We ventured to the Austrian riverside city of Salzburg to start October. Our visit initially came out of necessity during our travel planning, having found significantly cheaper flights back to London compared to flying out of Munich. However, despite truly atrocious weather (yes, it rained for 2 days straight), Salzburg left a positive impression on us, and is somewhere we would definitely consider visiting again (hopefully during summer).
Salzburg is situated on the Salzach River, with the picturesque old town sitting below the impressive fortress of Hohensalzburg. When you set eyes on Salzburg, the bright colours, leafy green surrounds, well preserved old town and old fortress are all immediately evident. Spend some time wandering the delightful old town streets, walk along the fast flowing river, and try some of the great food in this wonderful Austrian city.
One of things Tess was looking forward to most in the lead up to our stay in Salzburg was a Sound of Music tour covering the main sites pictured in the famous 1965 film. While we copped a real battering when it came to the weather, but we didn’t let this stop us! Thankfully many of the key sites from the film are scattered within the old town itself and within walking distance of each other. If you’re short on time like we were, try and at least get to the Mirabell Gardens which are free to roam and where many of the ‘Do Re Mi’ sequences were filmed. If you enter at the affectionately known ‘Do Re Mi’ stairs and work your way through the gardens to exit at the other side you’ll be only a short walk from Residenzplatz, a central square that was also featured at the start of the film (when Maria leaves the convent singing ‘I have Confidence’).
Some other places that we missed, but are hopeful to make it back to one day include Schloss Hellbrunn (where the classic ’16 going on 17′ pavilion is located), Felsenreitschule (where the Von Trapp family singers perform during the Salzburg festival) and Schloss Leopoldskron which is used as the lakeside facade of the Von Trapp family home.
Additionally, due to the weather, we didn’t make it up to the Fortress on the hill. However, we have heard it is quite impressive, and may be worth checking out!
A few food & drink recommendations for Salzburg:
*note: due to the constant rain, we didn’t spend all day/night out, but here are a few places we enjoyed in Salzburg
- The Heart of Joy: This cafe/restaurant offered some tasty and budget friendly vegetarian/vegan options. We were recommended by our AirBnb host, and it did not disappoint. Particularly, the Lentil Soup was the perfect tonic to the cold rain. Note: they take cash only.
- Uncle Van: This place is situated on the opposite side of the river to the old town along the historic Steingasse street. Serving up some tasty Vietnamese, if you’re looking for a change from the traditional Austrian, this is worth a shot!
- The Neighbourhood Cafe: We had a great coffee here! However, note that this place is situated a good 20 minute walk from the old town (it was near our accommodation).
Where to stay in Salzburg?
We stayed a good 20minutes out of the city, which normally wouldn’t be a big issue, however with the rain, it made for a few wet walks in/out of the town. Try to stay closer than we did to the old town! Click here or take a look below:
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