Surrounded by Alpine peaks on Austria’s border with Germany, Salzburg’s long past is etched into the Alstadt’s aged cobblestone streets. Tracing its earliest origins back to the days of the Roman Empire, Salzburg came to prominence in the 8th century AD as a religious and monastic centre, a tradition that continues to this day.
Overshadowed by the high ramparts of the imposing Hohensalzburg Fortress and home to some of Austria’s oldest monasteries, Salzburg is more than simply the backdrop to the Sound of Music. The birthplace of Mozart is a city that was made for history lovers, and with flights to Salzburg from major cities across the world, there’s never been a better time to explore.
Keep reading to discover the most historic places to visit in Salzburg.
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The best historic places to visit in Salzburg
From the towering walls of Hohensalburg Fortress to the quirky ‘trick fountains’ of Hellbrunn Palace, here are the best historic sights in Salzburg.
1. The Hohensalzburg Fortress
The first stop for history-loving travellers in Salzburg should always be the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Built atop the Festungsberg Mountain (which rises to over 500 metres above sea level), this 11th-century castle is one of the largest to be found anywhere in Europe.
From the Altstadt below, it’s a steep twenty-minute walk to the fortress’s main gate; or you can hop on the FestungsBahn Funicular for a quicker trip to the mountain’s summit. Explore centuries of history as you stroll around the ramparts, peer into stately rooms and enjoy sweeping views of the Alps from tall turrets.
2. The Altstadt
Salzburg’s Altstadt, or Old Town, has sat at the heart of the city for well over a thousand years. Situated on the left bank of the River Salzach, it’s easy to get lost amongst winding medieval streets lined with traditional guildhouses and Baroque buildings.
Begin with Getreidegasse, once the centre of guild activity, and now a busy shopping street in the middle of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here you’ll also find Mozart’s birthplace (more on that below!), as well as historic sights like St Peter’s Abbey and Salzburg Cathedral.
On the Altstadt’s western flank, walk to the top of Mönchsberg for a bird’s eye view of the historic centre of Salzburg.
3. Mozart’s Birthplace and Residence
On 27th January 1756, Salzburg’s most famous son was born in a humble townhouse on Getreidegasse. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart would change the musical world, and since 1880, his birthplace has rightly been preserved as a museum.
Fans of the composer should also cross the river to visit Mozart’s Residence on Makarplatz, where he also spent several years of his early life before moving to Vienna. Head to the Mirabell Palace, too, which hosts regular concerts featuring Mozart’s best works.
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4. Salzburg Cathedral
Salzburg Cathedral is one of the city’s most historic religious sites. The cathedral you’ll find in today’s DomQuartier is a 17th-century Baroque-style reconstruction of an earlier cathedral, which was built around the 12th century AD.
This earlier medieval church was itself built on the foundations of an even older religious site, thought to have 8th-century AD foundations. The wider DomQuartier is home to archepiscopal residences, while inside the cathedral itself, you’ll find the font where Mozart was baptised.
5. St Peter’s Abbey
Salzburg has long been at the centre of Europe’s Christian world, and no place demonstrates this religious history more than St Peter’s Abbey. Thought to have been founded in the 7th century AD, St Peter’s Abbey claims to be the oldest monastery in the German-speaking world.
Learn more in the museum, and explore historic religious artworks in the galleries. Mozart composed some of his earliest music in the abbey, while the catacombs below were made famous in The Sound of Music.
6. Mirabell Palace & Gardens
One of Salzburg’s most historic tourist attractions is the Mirabell Palace, where you’ll find a history dating back to 1606. Built by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, the lavish palace and gardens were intended as a symbol of Salzburg’s wealth and influence within the Holy Roman Empire.
The palace originally drew on fashionable (for the time) Italian and French designs, but was later rebuilt in the Baroque style it’s now famed for in the early 18th century. Step inside and you’ll be awed by the Marble Hall’s grandeur, while Mirabell Gardens offer geometrically aligned views of the imposing Hohensalzburg Fortress on the skyline.
7. Nonnberg Abbey
Nonnberg Abbey, which sits in the shadow of the Festungsberg mountain, is yet another of Salzburg’s historic religious sights. The abbey also traces its origins back to the 8th century AD, and is now one of the oldest continuously operating Benedictine convents in the German-speaking world.
Today you’ll see an impressive array of architectural styles, reflecting the changes made through the centuries, from Romanesque to Gothic. The Nonnberg Abbey inspired the story behind The Sound of Music, and every morning, the nuns sing traditional choral songs as they have for centuries.
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8. Hellbrunn Palace
On the southern outskirts of Salzburg, you’ll find Hellbrunn Palace, a palatial retreat constructed in the early 17th century for one of the city’s wealthy archbishops. The palace was intended to reflect the style and atmosphere of an Italian villa, and like many of Salzburg’s grandest buildings, was shaped into a work of magnificent Baroque architecture.
The palace itself, though, has long been outshone by its famous ‘trick fountains’, a network of theatrical water theatres intended to surprise guests when they were being entertained in the gardens. The fountains are still surprising tourists to this day, while the unusual Mechanical Theatre – an opera-playing, musical contraption, also powered by water – adds yet another quirky, historical touch to Hellbrunn Palace.
9. Augustiner Bräustübl
After all that sightseeing and centuries of history, I expect you’re quite ready for a beer. You’re in the right city, because Salzburg is home to one of the oldest (and largest) beer halls in Austria.
Head to Augustiner Bräustübl, and you’ll find a traditional Austrian beer hall and brewery established by Augustinian monks in 1621. Back then, beer was traditionally served in stone pitchers, scooped directly out of wooden barrels.
Guess what? That tradition continues, and once you’ve got your very own traditional stone tankard, you’ll serve yourself from the wooden barrels arrayed across the beer hall and beer garden. It’s the perfect way to end your historic tour of Salzburg.
There you are; the best places to visit in Salzburg for history lovers. Where will you be going first? Let us know in the comments below!
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