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IN THE HEART OF AUSTRIA

The landmark hills of the city, the unmistakable silhouette of the historic city centre, the Baroque splendor and the narrow cobblestone streets: The Salzburg Festival is one of the world’s most prominent opera, drama and classical music festivals. These are just a few of the reasons that make Salzburg, the Rome of the North, worth visiting. And Hotel zur Post offers you a quiet refuge to return to after an exciting day in the City of Mozart.

MUST-SEE IN SALZBURG: MOZART

Salzburg, City of Mozart. Salzburg is like a giant Mozart museum: from the house in Getreidegasse in which he was born, to the Haus für Mozart concert hall, which offers the ideal space for performances of his operas.

  • Getreidegasse & shopping arcades: The famous Getreidegasse will take you back to the time of Mozart. The exquisite medieval burgher houses with their wrought-iron guild signs and the many shopping arcades between those houses are among the most popular backdrops for pictures.
  • In this place dwelt Mozart: In Mozart‘s Birthplace on Hagenauerplatz lived little Gottlieb (the German version of Amadeus) with his parents and sister, Nannerl, until he was 17. Then his family moved into the Mozart Residence am Makartplatz (reconstructed after WWII). In the courtyard now stands the Zauberflötenhäuschen, the little cabin in which Mozart is said to have done some of his composing.
  • Mozarteum: The late-historicist Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum building at Schwarstraße 28 hosts concerts throughout the year. Students from around the world flock to Mozarteum University on Mirabellplatz 1 to study music, acting and directing, music and dance education and art education. 
  • Great Operas: There are regular guided tours through Salzburg’s big three opera houses, Grosses Festspielhaus, Haus für Mozart and Felsenreitschule at Hofstallgasse 1. 
  • Mozartplatz: Schwanthaler‘s statue of Mozart was unveiled on Mozartplatz in  1842, the same year Mozart’s widow, Constanze, died in her house at Mozartplatz 8.

Photo: Tourismus Salzburg

MUST-SEE IN SALZBURG: BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE

UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Salzburg’s expansive public squares, baroque churches, palaces, and gardens were built by the rich and powerful prince-archbishops of the Holy Roman Empire. Here are our recommendations:

  • Baroque Garden Tour:  Mirabell Gardens is one of the top tourist destinations in Salzburg. Mirabell Palaceat Mirabellplatz 4, to which the gardens belong, was built by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau as a gift for his mistress, Salome Alt. Not to miss: the Angel Staircase featured in the Sound of Music and the grand Marble Hall.
  • In the footsteps of the archbishops: Over 2,000 objects spread across 15,000 sq m (161,000 sq ft) of historic space around the cathedral is waiting to be discovered in the DomQuartier at Residenzplatz 1.
  • Stroll across Mönchsberg mountain: Go where the locals like to spend a sunny afternoon and take in one of the unforgettable views of baroque Salzburg from above, whether you’re walking toward the Fortress or the Museum der Moderne.
  • Hohensalzburg Fortress: The largest completely preserved castle in Central Europe was a grand seat of power in the 16th century under Prince-Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach. Worth seeing are the original rooms from 1500 and the view of the city from above.
  • Hellbrunn Palace: In the late Renaissance, Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus had a summer residence built in the south of Salzburg (Fürstenweg 37). The centrepiece is the Mannerist trick fountains, unique in their form even today.

Photo: Tourismus Salzburg

THE BEST SHOPPING IN SALZBURG

Getreidegasse and Linzer Gasse are the best-known shopping streets of the old town. But there are also quieter corners with small shops, such as Kaigasse and Pfeifergasse at the eastern end of Mozart Square. Here are our recommendations:

Photo: Tourismus Salzburg

SWEET, SOUR AND SPICY MADE IN SALZBURG

Mozart kugels and Salzburger Nockerl are what everyone knows, but wine, cheese and schnapps distilled from local fruit are also typical of the Salzburg region. While you’re shopping the Old Town, grab a few extras to bring back to your friends as presents. If you’re looking to indulge, we have few recommendations:

  • Café-Konditorei Fürst: The home of the original Mozart kugels from the man who invented them, with shops at the following locations:
    Brodgasse 13 | Ritzerbogen | Getreidegasse 47 | Mirabellplatz 5.
  • Holzermayr: This confectionary featuring period furniture is a Salzburg institution dating back to 1865. Alter Markt 7.
  • Confiserie Braun: Originally from Hallein, Braun still makes its chocolate bonbons by hand. Churfürststr. 4
  • Berger Confiserie: Delicately filled chocolate bars, pralines and confectionery from the Pinzgau region of Salzburg. Kaigasse 39
  • R.F. Azwanger: The oldest wine and delicatessen store in Salzburg with over 5,000 products. Getreidegasse 15
  • Kaslöchl: Experience a world of cheese in the old vault under the arch at Hagenauerplatz. Hagenauerplatz 2 (across from Mozart‘s Birthplace).
  • Sporer: They make their own liqueurs, herbal bitters, schnapps and punch. Tastings are available. Getreidegasse 39

Photo: Tourismus Salzburg/Günter Breitegger

 


SALZBURG’S RICH COFFEEHOUSE TRADITION


At Tomaselli, Bazar or Schatz, you can still sense how Austrian coffeehouse culture must have been over a century ago. Take a break between shopping and sightseeing in the City of Mozart. 

  • Café Tomaselli: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a patron of this 300-year-old coffeehouse, an institution unto itself and one of the most famous cafés in the world. Alter Markt 9
  • Café-Konditorei Fürst: This is where confectioner Paul Fürst invented the world-famous Mozart kugel in 1890. It’s chocolate elevated to an art form. Brodgasse 13
  • Schatz Konditorei: Tucked away behind the historic façade in the arcade leading between Getreidegasse and Universitätsplatz, you’ll find one of the smallest and best confectioners in Salzburg. Getreidegasse 3, Schatzdurchhaus
  • Café Bazar: It’s a place of stories and history, a coffeehouse that has always been a meeting place for artists, musicians and actors. Schwarzstrasse 3

Photo: Tourismus Salzburg/Günter Breitegger


THE SALZBURG FESTIVAL


The whole city is a stage: For more than a month the city is full of music, colour, good cheer. Opera singers and celebrities mingle with the audience, stroll through the alleys, chat over food, sitting table to table with other guests. Whether you just want to enjoy the special flair or the high culture, Salzburg at is at its most vibrant during the Festival. 

  • You’ll find this year’s Festival program and any available tickets here: salzburgerfestspiele.at/karten/kalender.
  • Experience the Festival without a ticket: During the Festival recordings of the best opera productions are shown on a giant screen on Kapitelplatz under the stars for free. If you get hungry, there are several food trucks to choose from. For more information: siemens.at/festspielnaechte.
  • Festival venues: Every day at 2pm there are guided tours of the Großes Festspielhaus, Haus für Mozart and Felsenreitschule. Tickets are available 15 minutes before the start of the tour in the Festspielshop at the Festspielhaus.

For more information about Salzburg and the Festival: salzburg.info

Photo: Tourismus Salzburg

A DAY IN HELLBRUNN

The 400-year-old Mannerist palace and the extensive grounds are a work of art. Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus had the palace built in the south of Salzburg as his summer residence, the most beautiful north of the Alps. The original trick fountains with their grottos and mechanical theatres are also worth seeing, but so are fish ponds in the park, the zoo and the Stone Theatre, the oldest open-air theatre north of the Alps.

Our recommendation: Walk from the park to the zoo. After visiting the Africa section, leave the zoo at the Anif exit. Pass the Stone Theatre, cross Hellbrunn Hill (don't miss the overlook point for a great view of the city) and go past the late-Renaissance Monatsschlössl and you’ll nearly be back in Hellbrunn park. > Hellbrunn trick fountains

  • Address: Fürstenweg 33, 5020 Salzburg
  • Information and opening hours: hellbrunn.at
  • What to do afterward: Enjoy the sun in the park, at the goldfish ponds and the trick fountains at Hellbrunn Palace. Then stroll 2.8 km (1.7 mi) along Hellbrunner Allee back into the city of Salzburg. The tree-lined alley is also from the time of Markus Sittikus, making it the oldest of its kind in the world. 

Photo: Tourismus Salzburg/Sulzer

 

QUIET PLACES IN SALZBURG

Escape the hustle and bustle. Busy places like Getreidegasse, Mozart's Birthplace, Mirabell Gardens and Hohensalzburg Fortress are where the people are. But there are also a few secret places that are not overcrowded. Here are three places we recommend:

  • St. Sebastian Cemetery [BW1] off Linzer Gasse. It was modeled after the Campo Santo cemetery in Rome. Paracelsus, Leopold Mozart and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's wife, Constanze, are buried here. Not to miss: Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau’s mausoleum.  atlasobscura.com
  • The Capuchin monastery on Kapuzinerberg mountain overlooking the city. The steep path along the calvary is already worth the effort. The view of the Old Town is sublime. Take the Imbergstiege stairway on the way down, past all the romantic little houses and the tiny church of St. John’s. 
  • Nonnberg Abbey. On the eastern foothills of Festungsberg mountain lies the world's oldest Christian nunnery, which you may already know from The Sound of Music. It was founded at the beginning of the 8th century by Erentrudis, a relative of Salzburg’s patron saint, St. Rupert. The rebuilt late-Gothic abbey church is worth seeing as is the view of the Old Town and Nonntal valley. 

Photo: Erzdiözese Salzburg/ Josef Kral


SALZBURG FROM ABOVE


The baroque city and its city mountains are world famous. But who’s seen the view from these mountains? If you want to experience great hiking in the city, the parking lot at Augustiner Bräu brewery in the Mülln neighbourhood is the place to start. Take the stairs to the right of the beer garden and walk up to Augustinergasse and along the road up Mönchsberg mountain. After the next staircase, walk through both stone gates, Monikapforte and Augustinerpforte, and immediately afterwards take a sharp left onto the narrow path. Below the castle-like Hotel Mönchsstein, the path continues along the mountain side. After a few meters, descend to the left using the stairs to Humboldterrasse, one of the best viewpoints of all (if you’re not scared of heights). Then walk back up and continue on the upper path. At the Museum der Moderne (1.4 km/0.87 mi, 30 min.), you’ll see the next popular view of the city. If you want to do a big loop, continue on toward Festungsberg mountain and Nonnberg Abbey (3.2 km/2 mi, 1 hour). Above Sigmundstor, the entrance to the tunnel through the mountain, and at the fortress are also great overlook points. To get back down into the city, you can take the Mönchsberg elevator at the museum, the Toscanini Staircase at the Festspielhaus, or the FestungsBahn funicular from the fortress, or walk down Festungsgasse or the Nonnbergstiege staircase). Make your way back to Augustiner Bräu through the Old Town toward the church in Mülln. > Salzburg – stage of the world

Photo: Salzburg Tourismus / Günter Breitegger