Salzburg

Visiting Mozart’s Town of Salzburg, Austria During the Winter Advent Season

Salzburg, Austria is one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in Europe. There is an abundance of old world charm and cultural attractions to fill your time. From classical concerts to Sound of Music filming locations, it is hard to fit everything in to just a few days, especially when you are also there during the Advent season.

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To keep things manageable (and readable), I have broken down all-things-Salzburg into a couple different posts: one for all the things to see and do and another separate in-depth post for the Christmas Markets. This one is for all the top attractions – historical, cultural, culinary, and scenic!

To read my accompanying post about the Christmas Markets we visited in Salzburg, click here.

We were in Salzburg for a solid 48 hours over the course of 3 days, arriving around noon on the first day and leaving around 2 pm on the third day. We didn’t do absolutely everything we could have. If you are trying to figure out your timing, 2 days is sufficient, but 3 – 4 days would allow you more time to explore some of the outlying areas, visit museums, and enjoy everything at a slower pace. That being said, I loved our blast of Salzburg and would return in a heartbeat!

I don’t really think there is an especially unfavorable time to visit Salzburg. Every season has its own charms and festivals. We were there in early December. There wasn’t yet any snow on the ground at lower elevations in Austria, but there was definitely Christmas in the air — and by that I mean roasted chestnuts, outdoor Advent performances, and a little chill.

Ok. So, where to start? Let’s start at the very beginning (wink). We arrived in Salzburg by train around noon and had a 20 minute walk to our hotel in Old Town. This might sound like a bit of a haul considering we had our luggage in tow, but I’m so glad we did it. The views along the way are so pretty!

Above photos: Views of Salzburg

As soon as we crossed over the bridge, we were greeted by a stand selling roasted chestnuts. If you’ve never had them, you must. They are even better as street food that you can snack on as you navigate your way down the quaint streets of Old Town.

Above photos: Street vendor selling roasted chestnuts

Salzburg Historical Landmarks and Cultural Attractions

DomQuartier
Stiftskulinarium Dinner Concert
Fortress Hohensalzburg
Mirabell Palace & Gardens
Mozarts Geburtshaus
Petersbrunnen and St. Peter Cathedral (Stiftskirche St. Peter)
Friedhof St. Peter (Petersfriedhof) Cemetery
Getreidegasse
Café Tomaselli
Organ Concert in Salzburg Cathedral

DomQuartier

Once we were checked-in to our hotel and dropped our bags, we were immediately out the door again to start our adventure in Salzburg. Our first order of business was to tour the DomQuartier, which is comprised of the Baroque State rooms, Residenzgalerie, the terrace of the Cathedral arch, the North Oratory, the organ loft of the Cathedral, the Cathedral Museum, Cabinet of Art and Curiosities, the Long Gallery and Museum of St. Peter’s Abbey. All of that! It’s beautiful and time very well spent becoming immersed in the history and culture of Salzburg.

Above photo: Entrance area of the DomQuartier by Elmar Trenkwalder

Above photo: The White Hall (left)

Above photos: Ceiling paining in The Knights Hall (left); The Carabinieri Hall (right)

Above photo: The Beautiful Gallery (left)

Above photos: Works of art in the Residenzgalerie: Peter Paul Rubens, Allegory of Emperor Charles V as World Ruler (left); Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, children in the window (right)

Above photo: View of Salzburg Cathedral from the organ loft

Classical Music

When in Salzburg it is impossible to not feel the influence of its most famous resident, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. There is ample opportunity to hear the music of the late-composer played at chamber performances throughout the city. We decided on a dinner concert at St. Peter Stiftskulinarium.

While enjoying a traditional baroque 3-course dinner, we listened to musicians and opera singers of the Amadeus Consort Salzburg perform arias and duets. The venue, menu, and music all combined to time travel to Mozart’s world.

Above photos: Dinner concert at St. Peter Stiftskulinarium

Along with the Stiftskulinarium, the performances at the Mirabell Marble Hall and Fortress Hohensalzburg offer a similar experience. Make reservations for at least one of these to fully immerse yourself in the zeitgeist of baroque times.

Fortress Hohensalzburg

The Fortress Hohensalzburg is a hilltop castle overlooking Salzburg and its surrounding neighborhoods. It is one of the largest existing 11th century fortress complexes in Europe. While it was built to protect the prince bishops and the principality itself from attack, it never actually was attacked.

To get to the castle, just jump on the Festungs Bahn funicular located in Old Town. Alternatively, you could walk up:). Tickets for the funicular and entrance to the castle can be purchased as an all-in-one at the funicular station.

Above photos: Festungs Bahn funicular

Once you arrive at the top, the castle is yours to explore. The first thing we did was stop on the terrace for the views over the rooftops of Salzburg. As we made our way through the castle grounds, courtyards, and bastions, the views kept coming.

Above photos: Panoramic views from Fortress Hohensalzburg

The visit to the castle is 1000% worth it for the panoramic views alone. The museums are just the icing on the cake. The Marionette Museum was really interesting and unique. Most of the puppets were really cute, and a few were a little creepy.

Above photos: Salzburg Marionette Museum

Before you go be sure to check the official website for opening hours and special events. Various tours and concerts are on throughout the year. While we were there, we got to see the everything decorated for Christmas and the Romantic Advent Market in the Castle Courtyard.

Above photos: Christmas Market in the Courtyard (left); St Georgs Church (right)

Mirabell Palace & Gardens

Mirabell Palace was built in 1606 by Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his wife. The most famous room inside is the Marble Hall and the Angel Staircase that leads up to it. It definitely lives up to the hype! The rest of the palace houses the administrative offices for the city and the Mayor of Salzburg.

Above photo: Mirabell Palace

As beautiful as the palace courtyard and Marble Hall are, the gardens are even more so. When we visited in December, there wasn’t much to see in the way of flowers. However, the architecture of the landscaping, fountains, and greenery still showed off the baroque geometric shapes and sculpture work.

Above photo: Mirabell Gardens

Of course, the gardens are immediately recognizable from the film classic The Sound of Music. The Pegasus Fountain looks exactly the same as it did when the Von Trapp children danced around it.

Above photos: Mirabell Gardens and the Pegasus Fountain

Mirabell Gardens is one of the places visited on The Sound of Music tour. Although we did not do the official tour, we did see several of the filming locations around Salzburg in our self-guided wanderings. I would love to do the tour during the summer months!

Mozarts Geburtshaus

Wofgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756 in the “Hagenauer Haus” of Getreidegasse 9. Today, the house is a museum dedicated to the life and work of Salzburg’s most famous son.

In addition to Mozart’s birth house, there are many other Mozart-related landmarks in Salzburg where he lived, composed, and performed during the course of his lifetime including Mozart Residence, Mozart Sound and Film Collection, and the Magic Flute House.

Above photo: W. A. Mozart’s Geburtshaus in Old Town

Petersbrunnen and St. Peter Church

There is a whole lot of St. Peter in Salzburg starting out with Petersbrunnen, which is a fountain located in a plaza near the entrance to the Abbey Church.

Above photos: Entrance to St. Peter Abbey Church

St. Peter Abbey is a Benedictine monastery and is considered the oldest in existence within the German-speaking region of Europe. The Abbey Church is a truly splendid ornate church decorated with beautiful artwork and ceiling frescos. It was built in the 12th century and renovated several times over the centuries. Both Mozart and Hayden have strong ties to St. Peter Abbey, each having written masses.

St. Peter Abbey Church, Salzburg, Austria

Above photos: St. Peter Abbey Church

St. Peter Cemetery

Just behind St. Peter Church is the hidden gem of St. Peter Cemetery and Catacombs. The cemetery is one of the oldest burial sites in Europe and is the resting place of many notable figures. It was originally intended for the members of the monastery with only priests and monks buried here up to the year 1454. The arcades around the cemetery are family vaults from the 17th century. The small gothic Margaret Chapel is situated in the middle of the cemetery and is now used for lying in repose.

St. Peter Cemetery was also the inspiration for a scene in The Sound of Music. The arcades were rebuilt in a Hollywood studio for the scene when the Nazis were searching for the Von Trapps and the family was hiding behind the tombstones.

Above photos: St. Peter Cemetery and Margaret Chapel

A special feature of the cemetery are the catacombs, which date back to 215 AD. The rock caves were hewn into the hill at the edge of the cemetery. A staircase leads to two chapels located in the caves.

Above photo: St. Peter Catacombs

The Getreidegasse and Streets of Old Town

One of the best things to do is Salzburg is simply walk through the streets of Old Town discovering traces of history alongside its many high end shops. The Getreidegasse is especially well-known for its wrougt-iron guild symbols and passageways. Many of the buildings that line Getreidegasse have public passageways on the ground floor that connect with the Griesgass and courtyards.

Above photos: The Getreidegasse

A few great shops to keep your eyes out for include:

Café Mozart: Another coffee institution in Salzbrug with a long history and well-known for its fluffy Salzburger Nockerl. The café was a popular meeting place for writers and musicians, and later became home to the legendary Mozart Chess Club.
Manner: Home of the wafer cookie! You can find the basic flavors in the States, but the Manner shop on Residenzplatz has a massive selection plus great souvenir tins.
Confiserie Fürst: There are multiple locations where you can purchase the original Mozart Balls, but the Confiserie Fürst locations on Ritzerbogen and Getreidegasse had the best window displays.
Christmas in Salzburg: Located towards the far end of Judengasse near Mozartplatz, this shop has thousands upon thousand of traditional egg ornaments for both Christmas and Easter. These colourful creations are all made from real eggs that have been hollowed and hand decorated.

Above photos: Café Mozart and Manner

Above photos: Confiserie Fürst

Above photos: Christmas in Salzburg

Café Tomaselli

Café Tomaselli is located in Old Town on the Alter Markt and has been run by the Tomaselli family for generations. It is the oldest coffee house in Austria, visited by famous figures including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Max Reinhardt. Even today, it continues to be a popular meeting place for locals, visitors, actors, musicians and opera stars.

Need a perfect way to start your day? Head over to Tomaselli’s and order the apple strudel!

Above photos: Café Tomaselli

Organ Concert at Salzburg Cathedral

We really saved the best for last in Salzburg. On our last afternoon, we sat for an organ concert at Salzburg Cathedral. Regular concerts take place throughout the year and also during the Advent season. This experience was without a doubt a highlight and soul-moving way to end our time in Salzburg. We purchased our tickets online in advance here.

Above photos: Organ concert in Salzburg Cathedral

Where to stay in Salzburg

When choosing accommodations in Salzburg, my advice is to stay central and within walking distance to the markets and attractions you are most interested in spending time. Either bank of the Salzach River has great options. The east bank is closer to public transportation and Mirabell Palace. The west bank is closer to Old Town and Hohensalzburg Fortress.

Since the main Christmas Market and most of the attractions we planned to see were in Old Town, we stayed in the middle of all of that near the pedestrianized Getreidegasse at Hotel Elefant. This uber charming boutique hotel is one of the oldest in Salzburg and is run by the 4th generation of the family. We loved our stay! Additionally, the hotel has a tavern on the second floor in case you are too tuckered out to leave for dinner.

Above photo: Hotel Elefant entrance on Sigmund-Haffner-Gasse

More photos of Salzburg

Being in Salzburg during the Advent season, we heavily shopped the Christmas Markets and enjoyed seeing the town completely lit up for Christmas. It was a magical time to be there!