Salzburg. The land of Mozart, Mountains and apparently the Sound Of Music. I recently visited from 6th – 9th March with my friend Jade. Admittedly not somewhere I was thinking of heading to originally but it’s so beautiful, I am glad I went!
Main Tourist Attractions:
Mozart’s House & Birth House:
We arrived in Austria in the morning and our first destination was Mozart’s birth house. I’m going to be honest, I have no clue about Mozart and yet I found myself in two places that belonged to him and I actually quite enjoyed it. At just €18 (€11 individually) you can view both. The ticket is valid over separate days so you can pick and choose when to visit either. I’m not really a museum person, but I highly recommend these both. I actually became quite fond of Mozart’s sister, Nannerl. After learning about his family I feel quite bad that she was lost in her brothers shadow.
Hohensalzburg Fortress:
Hosting beautiful views of Salzburg this is also something I really recommend you do. For just €12 return, you get the cable railway up to the top and this ticket enables you to explore the castle. Not only are the views amazing, there is a few quirky things to do within. Inside there is a puppet museum, war museum, a knights restaurant, gift shop and several other museums which all come with your ticket. We stumbled across the puppet museum and we were thoroughly freaked out and there was even a few crying children!
Mozart’s Cafe:
Loved by locals, this café sits on the highstreet just opposite Mozart’s birth house. This café is cute and the staff are super friendly. They sell amazing looking cake, hot chocolates (pictured) and home made apple strudel (personal recommendation there, it was amazing!!) definitely check it out if you need a break from walking around so much.
Cathedrals and Churches (including Petersfriedhof Graveyard):
Most cathedrals and churches in this town are free but rely on donations. We only went in a few so I cannot speak for all when I say they are free. However, the ones we went in to, pictures were allowed and you can donate on your way out. We stumbled across the Petersfriedhof graveyard by accident. However, I did feel like I was intruding, despite how beautiful it is. There were tourists taking photos but out of respect, I didn’t.
Mirabell Palace :
Unfortunately you cannot go in to this building as it’s Government owned and in use. You can take a stroll around the free gardens though, which I think would be lovely to stroll around in Spring and Summer.
Hallstatt:
Located around 3 hours away, this place is definitely worth the visit. I am sure you can get a tour bus there but we opted the local way. You can have a look > here <
Cafe Mozartwinkel:
On the left hand side of Mozart’s birth house is a cute little alley way (pictured above and below) which hosts a garden shop, a few cute stalls and a lovely little café. This was our first stop after an unexpected hike. This café is all outside and would be lovely in the summer. They sell burgers (veggie options available) for €6 and other little bits and pieces. Ideal for snacks or a light lunch. It was so lovely sitting opposite a flower shop and really got me excited for the rest of my trip.
And finally, Haus Der Natur:
Salzburg’s version of The Natural History Museum and Science Museum (and more!) all in one place! This place was amazing. The entrance fee was €8 and that’s it. I couldn’t believe it! Although most writing is in German, this museum is very interactive and has 4 floors. We arrived at around 1pm and we we’re being shooed out the door at 5pm and we did not even see all of it!
The ground floor hosts a large Aquarium, Dinosaur Hall, Science centre and a Tibet museum. The first Floor is Geosciences, The Restaurant and the Science Centre (focusing on sound – all interactive) 2nd floor has a Reptile zoo, a whole section on Space and the Universe, Wildlife of Europe, another Science Centre and a Bio Lab! (Do you see what I mean? I’ve not even finished listing the other floors yet!) 3rd floor is Fables and Legends, A museum on Asia, America, Australia and the Artic, The whole Ice Age period and animals of Africa. Finally, the last floor was based on the Human Body, The Deep Sea, Oceans, Geography, Lakes, Insects, Crystals & Rocks and Domestic animals.
Phew! That is a lot! can you understand now why we didn’t finish it? I thoroughly enjoyed this place and we decided to go on a whim!
When I mentioned that I was going to Austria every one said “Oh? Vienna?” Like Mozart’s Sister, Salzburg is shadowed!
Have you ever been? Let me know!