Along with being quite possibly the prettiest city we’ve visited another great thing about it is that there are a number of things to do in Salzburg for free. Read on to find out a bit more about the ones we found when we went.
Mirabell Palace
Between the Station and the Old Town are the beautifully manicured gardens of the Mirabell Palace. Take your time walking around them. As you do some of it may feel familiar. This is because it featured in the filming of ‘The Sound of Music’. In summer flowers are in full bloom and fountains in operation. And what’s great is that it’s one of the things to do in Salzburg for free!
River Salzach
The River Salzach needs to be crossed from Mirabell to get into the heart of the Old Town. Because it’s so open and picturesque it’s easy to find yourselves wandering aimlessly up and down it for a bit!
Just soak it all up.
Hotel Sacher
Whilst it’s not free to partake of the delicious delicacies there’s nothing to stop you taking a look from the outside of the world famous Sacher Hotel. Home to the original Sacher-Torte it’s well worth a look.
Mozartplatz
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg so, unsurprisingly, you can feel his presence everywhere in the city. You can visit his former residence which is open every day but charges apply for that. mozarteum.at/residence
In the Old Town, however, Mozartplatz is a square which is home to a statue dedicated to the famous composer. And it’s another of the things to do in Salzburg for free!
Residenzplatz
From Mozartplatz we popped round the corner to Residenzplatz, a huge open square which is quiet and relaxed but with a fair bit going on. As well as horse and cart rides on offer, the Residence Fountain is here and it’s considered to be the most impressive in Salzburg.
This is also where the Christmas market is held in winter as well as live concerts in the summer. It, too, features in ‘The Sound of Music’.
The Castle
Standing prominently on a hill overlooking the Old Town is Fortress Hohensalzburg.
The castle is open most days and there is a charge for entry but we didn’t have time to visit.
We did, however, take full advantage of the great views from Kapitelplatz (Chapter Square) below which are absolutely free!
Salzburg Cathedral
Salzburg Cathedral is the centrepiece of the city and is really beautiful inside. The architecture is amazing and the artwork on the ceilings is incredible. This truly is one of the best things to do in Salzburg for free!
It’s also worth visiting the Crypt below. The Cathedral is open every day and absolutely free to enter. During Christmas and Festival Season in the summer, you can also take tours at set times. www.salzburger-dom.at/en/home/
Thoughts
We were fortunate that when we visited in August it was a beautiful sunny day and it was possible to spend time just wandering, sitting, watching and savouring the beauty of this small, compact City. All for free! We really want to visit again. Salzburg at Christmas time looks fantastic!
We found Salzburg to be generally more expensive than the UK. And our research tells us it’s expensive to stay here. Which is why a day trip is ideal. Whether it’s from Vienna or Munich it’s a great place to take things at a more leisurely pace and appreciate the beautiful surroundings, history and architecture. All of which is free.
Planning your trip
- Check out flights to Salzburg at Skyscanner, and
- Places to stay in Salzburg at Booking.com
- There are plenty of guidebooks on Amazon
- Check out our Is Salzburg worth a visit?
Thoughts
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6 thoughts on “Things to do in Salzburg for free”
I’d love to visit Salzburg, and Austria. Of nothing more than for the tasty desserts! That torte looked delicious and heavenly and like I would need to do a LOT of walking after eating it.
Thanks so much for your comment Emma. It really was good. And we were a bit heavier coming home!
I loved Salzburg – it’s such a beautiful city. And as you say, perfect for a day trip. We spent the day here as part of a week long holiday in Innsbruck. We ended up getting stuck in traffic so had a relatively short day in Salzburg. Still, the weather was beautiful and the city is just wonderful to explore on foot.
Well worth a visit, no matter how short!
It really is isn’t it Hannah? We hope we’ll get back there one day. Would love to visit innbruck!
I certainly think it is. We only visited Austria for Christmas markets so i would like to venture out more in better weather. I never know where I want to start. Maybe it’s in Salzburg…
Thanks for reading and commenting John. Bet the Christmas markets are amazing. Austria is such a beautiful place. We’d love to see Salzburg at Christmas.