Planning a trip to Salzburg
Salzburg is only a short distance from the Austrian-German frontier, so it's convenient for exploring many of the nearby attractions in Bavaria (covered in Frommer's Germany and Frommer's Munich & the Bavarian Alps). On the northern slopes of the Alps, the city is at the intersection of traditional European trade routes and is well served today by air, Autobahn, and rail.
City Layout
Most of what visitors come to see lies on the left bank of the Salzach River in the Altstadt (Old Town). If you're driving, you must leave your car in the modern part of town -- the right bank of the Salzach -- and enter the Old Town on foot, as most of it is for pedestrians only.
The heart of the inner city is Residenzplatz, which has the largest and finest baroque fountain this side of the Alps. On the western side of the square stands the Residenz, palace of the prince-archbishops; and, on the southern side, is the Salzburg Dom (Salzburg Cathedral). To the west of the Dom lies Domplatz, linked by archways dating from 1658. Squares to the north and south appear totally enclosed.
On the southern side of Max-Reinhardt-Platz and Hofstallgasse, edging toward Mönchsberg, stands the Festspielhaus (Festival Theater), built on the foundations of the 17th-century court stables.
Street Maps -- You'll find handy pocket-size maps, with street indexes, all over the city at bookstores, newsstands, and hotels.
Neighborhoods In Brief
Altstadt -- Most visitors head for the Altstadt, or Old Town, on the left bank of the Salzach, that part stretching from the river to Mönchsberg. This is a section of narrow streets (many from the Middle Ages) and slender houses, in complete contrast to the town constructed by the prince-archbishops across the river. The Old Town contains many of Salzburg's top attractions, including the cathedral, Mozart's birthplace, and St. Peter's Cemetery.
Nonnberg -- The eastern hill occupied by the Hohensalzburg Fortress, Nonnberg, rises to 455m (1,493 ft.). Some of the scenes from The Sound of Music were shot here. Nonnberg stands to the south of Kajetanerplatz. Stift Nonnberg is a Benedictine nunnery founded about A.D. 700 by St. Rupert. Dominating the entire district, however, is the towering Hohensalzburg Fortress, lying south of the Old Town on the southwestern summit of Mönchsberg.
Mönchsberg -- To the west of the Hohensalzburg, this area is a mountain ridge slightly less than 3km (2 miles) long. It rises over the Old Town to a height of 542m (1,778 ft.). Fortifications atop it are from the 15th through the 17th centuries.
Right Bank -- The newer part of town is on the right bank of the Salzach, below Kapuzinerberg, the right-bank counterpart of Mönchsberg. This peak rises 637m (2,090 ft.) and is a lovely woodland area.
Fast Facts
American Express -- The office, located at Mozartplatz 5-7 (tel. 0662/8080), adjacent to Residenzplatz, is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday 9am to noon.
Babysitters -- Arrangements can be made through Hilfswerk Salzburg, Klessheimer Allée 45 (tel. 0662/1799), at a cost of 10€ to 15€ ($16-$24) per hour.
Business Hours -- Most shops and stores are open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. Some smaller shops shut down at noon for a lunch break, which can last 1 or 2 hours. Saturday hours in general are 9am to noon. Salzburg observes langer Samstag, which means that on the first Saturday of every month, most stores stay open 9am to 5pm. Banks are open Monday to Friday 8am to noon and 2 to 4:30pm.
Currency Exchange -- You can exchange money at the Hauptbahnhof, on Südtirolerplatz, daily from 7am to 10pm, and at the airport daily from 9am to 4pm.
Dentists -- For information on how to find an English-speaking dentist, call Dentistenkammer, Faberstrasse 2 (tel. 0662/873466).
Doctors -- If you suddenly fall ill, your best source of information for finding a doctor is the reception desk of your hotel. If you want a comprehensive list of doctors and their respective specialties, which you can acquire in Salzburg or even before your arrival, contact Ärztekammer für Salzburg, Bergstrasse 14, A-5020 Salzburg (tel. 0662/871327). And if your troubles flare up over a weekend, the Medical Emergency Center of the Austrian Red Cross maintains a hotline (tel. 141), which you can use to describe your problem. A staff member here will either ask you to visit their headquarters at Karl Renner Strasse 7 or send a medical expert to wherever you're staying. This service is available from 5pm on Friday to 8am on Monday and on public holidays. For more information on medical emergencies, refer to "Hospitals," below.
Drugstores -- Larger pharmacies, especially those in the city center, tend to remain open, without a break, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to noon. Pharmacies in small towns near Salzburg and in the suburbs have similar hours but close for lunch, usually from 12:30 to 2:30pm Monday to Friday. For night service, and service on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, pharmacies display a sign giving the address of the nearest pharmacy that has agreed to remain open over the weekend or throughout the night. A pharmacy that's particularly convenient to Salzburg's commercial center is Elisabeth-Apotheke, Elisabethstrasse 1A (tel. 0662/871484), north of Rainerstrasse, toward the train station.
Embassies & Consulates -- The Consulate of Great Britain, Alter Markt 4 (tel. 0662/848133), is open Monday to Friday 9am to noon. U.S. citizens needing business with their consulate should go to Vienna.
Emergencies -- For emergencies, call the following numbers: police tel. 133, fire tel. 122, and ambulance tel. 144.
Hospitals -- Salzburg is well equipped with medical facilities, including Unfahl Hospital, on Dr.-Franz-Rehrl-Platz 5 (tel. 0662/65800); and Krankenhaus und Konvent der Barmherzigen Brüder, Kajetanerplatz 1 (tel. 0662/80880).
Internet Access -- The most convenient cafe with Internet capability is the Internet Café, Mozartplatz 5 (tel. 0662/844822), across from the tourist office. It's open daily 9am to 11pm and charges 9€ ($14) per hour of Internet access.
Luggage Storage & Lockers -- Lockers are available at the Hauptbahnhof, Südtirolerplatz (tel. 0043/51717), open 24 hours daily. For 2 days, you can rent a large locker for 3.50€ ($5.60) or a small locker for 2€ ($4). The luggage storage counter, with an attendant, is open 4am to midnight daily.
Police -- For the police, call tel. 133.
Post Offices -- The main post office is at Residenzplatz 9 (tel. 0662/8441210). The post office at the main railway station is open daily from 7am to 10pm. The postal code for Salzburg is A-5020; for Anif, A-5081; and for Bergheim, A-5101.
Safety -- Salzburg has a low crime rate compared with most European cities, but there is crime here. Take the usual precautions here as you would elsewhere. Use discretion, of course, and common sense.
Taxes -- The government value-added tax (VAT) and the service charge are included in restaurant and hotel bills presented to you.Other than this blanket tax mentioned above, Salzburg imposes no special city taxes.
Toilets -- These are identified by the WC sign and are found throughout the city in museums and at sightseeing attractions, the rail station, and the airport. You can stop at a cafe, but these establishments prefer you to be a customer, even if it's only a small purchase.
Transit Information Stadtbus Salzburg -- This is the organization that's equipped to give information about the bus lines which crisscross the city. For information on where they're headed and other related details, visit the city transport office at Alpenstrasse 91, call tel. 0662/44801500, or click on www.stadtbus.at.
Useful Telephone Numbers -- For the airport, call tel. 0662/8580; for train information, call tel. 05/1717.
Getting Around
By Public Transportation
Information about local public transportation is available at the local tourist office.
The city buses and trams provide quick, comfortable service through the city center from the Nonntal parking lot to Sigsmundsplatz, the city-center parking lot. The one-ride fare is 2€ ($3.20) for adults and 1€ ($1.60) for children 6 to 15; those 5 and under travel free. Buses stop running at either 11pm or 11:20pm, depending on what part of Salzburg you're in.
Discount Passes -- The Salzburg Card not only lets you use unlimited public transportation, but it also acts as an admission ticket to the city's most important cultural sights. With the card you can visit Mozart's birthplace, the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Residenz gallery, the world-famous water fountain gardens at Hellbrunn, the Baroque Museum in the Mirabell Gardens, and the gala rooms in the Archbishop's Residence. The card is also good for sights outside of town, including the Hellbrunn Zoo, the open-air museum in Grossingmain, the salt mines of the Dürrnberg, and the gondola trip at Unterberg. The card, approximately the size of a credit card, comes with a brochure with maps and sightseeing hints. Cards are valid for 24, 48, and 72 hours and cost 21€ ($34), 29€ ($46), and 34€ ($54), respectively. Children up to 15 years of age receive a 50% discount. You can buy the pass from Salzburg travel agencies, hotels, tobacconists, and municipal offices.
By Car
Driving a car in Salzburg is definitely not recommended. In most places it's impossible, since the monumental landmark center is for pedestrians only. Public parking lots -- designated with a large P -- are conveniently located throughout the city. If you're driving into Salzburg, leave your car on the left bank of the Salzach River. You'll find convenient underground parking lots like the one at Mönchsberg, from which it's an easy walk to the center and Domplatz.
However, we do recommend a car for touring around Land Salzburg; relying on public transportation means a lot of travel time.
Rentals -- Car rentals are best made in advance. If not, try Avis (tel. 0662/877278) or Hertz (tel. 0662/876674), both located at Ferdinand-Porsche-Strasse 7. Avis is open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to noon; Hertz is open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm.
Repairs -- Try ÖAMTC (Austrian Automobile Service), Alpenstrasse 102 (tel. 0662/639990), or ARBÖ (Austrian Motorists Association), Münchner Bundesstrasse 9 (tel. 0662/433601), day or night. The emergency number, in case of automobile breakdowns, is tel. 120 for ÖAMTC and tel. 123 for ARBÖ.
By Taxi & Horse-Drawn Cab
You'll find taxi stands scattered at key points all over the city center and in the suburbs. The Salzburg Funktaxi-Vereinigung (radio taxis) office is at Rainerstrasse 27 (tel. 0662/8111 to order a taxi in advance). Fares start at 3€ ($4.80).
A "traditional taxi" -- a fiaker (horse-drawn cab) -- will not only provide you with a ride, but also a bit of history of the region as well. You can also rent a fiaker at Residenzplatz. Four people usually pay 36€ ($58) for 20 minutes and 72€ ($115) for 50 minutes, but all fares are subject to negotiation.
By Bicycle
In an effort to keep cars out of the center, Salzburg officials have developed a network of bicycle paths, which are indicated on city maps. One bike path goes along the Salzach River for 14km (9 miles) or so to Hallein, the second-largest town in Land Salzburg.
May to September, you can rent bicycles at Topbike, Heringstrasse 8 (tel. 06272/4656), daily from 9am to 7pm. Rentals cost about 15€ ($24) per day, with a 20% discount for Salzburg Card holders.
Getting There
By Plane
The Salzburg Airport-W. A. Mozart, Innsbrucker Bundesstrasse 95 (tel. 0662/8580; www.salzburg-airport.com), lies 3km (2 miles) southwest of the city center. It has regularly scheduled air service to all Austrian airports, as well as to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, London, Paris, and Zurich. Major airlines serving the Salzburg airport are Austrian Airlines (tel. 0662/854511), Air France (tel. 01/502222400), Lufthansa (tel. 081010/258080), and Tyrolean (tel. 0662/854533).
Bus no. 2 runs between the airport and Salzburg's main rail station. Departures are every 10 to 20 minutes (Sun and public holidays every 30 min.), and the 20-minute trip costs 2€ ($3.20) one-way. By taxi it's only about 15 minutes, but you'll pay at least 12€ to 18€ ($19-$29).
By Train
Salzburg's main rail station, the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, Südtirolerplatz (tel. 05/1717; www.oebb.at), is on the major rail lines of Europe, with frequent arrivals not only from all the main cities of Austria, but also from other European cities such as Munich. Between 5:30am and 11:40pm, trains arrive every 30 minutes from Vienna (trip time: 2 1/2-3 1/2 hr.). A one-way fare costs 44€ ($71). There are 19 daily trains from Innsbruck (trip time: 2 hr.). A one-way fare costs 34€ ($54). Trains also arrive every 30 minutes from Munich (trip time: 90 min.-2 hr.), with a one-way ticket costing 29€ ($46).
From the train station, buses depart to various parts of the city, including the Altstadt (Old Town), or you can walk from the rail station to the Old Town in about 20 minutes. The rail station sells tickets and has a currency exchange and storage lockers.
By Car
Salzburg is 336km (209 miles) southwest of Vienna and 153km (95 miles) east of Munich. It's reached from all directions by good roads, including Autobahn A8 from the west (Munich), A1 from the east (Vienna), and A10 from the south. Route 20 comes into Salzburg from points north and west, and Route 159 serves towns and cities from the southeast.
Visitor Information
There are two separate branches of the Salzburg Tourist Information Office that accept visits and calls from the general public. They include a branch on Platform 2A of the Hauptbahnhof, Südtirolerplatz (tel. 0662/88987-340), and another in the heart of the city's historic core, at Mozartplatz 5 (tel. 0662/88987-330; www.salzburginfo). Either of these offices can book tour guides for you and dispense information about attractions and where to stay. They'll also book hotel reservation for you through their Web facilities, www.salzburg.info. Hours of the office at the railway station are July to September 9am to 7pm and October to June 9am to 6pm. Hours of the office on the Mozartplatz are October to May daily 9am to 6pm and June to September 9am to 7pm.
