These are the experiences worth building your Salzburg trip around, from the fortress and the cathedral to the trick fountains, the Mozart museums, and the city's great beer halls and markets. The list spans the headline icons and a few local favourites, and it deliberately crosses categories — sights, history, food, and viewpoints — because the best of Salzburg is a mix of all four. The ranking is a rough guide to what most first-time visitors should prioritise rather than a strict order of merit: a wet afternoon might push the museums up your list, while a clear morning belongs to the fortress and the gardens. Almost everything sits within walking distance in or around the Old Town, so you can comfortably tick off several in a day, and a few, like Hellbrunn, sit a short bus ride out and reward a dedicated half-day. Check opening days before you go, since some museums close on Mondays or Tuesdays. Save the ones that appeal and slot them into your own itinerary.
The Best Things to Do in Salzburg
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Ride the funicular up to Europe's largest intact medieval fortress for the Golden Hall, the museums, and the city's best panorama. Salzburg's defining landmark.
Mirabell Palace & Gardens
Free Baroque gardens framing the fortress, with the Pegasus fountain and Do-Re-Mi steps made famous by The Sound of Music.
Salzburg Cathedral
The vast early-Baroque cathedral on Domplatz where Mozart was baptised. Free to enter, with a soaring rebuilt dome.
Mozart's Birthplace
The yellow house on the Getreidegasse where Mozart was born, now a museum of his childhood violin, letters, and instruments.
Getreidegasse
Salzburg's iconic medieval shopping lane, hung with ornate wrought-iron guild signs and threaded with hidden passages.
Hellbrunn Palace & Trick Fountains
A 1615 pleasure palace south of the city with playful hidden water jets, automata, and the Sound of Music gazebo in its park.
St. Peter's Abbey & Cemetery
The oldest monastery in the German-speaking world, with a beautiful arcaded cemetery and rock-cut catacombs beneath the fortress.
DomQuartier Salzburg
A circular museum route through the prince-archbishops' Residenz, the cathedral terraces, and St. Peter's collections — the Baroque heart of the Old Town.
Museum der Moderne Monchsberg
Modern art in a marble cube on the Monchsberg cliff, paired with a panoramic terrace over the whole Old Town.
Augustiner Braustubl
Austria's largest beer hall, run by monks since 1621, with barrel-poured beer and a vast chestnut beer garden in Mulln.
Salzburg Museum
The city's history museum in the Neue Residenz on Mozartplatz, with award-winning exhibitions beneath the famous Glockenspiel carillon.
Grunmarkt
The Old Town's daily green market on Universitatsplatz: produce, cheese, flowers, and snack stalls in the shadow of the Kollegienkirche.
FAQ
- What is the one thing not to miss in Salzburg?
- Hohensalzburg Fortress. It is the city's signature landmark, and the view from its ramparts — over the Old Town, the river, and the Alps — is the single best way to understand how Salzburg fits together. Go early or near closing for softer light.
- What can you do in Salzburg for free?
- Plenty: Mirabell Gardens, the cathedral, St. Peter's cemetery, the Getreidegasse, and the Monchsberg and Kapuzinerberg viewpoints are all free. A tip-based free walking tour ties the Old Town together at no fixed cost.
Make it your trip
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