3 Days in Salzburg – Updated Jan 2021.
Salzburg. The land of Mozart, Mountains and apparently the Sound Of Music (not a fan, sorry!) Visiting for 3 days (not including Hallstatt) in March, Salzburg was a destination that I wouldn’t have picked to visit, but surprised me completely. With just enough snow left on the mountain tops, but warm enough to walk around without a coat, Salzburg was the perfect destination to kick off spring. Here is my guide to a few things that can make your 3 days in Salzburg awesome!
Main Tourist Attractions (Recommendations)
Mozart’s House & Birth House
Address: Mozarts Geburtshaus, Getreidegasse 9, 5020 Salzburg
After landing in Austria and only having only 3 days in Salzburg, we wanted to make the most of our trip and do as much as possible! Our sights were set on the first destination of the day the second we arrived in to town, Mozart’s House (and birth house!) Admittedly, I am not cultured enough to call myself a fan of Mozart, yet I found myself slap bang in the centre of his world (and loving it!)
These are two separate destinations that you’ll need to buy a ticket for. A combination ticket is currently priced at €18.50, or individual tickets are €12 each. There are several different ticket prices so I have popped a screenshot below for you. When I visited, the lady on the door informed me that these tickets were valid over several days, so there was no rush. Please double check this as it may not be in the current guidelines.
After taking a slow stroll around Mozart’s Birth House (Mozarts Geburtshaus), I found myself becoming quite fond of Mozart’s sister, Nannerl (or Maria Anna). Unfortunately labelled as the underdog since Mozart’s birth 5 years later. Nannerl was also considered a musical prodigy, but was lost in her brother’s shadow, and later fell out with him because of this.
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Address: Mönchsberg 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
If you want the best views of Salzburg, Hohensalzburg Fortress is one of the top places to add to your bucket list. Hosting some of the most beautiful views of Salzburg, there is more to this Fortress which meets the eye. If you head inside the castle, you will find a quirky puppet museum (Mariette museum). I visited inside this for a short time before running out! Haha. There is also a historical War and Arsenal museum, with a fitting Knight themed restaurant and gift shop nearby.
To get inside the Fortress, you will need to take a cable railway to the top. The basic ticket price includes everything I have listed above, with an audio guide too. This is € 12.90 for adults and € 7.40 for children. They also have a combined family ticket option too. There is also another ticket available called “Footpath” which covers Entrance courtyards and access to an observation tower. This is not included in the Basic Ticket that I listed above and can be purchased separately.
Note: From 2021 there will be amendments to tickets and attractions you can visit. As there are several different types of tickets available, I have provided the main ticket type with details below. I got all updated ticket information from the official Salzburg information website, so it’s worth double checking if you need more details before your visit!
Personal Tourist Destinations I recommend
Café Mozart
Address: Getreidegasse 22, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Just opposite Mozart’s birth house in the highstreet, this cute cafe is the perfect rest stop in town. A lot of the time locals avoid touristy hotspots, but when I visited this cafe, the staff informed us that the Mozart’s cafe is actually popular with the locals too! Speaking of which, the staff really went above and beyond to make me feel welcome when I visited. I’ve not experienced customer service like it!
I ordered the hot chocolate (with soy milk), cake and a homemade Apple Strudel. Not only do I personally recommend you try the house Apple Strudel, but the staff do too! The atmosphere was really lovely and homey (despite its size – it’s massive!) and inside feels like a quiet tea room.
Cathedrals and Churches (including Petersfriedhof Graveyard)
Address: Petersfriedhof: Sankt-Peter-Bezirk 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
If you’re looking for something free to do, visit the grand Cathedrals and churches in town. Although free, most destinations like this do rely on donations to visit (you can donate on your way out if you want). These Cathedrals always look beautiful on the outside and usually put your life into perspective on the inside! I do not have a specific recommendation, as a few are dotted around town. However, if you stumble across one, definitely go in.
Additionally, I accidentally stumbled across the famous Petersfriedhof Graveyard! If the name is not sounding familiar, maybe the picture below could jog your memory. The graveyard itself is very beautiful.
Mirabell Palace
Address: Mirabellplatz, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
One of the top places to visit, but I do have some bad news for you. You cannot go inside the building, as it is still used by the Government to this day. You can however take a stroll around the free gardens (go through the arch of the building to access it) and enjoy the views. Mirabell Palace garden definitely looks pretty in all seasons, but I would specifically say to visit it in Spring/Summer when they have taken extra care to make all the flowers colourful.
Hallstatt (Not in Salzburg!)
If you’re thinking of visiting Salzburg, I have no doubt that a visit to Hallstatt is on the agenda for you too. Located around 3 hours away, this place was definitely worth the trek. Where we were staying, we had to grab a bus, train and a boat to get to the small town. I wrote a post on Hallstatt in more detail (with beautiful pictures too) and you can read all about that here! (Hallstatt Photo Journal)
Cafe Mozartwinkel
Address: Universitätspl. 5, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
On the left hand side of Mozart’s birth house is a cute little alleyway (pictured above and below) which hosts a garden shop, a few cute stalls and a lovely little café. Another cafe that I stumbled upon by mistake! After an unexpected hike, we stopped off here for a breather. The cafe is entirely based entirely outside and surrounded by plants (my kind of place!) So if you’re visiting in the future (aka after 2020), it would be perfect after the pandemic! The menu is a little basic and small (think sandwiches and burgers) but it was the perfect stop for a light lunch.
Try the Mozart Balls!
Not related to the cafes, but writing about food got me thinking about the chocolates; Mozartkugel (yes, Mozart chocolate balls you filthy minded person..)
There are nine different types of Mozartkugel, all varying ingredients. I tried the Pistachio version and the alcoholic Cherry version. You can grab these in supermarkets as a multi pack or individually. Warning: if purchasing individually, they can get expensive really quickly!
Haus Der Natur
Address: Museumspl. 5, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
On our final recommendation of Salzburg (and maybe my biased top thing to do?) is… Salzburg’s version of The Natural History Museum and Science Museum. This place was amazing. With an entrance fee of €8.50, I was very shocked at the price, because honestly… It’s worth so much more!
If you can read German, this place is definitely for you. If you cannot, there are a few exhibits in English but the visual and interactive aspect of it, makes up for what you cannot read.
With several floors, Haus Der Natur is open from 9- 5 daily. We arrived at around 1pm and honestly it just wasn’t enough time. We were the last people to leave at 5 and we had only covered 2 floors!
Here is a list of what’s on each floor, so if you’re there for a short time you can just head straight to it.
- Ground floor: Aquarium, Dinosaur Hall, Science Centre and Tibet museum.
- First Floor: Geosciences, The Restaurant, The Science Centre (Sound focused, all interactive!)
- Second floor: Reptile Zoo, Space and the Universe, Wildlife of Europe, Another Science Lab and also a Bio Lab.
- Third Floor: Fables and Legends, Museum of Asia, America, Australia and the Arctic. Including focus on the Ice Age and Animals of Africa.
- Fourth Floor: The Human Body, The Deep Sea and Ocean study, General Geography, Lakes, Insects, Crystals and rocks and finally all domestic animals.
Phew! I would definitely recommend visiting this destination if you have a lot of time instead of a short pop in. Haus Der Natur is absolutely perfect if you have kids or you want to be a big kid yourself! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and wish I had more time to explore.
Final Thoughts On Salzburg
That concludes my blog post on my 3 days in Salzburg! It was an amazing experience and I definitely recommend it. As I write and update this post in 2020, I can say that I have now also visited Vienna, and my original statement for Salzburg definitely still is relevant to this day. This is what I wrote:
“When I mentioned that I was going to Austria every one said “Oh? Vienna?” Like Mozart’s Sister, Salzburg is shadowed!”
Salzburg is much better in my opinion!
Have you ever been to Salzburg? Do you think 3 days in Salzburg was enough? Let me know in the comments!
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