Salzburg in 1 Day: everything you need to know

Salzburg is a place with a great architectural, historical and cultural legacy that you will want to discover in its entirety. Therefore, if you have only one day to visit the city of Mozart, you should organize your itinerary and, thus, get to know the must-see destinations without wasting time.

For example, among the best things to do in Salzburg you can visit the Mirabell Palace and Gardens, leave a love lock on the Makartsteg Bridge and do some shopping in the shopping street Getreidegasse. Also, stroll through Mozart Square, take pictures at the Chapter House Square, take the funicular up to Hohensalzburg Fortress, etc.

Your one-day itinerary in Salzburg starts at Mirabell Palace and Gardens, located approximately 6 minutes by car or a 15-minute walk from the city center. It is a place of extraordinary beauty with a long history dating back to the 17th century.

The palace is currently occupied as the seat of the mayor's office and the city council. However, you will have free access to the famous marble hall, where some of Mozart's galas are performed.

You will also pass through the picturesque baroque gardens, with its mazes and a huge fountain. All this, built in 1606. In fact, this area is often incorporated into the tour stops of the Sound of Music in Salzburg, recalling the moment in the movie where they sing C, D, E, around the fountain.

Information of interest

• Price: admission to the gardens is free.
• Hours: daily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

The next destination to visit is the Makartsteg Bridge, about a six-minute walk from the Mirabell Gardens. This structure was erected on the banks of the Salzach River and is one of the bridges that connects the old town with the new area of the city.

As you cross the pedestrian bridge you will have the opportunity to enjoy a privileged panoramic view: the medieval buildings, the calmly flowing waters of the river and the imposing mountains that guard the city from a distance.

You will also see a series of colorful padlocks hung on the security bars of the bridge, left by couples in love. You can even take the opportunity to leave your own.

After seeing the city from the Makartsteg Bridge, you should walk about five minutes along Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz and you will reach the Getreidegasse. This is considered the main shopping artery of Salzburg, full of all kinds of stores and with a characteristic medieval air.

During your tour you will find art galleries, dozens of restaurants, cafes, ice cream parlors, fashion stores, jewelry stores, handicrafts and much more. Also, on this lively street you will find the Hagenauer House, where Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 and which today is a popular museum.

Information of interest

• Price: the walk along Getreidegasse is free, but the general admission to Mozart's house starts at approximately 14€ per person.
• Hours: access to the shopping street is free 24 hours a day. The entrance to Mozart's house is from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily.
• Address: Getreidegasse number 9.

At the end of the shopping street Getreidegasse you will find the Alter Markt square. Here you will find the Café Tomaselli, where Mozart is said to have frequented. This place was established in 1705 and is considered the oldest in the city. You can sit and recharge your batteries while enjoying a delicious coffee and dessert.

Regarding the Alter Markt square, in the middle of it you will see a monumental glass pyramid, which houses a statue. Also, in the surroundings you will see a series of buildings representative of the baroque style, including an amazing house of 1.42 meters wide, known for being the smallest in the city.

And, if you visit Salzburg in December, you will enjoy a large open-air market. This has been held since the 13th century and offers a wide range of food, handicrafts, fashion, souvenirs and more.

Approximately 300 meters or about 4 minutes walk from Alter Markt, you will reach the next destination, Mozart Square. It is an open-air place, frequented daily by locals and tourists. You can enjoy some of the splendor of the city and take some pictures to remember.

Among the monuments and buildings of interest that you can see in this square include the following:

• The Mozart Statue in the middle of the square, inaugurated during the year 1841 on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the composer's death.
• The Salzburg Museum in the southern part of the square. You will find paintings, artifacts, interactive exhibits and more.
• The Christmas Museum in the southern area of the square, with works of historical and cultural significance.
• The Tourist Office at the north end. There, you will get all the necessary tourist information. In addition, the area around the building is often the meeting point for some experiences such as a guided tour of Salzburg or other day trips and excursions in Salzburg.

Just two minutes away from the previous destination you will find the Residence Square, whose main attraction is the Residence Fountain or Residenzbrunnen. It is a monument of approximately 15 meters high representative of the baroque.

You can take amazing pictures of this fountain, composed of a series of sculptures: seahorses and men on a mountain rocks holding the fountain. A work of the Italian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi, considered one of the best fountains in Europe.

In addition, in this square you will get a very interesting contrast, because it is bounded by the facades of the bourgeois houses, the old residence (Alte Residenz) with the residences of the prince-archbishops and the new residence (Neue Residenz) or the museum of the city.

Not far from the Residenz Square, specifically about 160 meters away or a couple of minutes walk, is the next stop on your itinerary, the Salzburg Cathedral. This is a Catholic place of worship and a must-see destination on the best Salzburg tours.

When you arrive at the cathedral you will be amazed with the architectural beauty of this building belonging to the Italian Baroque style. The structure was erected in the 17th century over a primitive temple of the 8th century, which in turn had been erected on the site where Celts and Romans celebrated rituals.

You can tour the grounds on your own and discover all that it holds:

• The marble façade, on which you will see the statue of St. Paul with a sword and St. Peter with the key to heaven. Also, the patron saints of Salzburg, St. Rupert and St. Virgil.
• The cathedral organs, four of them located at the crosses and a fifth above the entrance.
• The bronze baustimal font, built in the 14th century and used to baptize both Mozart and Joseph Mohr, lyricist of the carol Silent Night.
• The towers of the cathedral, from where you can contemplate a privileged panoramic view of the city.

Information of interest

• Price: the price of the general admission is about 5€ per person. Children under 18 are free.
• Hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 11:30 am and from 12:30 pm to 6:00 pm. On Sundays you can access from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
• Address: Domplatz 1a, 5020 Salzburg.

About 130 meters or at least a 2-minute walk from Salzburg Cathedral, you will find the Chapter House Square. Here, where the abbey and the homes of the city's clergy once stood, you will find a number of attractions that will immediately catch your attention and you will not be able to avoid taking some pictures of them.

On your way through the Chapter House Square you can enjoy the following places:

• The sphere. This is a modern art sculpture belonging to the German artist Stephan Balkenhol. It is a golden sphere of at least two tons with a man standing on top of it.
• The giant chess, painted on the ground and with life-size movable pieces. If you are lucky, you might see some locals playing an interesting game.
• The commercial stalls located on one side of the square, where you can eat, drink or buy some souvenirs.

Apart from these places, in the Chapter House Square, you will also have the opportunity to contemplate a breathtaking view of the Hohensalzbug fortress. This medieval monument is a year-round venue for Mozart concerts with dinner in Salzburg.

Hohensalzburg Fortress is the next stop of your day exploring the city. This medieval castle is located at the top of the Festungsberg mountain, located at a maximum walking distance of 17 to 20 minutes from the previous destination.

Ways to ascend and descend the fortress include the following:

• By funicular. To do this, you must walk from the Chapter House Square about 92 meters or a couple of minutes to the vertical cable car station. There, you will go up in less than a minute to the monument, emblem of the city.
• On foot by a staircase. You will have to walk from the Chapter House Square about seven minutes in the direction of Hoher Weg/Oskar-Kokoschka-Weg. When you reach this street you will find a long flight of stairs, which will take you about 10 minutes.

When you reach the fortress, you will find the old arsenal and a number of museums, which will give you a better understanding of the history and culture of the city. You will also have access to some viewpoints with a 360° view of the old town, the new area, the Salzach River and the mountains of the Austrian Alps that guard Salzburg.

Information of interest

• Price: the general admission for the fortress incorporates the ascent and descent by funicular and costs an average of 13€ adults, about 8€ children 6 to 14 years old and about 29€ family groups.
• Hours: daily from 8:30 am to 9:30 pm. The funicular goes up for the last time approximately 30 minutes before the fortress closes.

The Capuchin Monastery, or Kapuzinerkloster, happens to be the last destination on this proposed itinerary for you to explore Salzburg in one day. Therefore, after getting off the Hohensalzburg Fortress you will have to walk about 20 minutes or drive approximately 9 minutes in the direction of Giselakai and Imbergstiege.

Upon arriving at the monastery, you will notice its simple architecture and sacred art. For example:

• The main wooden door, representative of the Gothic style.
• A memorial on one side of the building, dedicated to the memory of Stefan Zweig.
• A fresco dating from 1602, in which you will see the adoration of the magi.
• The main altar from the beginning of the 18th century.

In the monastery you will have access to an observation deck from where you will have a privileged panoramic view of the old town. During the sunset, you will see how the sun sets on the horizon and covers with its last rays the city and the Festungsberg mountain, on top of which stands the Hohensalzburg Fortress.

During your 1-day stay in the city of Mozart you can take advantage of Hop on Hop off bus tours in Salzburg to cover large distances and thus save time on your itinerary. This type of activity allows you to discover the city at your own pace and even enjoy the commentary of an audio guide.

You will travel on the second floor of the Salzburg sightseeing bus and can hop on and off as many times as you wish. You will have up to 12 stops assigned to you, which will take you to the main attractions of the city. Such is the case of the old town, Nonnberg Abbey, Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Hohensalzburg Fortress, among others.

• Price: the ticket price for the bus is approximately €34 per person.
• Validity: you can purchase a ticket valid for 24 or 48 hours.

If you want to save a considerable amount of money on your 1-day itinerary in the city, then the Salzburg Card will be your best ally. You will be able to access all the city's tourist attractions for free, get discounts on concerts, excursions and cultural events.

With the Salzburg Card you will not have to worry about long lines at the ticket office. It also gives you free use of the city's public transport: train, bus, funicular, the Mönchsberg elevator and Untersbergbahn, among others.

• Price: the price starts at 34€ per person.
• Validity: 24, 48 or 72 hours depending on your choice and from the first activation.