to resist.

☀️ Highlights of Your Holidays to Salzburg 2026 and 2027

• The birthplace of Mozart, with his childhood home, concert halls and chocolate truffles named after him on every corner

• Hohensalzburg Fortress towering over the Old Town, with views that'll have your camera working overtime

• Sound of Music filming locations dotted around the city and surrounding countryside (yes, you will end up singing)

• The Alps start right on the doorstep, with lakes, cable cars and mountain scenery within easy day-trip distance

• Augustiner Braustübl, a 400-year-old monastery brewery where you pour your own beer from wooden barrels

🤓 Good to Know for your Salzburg holidays

• ☀️ Summers are warm and sunny at 23-25°C, with long evenings perfect for wandering the Old Town. Spring and autumn sit around 10-20°C with fewer crowds, and winters hover around 3-6°C with snow on the mountains and some of the best Christmas markets in Austria.

• 💶 A half-litre of beer costs around €4-5 in a bar. A meal at a traditional restaurant runs about €15-20 per person, and a proper sit-down dinner for two is closer to €50-70.

• 🎶 The Salzburg Festival has run every summer since 1920, and it's one of the biggest classical music and opera festivals in the world. Tickets for the big shows go fast, but the free open-air screenings on Kapitelplatz are open to everyone.

A holiday in Salzburg is perfect for you if...

• You want Salzburg holidays that feel like walking around inside a music box.

• You'd happily sing along on a Sound of Music tour (and pretend you're doing it ironically).

• You want a city you can cross on foot in 20 minutes, with the Alps right behind it.

• You think a monastery beer garden is a perfectly reasonable place to spend an afternoon.

• You want holidays in Salzburg that work just as well for a long weekend as a full week.

🏨 Top Hotels for Your Salzburg Holidays 2026 and 2027

Whether you're after old-world luxury in a baroque building or a modern base near the train station, the city has a solid range of places to stay. Browse all our Salzburg hotels here or see our top picks below...

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Which hotels are best for Salzburg family holidays?

• Hotel Gerl - Indoor and outdoor pools, a spa for the grown-ups and a free airport shuttle, on the western edge of the city.

• JUFA Hotel Salzburg - Family rooms and a two-storey kids' play area, a short walk from the fortress.

💑 What are the best hotels for a couples' short break in Salzburg?

• Villa Carlton - An adults-only boutique near Mirabell Gardens. Nobody under 18, which is exactly the point.

• Sheraton Grand Salzburg - Five-star right next to Mirabell Gardens, with Restaurant Mirabell doing local cooking. A polished couples' holiday base.

✨ What are the best luxury hotels in Salzburg?

• Hotel Sacher Salzburg - On the banks of the Salzach with views of the Old Town and the fortress, a spa, and Café Sacher downstairs serving the original Sachertorte. Properly grand.

• Goldener Hirsch - On Getreidegasse in a building dating back to 1407, with two restaurants and the Old Town on the doorstep.

🎉 Which Salzburg hotels are best for a group weekend break?

• Austria Trend Hotel Europa Salzburg - The tallest building in Salzburg, by the main station, with a panorama restaurant on the 15th floor. Mirabell is a five-minute stroll.

• Holiday Inn Salzburg City - A no-fuss central base with a gym and a bar, leaving more budget for nights out. Good for groups.

💰 What are the best-value hotels for Salzburg holidays?

• Trumer Stube - A friendly city hotel a few minutes' walk from Mirabell Gardens and the bars of Linzer Gasse.

• Hotel Mercure Salzburg City - Near the main station with a garden terrace and its own restaurant. Mirabell Palace is a short walk.

👉 See all Salzburg hotels

🏛️ Must See in Salzburg

Sure, we'll miss the beaches, but Salzburg has a UNESCO-listed Old Town, a fortress on a hill and the Alps as a backdrop. Here's what to prioritise on your city break.

• Hohensalzburg Fortress - One of the largest castle complexes in Central Europe, sitting above the Old Town with panoramic views of the city and mountains. Take the funicular or walk the steep cobbled path. Inside there are state rooms, a museum and a terrace café. Go early to beat the tour groups.

• Mozart's Birthplace (Getreidegasse 9) - The yellow townhouse where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756. Three floors of original instruments, letters and family portraits. Getreidegasse itself is Salzburg's most famous shopping lane, with wrought-iron guild signs over every doorway.

• Salzburg Cathedral & Domplatz - A huge baroque cathedral where Mozart was baptised, all marble and frescoes under a 77-metre dome. There's a small maintenance fee to go in. The square outside is where the Salzburg Festival stages Jedermann every summer.

• Mirabell Palace & Gardens - Baroque gardens with fountains, statues and mountain views. Sound of Music fans will recognise the steps and the Pegasus fountain from the "Do-Re-Mi" scene. Free, and gorgeous in spring.

• Hellbrunn Palace & Trick Fountains - A 17th-century pleasure palace on the southern edge of the city, famous for hidden water jets that soak unsuspecting guests. The fountains run from late March to the start of November, and Salzburg Zoo is right next door. Allow half a day.

• Augustiner Bräustübl - A monastery brewery pouring beer since 1621. Grab a stein, fill it from the wooden barrel and pick up food from the stalls in the hall. Huge, loud and properly local.

• Sound of Music Locations - Love it or roll your eyes at it, the trail is a Salzburg institution. Mirabell Gardens, Leopoldskron Palace, Nonnberg Abbey and the gazebo at Hellbrunn are all real locations, and tours cover them in about four hours.

📍 Where to Stay in Salzburg

Salzburg is small enough that you can walk across the entire Old Town in about 20 minutes, so location is less critical here than in a big city. That said, different areas suit different travellers.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Where should families stay on a Salzburg holiday?

Near Mirabell (Neustadt) - The Mirabell side of the river has wider streets, more green space, the palace gardens and the main station for day trips. Sheraton Grand is right by the gardens. Pushchair-friendly and well connected.

💑 Where should couples stay on a Salzburg short break?

Old Town (Altstadt) - The UNESCO-listed side of the river, with cobbled lanes, the cathedral, the fortress and most of Salzburg's atmosphere. Stay at Goldener Hirsch and you're right in it. Romantic walks along the Salzach included.

🎉 Where should groups stay in Salzburg?

Linzer Gasse and around - The stretch between the station and the Old Town has the best mix of bars and restaurants. Trumer Stube is a short walk away. Everything is walkable by day, with plenty of choice for the evening.

🗣️ Local Lingo

German is the official language, and Austrians speak a dialect that's softer and more melodic than standard German. English is widely spoken in Salzburg's tourist areas, but a few Austrian phrases will earn you points.

• Grüß Gott (groos GOT) - the standard Austrian hello, literally "God greets you"

• Servus (ZAIR-voos) - a casual hello or goodbye, for people you know (or want to)

• Danke (DAN-kuh) - thank you

• Ein Bier, bitte (ine BEER, BIT-uh) - one beer, please

• Die Rechnung, bitte (dee REKH-noong, BIT-uh) - the bill, please

• Oida (OY-dah) - Austrian slang for "mate". Use it and locals will assume you've been before

• Salzburger Nockerl (ZALTS-boor-ger NOK-erl) - the city's famous soufflé dessert, shaped like three snowy peaks

Salzburg city breaks and short breaks

Salzburg city breaks don't need much planning. The Old Town, the fortress and Mirabell Gardens are all within a 20-minute walk, and the airport is only about 3km from the centre, so you lose very little of the trip to travel which makes it a great destination for a long weekend.

Three nights is the right length for most people: one day for the Old Town and the fortress, one for Hellbrunn and a Sound of Music tour, and one for the lakes or the Untersberg. Weekend breaks to Salzburg work too if you pick your favourites. Short breaks to Salzburg including flights are easiest as a package: book flights, hotel and transfers together and the whole trip is sorted in one go.

Package holidays to Salzburg change character with the season. Summer is festival time, mid-November to New Year brings the Christmas markets, and winter turns the mountains white. For a treat, stay at Hotel Sacher Salzburg and walk out of the door into the Old Town.

🧳 Salzburg Holidays 2026 and 2027 - Travel Guide

💑 What are the best things to do on a couples' short break in Salzburg?

• Start with a morning at Mirabell Gardens when the light is soft and the tour groups haven't arrived yet. Walk through the Old Town, cross the Staatsbrücke and climb up to the fortress for views that are worth every step. Book dinner at St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, which traces its history back to 803 and claims to be Europe's oldest restaurant.

• Music under the fortress walls - On a summer evening, catch a free screening at the Salzburg Festival or book a Mozart concert inside the fortress. Couples' holidays don't get much more atmospheric than this.

• Hallstatt - A day trip to the lakeside village is about two hours each way by bus. It's absurdly photogenic, with pastel houses reflected in an Alpine lake. Go midweek to dodge the crowds.

• Sundowners at the Steinterrasse - The rooftop terrace at Hotel Stein looks straight across the river to the Old Town and the fortress. Time it for sunset.

• The Untersberg - Ride the cable car to 1,776 metres for views across the Salzburg basin and into Bavaria. Pack layers, and note it closes for maintenance from early November to mid-December.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What are the best things to do on a Salzburg family holiday?

• Hellbrunn Palace is the standout family day out. The trick fountains are designed to soak unsuspecting visitors and kids find it hilarious (late March to early November). Salzburg Zoo is right next door, so you can easily make a full day of it. Pack spare clothes.

• The Untersberg cable car - Up to 1,776 metres in about eight minutes, with easy trails and a restaurant at the top. Best for older kids who are confident on uneven ground (closed early November to mid-December).

• Haus der Natur - A brilliant interactive museum with a space hall, dinosaurs, an aquarium and a reptile zoo, on the edge of the Old Town by the river.

• Sound of Music tour - Surprisingly fun for older kids, even if they've never seen the film. Most tours run about four hours by minibus and cover all the main filming locations.

• Mondsee or St Wolfgang - About an hour by bus for lake swimming, paddle boats and ice cream with a mountain backdrop. Both are brilliant summer day trips.

🎉 What are the best things to do on a group weekend break in Salzburg?

• The Augustiner Bräustübl is the perfect group venue. A monastery brewery that's been pouring since 1621, where you fill your stein from wooden barrels, grab food from the stalls and sit at long tables in a tree-shaded beer garden. Sociable, authentic and no booking needed.

• Hangar-7 - Red Bull's aviation and motorsport museum at the airport, with historic planes, Formula 1 cars and a bar with a view. Free entry, and the Ikarus restaurant has a different guest chef every month.

• Rafting and canyoning - The rivers south of Salzburg are made for white-water rafting and canyoning, and local operators run group trips with transport, kit and guides included.

• Old Town walking tour - The guides cover everything from Mozart to the salt barges that gave the city its name ("salt town"). Most take about two hours. Follow it with drinks on Linzer Gasse.

• Stiegl Brauwelt - Salzburg's other famous brewery has been going since 1492, with a museum, tasting rooms and a restaurant. A proper afternoon out.

🌍 More Destinations

Austria

• 🇦🇹 Austria - Vienna, the Lake District and Alpine adventures across the country

Central Europe

• 🇭🇺 Hungary / Budapest - Thermal baths, ruin bars and one of Europe's best-value city breaks

• 🇨🇿 Prague - Gothic spires, cheap beer and Charles Bridge at sunrise

• 🇭🇷 Croatia - Dubrovnik walls, Adriatic coastline and island-hopping

City Breaks

• 🇮🇹 Rome - Ancient ruins, pizza by the slice and the Colosseum at sunset

• 🇪🇸 Barcelona - Gaudi architecture, beach culture and La Rambla

• 🇳🇱 Amsterdam - Canals, culture and a nightlife scene that goes late