After an having an amazing time at my first two stops in Germany (Frankfurt and Munich), I took a late night train to Salzburg, Austria. I arrived at about 11 pm, and luckily my hotel, the Sheraton Grand, was only an easy 10 minute walk from the train station.
Y’all the hotel is super cool – the lobby is all red and gold, very old school vibes. The elevator is also very elegantly old, so you naturally assume the rest of the hotel will be too. Stepping out of the elevator, I felt like I’d entered an entirely different hotel. The hallways and rooms are SUPER modern, and very spacious. They even left me a little welcome snack, and some chocolates each night before bed. They also have a super beautiful courtyard cafe out next to the gardens, which is perfect for breakfast.
The next morning I got up and went to visit the Mirabellgarten, which is just right outside the hotel. The Salzburg Marathon was happening the day I was there, and the finish line was near the garden, so my photos are pretty full of runners, but I still managed to get some great shots of how beautiful the gardens and palace are.
Afterwards, I wandered down the street towards the river and found a cute little outdoor cafe called Gablerbrau for a beer and a Spinach/Cheese Strudel. One tip I had learned – food on the Mirabellgarten side of the river is significantly cheaper than the Old Town side, due to the tourist traffic. If it makes sense for your timing, try to eat before crossing over!
Across the way from the cafe was a stairway, so I went up thinking it’d be a great view. I got a wonderful viewpoint and took some amazing photos of the Mirabell side of the city and the river. It looked like there was another viewpoint just a bit of a ways up, so I went thinking it would be another 20 minutes or so to see the Old Town part of the city. Turns out I was on a legit hiking trail that turned into dirt and leaf paths and a LOT of stairs. My silk blouse and Tory Burch flats were NOT prepared. I thought about turning around once I hit the THIRD set of ladder type stairs, but I’d already come to far to give up (notice my skeptical face – when I tried to locate myself on Google maps and it couldn’t find me!!).
Luckily, when I finally got to the peak (past a BEEHIVE OBSTACLE!!), there was an old abbey that had been converted into a beautiful restaurant called the Franziskischlossl so I stopped to have a drink and catch my breath. To keep track of my travels in real time, I’ve been carrying a Moleskin notebook with me, and the exact thing I wrote when I sat down was “This silk shirt I’m wearing is VERY sweaty now.” I knew there had to be an easier way up and down since there were a bunch of people in nice clothes that were not as sweaty as I was.
Luckily, when I left the restaurant, I found the super easy road down that I’d missed when I turned right at the Mozart statue instead of left – lesson learned.
When I got to the original viewpoint I’d started at, I took a few more photos then took a different set of stairs down that walked me through some incredible houses on the hill as well as a super cool church that was actually built into the side of the rock. It was called St. Johannes, and dates back to the 1300’s. It was super cool to see, and it was remarkably small which made the beauty even more apparent.
The stairs ended right across from the bridge to Old Town, so I walked over and strolled along the Getreidegasse, which is a long street with a ton of shopping – think high end and mid-level stores ranging from Burberry to H&M. I managed to do ZERO shopping during my entire trip since my suitcase was pretty full, but still had a great time checking out all the window displays.
There are two main squares in the city, the Residenzplatz and the Domplatz, both of which are absolutely beautiful, and a great spot to take a break and sit for a bit. In the Domplatz you’ll find the Salzburg Cathedral, which is absolutely breathtaking.
After checking out the Cathedral, walk a bit further into the city to St. Peter’s. The church itself is beautiful, but the real thing to see is the incredible Cemetery out back as well as the Catacombs. You can walk through the Cemetery towards the hill, and you’ll likely notice windows in the side of the rock. You can enter into the Catacombs and walk up inside the hill to see where the church and burials used to be. It’s pretty incredible to get to the window and look out realizing you’re inside the rock.
After St. Peter’s, head up to the Salzburg Fortress, which dates back to 1077 AD. They have a tram that will take you up the mountain for about 14 euro. I didn’t want to pay that much for a short tram, and so I walked up the side of the fortress, which was challenging, but not nearly as hard as my accidental morning hike. When I got to the top, they charged 9 euro to get in, and it included a ride back down, so you ended up having to pay anyways, but at least I got some more exercise!
Plan to spend a good amount of time at the Fortress – you can walk around the whole building and get some incredible views, and afterwards check out the museum where you can see the history of the city and a lot of information about WWI and how it impacted the country. When you’re done, you might as well take the tram down since it’s included in the entrance fee. It’s also a pretty cool tram – it goes almost straight down, so you’re in sections stacked like a staircase. Beware, it actually goes pretty fast!
Afterwards I headed back down and into Mozartplatz, which is the third main square in the city. Being that Mozart is from Austria, be prepared to see his name EVERYWHERE in every city you’re in. There was a violinist in the square playing and it was absolutely incredible. The one thing I wanted to do in Mozartplatz was to visit the Christmas Museum, but unfortunately they shut down ticket sales a half hour before closing, and they were closed the next day as well. The museum looks SUPER cool so if you’re in the city you should definitely plan to visit.
At 6 pm each day the bells of the church go off in Residensplatz, and it’s magical. I accidentally sat in Domplatz instead, but you could still hear everything and it was a little less crowded. It’s a good break to catch your breath and plan out the rest of the evening.
On the way out of Old Town, stop by the house Mozart was born in – you’ll know you’re there because a TON of people will just be standing around in the street looking at it. I think you can go in, but I just snapped a photo and kept going because I desperately needed some food.
I decided to walk about 20 min along the river to Augustiner Brau which was unanimously listed as the best beer hall in Salzburg. It’s a SUPER cool spot. It’s easy to overlook with just a small door on the street, and when you walk in at first I thought I was in the wrong place because it looks like a church! Once in, you’ll walk through a food hall with a bunch of stands selling various items, and a few indoor seating areas. The main attraction is downstairs and outside – you pay for a mug, and then head over to the taps and you pour your own beer straight from the barrels! It’s a really cool experience, and they have a ton of outdoor seating as well. Because of the way it’s set up, it’s a little awkward for just one person, so after walking around for a bit I ventured out to find somewhere else to eat.
A few blocks away there was a restaurant called Bärenwirt, so I stopped in for an Augustiner bier and some (more) sausage. As is typical in Germany and Austria, because I was a party of one they sat me with another table, a couple from Germany who had been living in Boston for the past two years and just moved back to Europe and settled in Salzburg. We all finished eating around the same time and were SUPER full, so they suggested we have some schnapps to help settle our stomachs. I ordered an Apricot flavor, but then learned about a schnapps that was special to Salzburg – it was made from a tree that grows nearby and has a super herby taste. I tried to get one back at the hotel, but they didn’t have it, and the bartender told me it wasn’t something a woman should drink, which of course made me want it even more. If you stop by the restaurant, make sure to get it and let me know how it is!
That night I walked back and hung out in the super cool Piano Bar at the hotel and wrote most of this post. The next morning I got up and walked the quick 10 minutes over to the train station and headed out for Vienna! Overall it was a great trip – next time I’ll make it a priority to see the Christmas Museum and get the forest flavored schnapps. Have any tips for my next trip or questions about yours? Let me know in the comments!
