Salzburg is one of the most picturesque cities in Europe, the old town filled with cobbled streets and endless landmarks to explore. It is engulfed in mountains so everywhere you look you are greeted with the most spectacular scenery. It is also home to the filming of the famous Sound of Music with points of interest all over the city. We stayed in the central city, walking distance to all the main places to visit.

To really get into the spirit of things we embarked on a Sound of Music bicycle tour around the city. It is mostly flat with only a couple of hills so is nice and relaxing. We went with a company called Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour and they were fantastic. We started at the Mirabell Palace and Gardens and made our way up to the Monastery for some lovely views. We then headed off into the countryside to see all the fabulous filming locations and finished off the tour with a brief stop in the Old Town for a gander at some old landmarks.

Wondering around the Old Town area of Salzburg was our absolute favourite activity. We stumbled across so many interesting places to visit. A must-see is St Peter’s Cemetery and Catacombs. For only a couple of Euro you gain admission to explore the catacombs which have been carved into the rockface above the church cemetery. There is also a great view of the wonderful Salzburg Cathedral from the top of the stairs.

The Fortress Hohensalzburg looms over the Old Town as you wonder down streets and alleys, exploring old churches and town squares. Residenzplatz, Mozartplatz and Kapitelplatz are breathtaking places to see and to stop for a coffee to admire and imagine the history that took place in these squares. We loved having a look around the Franciscan Church (free entry) which has a lovely (and quiet) old market square near the entrance.

A stroll along the Makartsteg River is a lovely way to spend a couple of hours. At various points of the track you get good views of the old city walls and the Old Town itself. A stop over at Makartsteg bridge (aka lovelock bridge) is a fun diversion.

If you enjoy hearty food then you will love the food here in Salzburg. We visited a couple of traditional beer houses for a taste of some monastic brewed beer and some delicious sausage based cuisine. We enjoyed our time at both Augustiner Bräustübl and Die Weisse. The various street food on offer around the city was also great for a cheap meal, we particularly enjoyed the pretzels.

Overall our time in Salzburg was absolutely magical. It is not the cheapest place to visit, however the rewards are immense, everywhere you look is stunning. Go in Late September or October when there are less crowds and you can explore the place at leisure.

Here is a breakdown of my costs for 1 person for 2 days:

Accommodation – E50 (NZ$84)
Food/Drink – E75 (NZ$126)
Activities – E45 (NZ$76)
Taxis – E5 (NZ$8)
Total spent – E175 (NZ$294)