Salzburg in 1 Day: everything you need to know

Salzburg is a place with a great architectural, historical and cultural legacy that you'll want to discover in its entirety. So, if you only have a day to explore the city of Mozart, you should organise your itinerary so you can get to know the must-see destinations without wasting time.

For example, among the best things to do in Salzburg you can visit the Mirabell Palace and Gardens, leave a love lock on the Makartsteg Bridge and do some shopping in the Getreidegasse shopping street. You can also stroll around Mozart Square, take pictures at the Chapter House Square, take the funicular up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress, etc.

Your one-day itinerary in Salzburg starts at Mirabell Palace and Gardens, located approximately 6 minutes by car or a 15-minute walk from the city centre. It is a place of outstanding beauty with a long history dating back to the 17th century.

The palace is currently occupied as the seat of the mayor's office and the city council. However, you have free access to the famous marble hall, where some of Mozart's galas are performed.

You will also pass through the picturesque baroque gardens, with their labyrinths and an enormous fountain. All this was built in 1606. In fact, this area is often incorporated into the tour stops of the Sound of Music in Salzburg, recalling the moment in the film when they sing C, D, E, around the fountain.

Useful information

• Admission to the gardens is free.
• Opening hours: daily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

The next destination to visit is the Makartsteg Bridge, a six-minute walk from the Mirabell Gardens. This structure was built on the banks of the Salzach River and is one of the bridges connecting the old town with the new area of the city.

As you cross the pedestrian bridge you will have the opportunity to enjoy a privileged panoramic view: the medieval buildings, the calmly flowing waters of the river and the imposing mountains guarding the city from a distance.

You will also see a series of colourful padlocks hung on the bridge's security railings, left by couples in love. You can even take the opportunity to leave your own.

After you have seen the city from the Makartsteg Bridge, you should walk about five minutes along Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz and you will arrive at the Getreidegasse. This is considered Salzburg's main shopping street, lined with all kinds of shops and with a characteristic medieval feel.

Along the way you will find art galleries, dozens of restaurants, cafés, ice cream parlours, fashion shops, jewellery shops, handicraft shops and much more. On this lively street you will also find the Hagenauer House, where Mozart was born on 27 January 1756 and which is now a popular museum.

Useful information

• Price: the walk along Getreidegasse is free, but general admission to Mozart's house starts at approximately 14 euros per person.
• Opening hours: Access to the shopping street is free 24 hours a day. Admission to the Mozart House is from 8.30 am to 7 pm daily.
• Address: Getreidegasse number 9.

At the end of the shopping street Getreidegasse you will find the Alter Markt square. Here you will find the Café Tomaselli, where Mozart is said to have used to go. It was established in 1705 and is considered the oldest café in the city. You can sit down and recharge your batteries while you enjoy a delicious coffee and dessert.

As for the Alter Markt square, in the middle of it you will see a monumental glass pyramid, which houses a statue. In the surrounding area you will also see a number of representative baroque buildings, including an amazing 1.42 metre wide house, known to be the smallest in the city.

And, if you visit Salzburg in December, you will enjoy a large open-air flea market. This has been held since the 13th century and offers a wide range of food, crafts, fashion, souvenirs and more.

Approximately 300 metres or 4 minutes walk from the Alter Markt, you will reach the next destination, Mozart Square. This is an open-air place, frequented daily by locals and tourists alike. You can enjoy some of the splendour of the city and take some pictures to remember.

Among the monuments and buildings of interest that you can see in this square are the following:

• The Mozart Statue in the middle of the square, unveiled in 1841 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the composer's death.
• The Salzburg Museum in the southern part of the square. You will find paintings, artefacts, interactive exhibits and more.
• The Christmas Museum in the southern area of the square, with works of historical and cultural importance.
• The Tourist Office at the northern end. There, you will get all the tourist information you need. In addition, the area around the building is often the meeting point for some experiences such as a guided tour of Salzburg or other day trips and excursions in Salzburg.

Just two minutes away from the above destination you will find the Residence Square, whose main attraction is the Residence Fountain or Residenzbrunnen, a 15-metre high monument of the Baroque style. It is a monument of approximately 15 metres in height, representative of the baroque style.

You can take amazing photographs of this fountain, which is made up of a series of sculptures: sea horses and men on a rocky mountain supporting the fountain. A work of the Italian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi, considered one of the best fountains in Europe.

Moreover, in this square you will get a very interesting contrast, because it is delimited by the facades of the bourgeois houses, the old residence (Alte Residenz) with the residences of the prince-archbishops and the new residence (Neue Residenz) or the city museum.

Not far from the Residenz Square, specifically about 160 metres away or a couple of minutes' walk, is the next stop on your itinerary, the Salzburg Cathedral. This is a Catholic place of worship and a must-see destination on the best Salzburg tours.

When you arrive at the cathedral you will be amazed by the architectural beauty of this Italian baroque style building. The structure was built in the 17th century on the site of a primitive temple dating back to the 8th century, which in turn had been erected on the site where Celts and Romans performed rituals.

You can walk around the cathedral on your own and discover all that it has to offer:

• The marble façade, where you will see the statue of Saint Paul with a sword and Saint Peter with the key to heaven. Also, the patron saints of Salzburg, St. Rupert and St. Virgil.
• The cathedral's organs, four of which are located at the crosses and a fifth above the entrance.
• The bronze baptismal font, built in the 14th century and used to baptise both Mozart and Joseph Mohr, lyricist of the carol Silent Night.
• The towers of the cathedral, from where you can enjoy a privileged panoramic view of the city.

Useful information

• Price: the general admission price is about €5 per person. Children under the age of 18 are free.
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 11:30 am and from 12:30 pm to 6:00 pm. On Sundays you can enter from 13:00 to 18:00.
• Address: Domplatz 1a, 5020 Salzburg.

About 130 metres or at least 2 minutes walk from Salzburg Cathedral, you will find the Kapitelplatz. Here, where the abbey and the homes of the city's clergy once stood, you will find a number of attractions that will immediately catch your eye and you will not be able to avoid taking some pictures of them.

On your way through the Chapter House Square you can enjoy the following sights:

• The sphere. This is a modern art sculpture by the German artist Stephan Balkenhol. It is a golden sphere weighing at least two tons with a man standing on top of it.
• Giant chess, painted on the ground and with life-size movable pieces. If you are lucky, you might see some locals playing an interesting game.
• The shopping stalls located on one side of the square, where you can eat, drink or buy some souvenirs.

Apart from these places, you will also have the opportunity to enjoy a breathtaking view of the Hohensalzbug Fortress on the Chapter House Square. This medieval monument is a year-round venue for Mozart concerts with dinner in Salzburg.

Hohensalzburg Fortress is the next stop of your day exploring the city. This medieval castle is located at the top of the Festungsberg mountain, a maximum 17-20 minute walk from the previous destination.

Ways to ascend and descend the fortress include the following:

• By cable car. To do this, you will have to walk from the Chapter House Square about 92 metres or a couple of minutes to the vertical cable car station. From there, it will take you less than a minute to get up to this monument, the emblem of the city.
• On foot up a flight of steps. You will have to walk from the Chapter House Square for about seven minutes in the direction of Hoher Weg/Oskar-Kokoschka-Weg. When you reach this street you will find a long flight of stairs, which you can walk down in about 10 minutes.

When you reach the fortress, you will find the old arsenal and a number of museums, which will give you a better understanding of the history and culture of the city. You will also have access to some viewpoints with a 360° view of the old town, the new area, the Salzach River and the mountains of the Austrian Alps that guard Salzburg.

Useful information

• Price: General admission to the fortress incorporates the ascent and descent by funicular and costs an average of €13 for adults, around €8 for children aged 6-14 and around €29 for family groups.
• Opening hours: daily from 8.30am to 9.30pm. The funicular rises for the last time approximately 30 minutes before the fortress closes.

The Capuchin Monastery, or Kapuzinerkloster, happens to be the last destination on this proposed itinerary for you to explore Salzburg in one day. Therefore, after getting off the Hohensalzburg Fortress you will have to walk about 20 minutes or drive approximately 9 minutes in the direction of Giselakai and Imbergstiege.

When you arrive at the monastery, you will notice its simple architecture and sacred art. For example:

• The main wooden door, representative of the Gothic style.
• A memorial on one side of the building, dedicated to the memory of Stefan Zweig.
• A fresco dating from 1602, showing the adoration of the magi.
• The main altar from the early 18th century.

In the monastery you will have access to a viewing platform from where you will have a privileged panoramic view of the old town. At sunset, you will see the sun set over the city and the Festungsberg mountain, whose peak is the Hohensalzburg Fortress.

During your 1-day stay in the city of Mozart you can take advantage of the Hop on Hop off bus tours in Salzburg to cover long distances and save time on your itinerary. This type of activity will allow you to discover the city at your own pace and even enjoy the commentary of an audio guide.

You will travel on the first floor of the Salzburg sightseeing bus and can hop on and off as many times as you like. You'll have up to 12 designated stops, which will take you to the city's main attractions. Such is the case of the Old Town, Nonnberg Abbey, Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Hohensalzburg Fortress, among others.

• Price: the ticket price for the bus is approximately €34 per person.
• Validity: You can purchase a ticket valid for 24 or 48 hours.

If you want to save a considerable amount of money on your 1-day itinerary in the city, then the Salzburg Salzburg Card will be your best ally. You'll get free entry to all the city's tourist attractions, discounts on concerts, excursions and cultural events.

With the Salzburg Card you won't have to worry about long queues at the ticket office. It also gives you free use of the city's public transport: train, bus, funicular, Mönchsberg lift, Untersbergbahn and more.

• Price: The price starts at €34 per person.
• Validity: 24, 48 or 72 hours depending on your choice and from the first activation.