City Guide for Salzburg

Get prepared for your visit to Salzburg with the Free Walking Tour Blog written by a local, licensed Tour Guide. Topics range from Sightseeing to Day Trips to Food and Drinks.

A local’s Salzburg travel guide with advice on where to go AND what to do.

Things to See and Do in Salzburg

Photographer hiking Kapuzinerberg via the Imbergstiege in Salzburg

This is your guide to my hometown. Discover what to do and see, where to stay, and what to eat in Salzburg. Find out about Salzburg’s best day trip destinations and how to reach them. There is more to Salzburg than the Sound of Music and Mozart.

My name is Gerhard. I am deeply rooted in Salzburg Tourism and passionate about traveling and travelers. Passionate about meeting and guiding you. It’s my desire to share what I love and know about my city. I believe and hope that my knowledge in form of this Salzburg City Guide will prove useful to you on your journey.

Your Comprehensive Salzburg travel guide to help you plan better and explore more.

All Salzburg Blog Posts

  • Pet-friendly hotels in Salzburg

    Pet-Friendly Hotels: Discover Salzburg with your Furry Friend

    When it comes to finding pet-friendly hotels in Salzburg, there are many options to choose from. But some are more accommodating than others regarding our furry friends. Here are my top picks for dog-friendly hotels…
  • Traditional Theme Park Attractions at the Rupertikirtag Fair

    Rupertikirtag: A Guide to the Most Traditional Festival in Austria

    As a local tour guide of over a decade and an old town resident, I have to admit that Rupertikirtag is not my favorite event for reasons I will disclose later. However, as a visitor…
  • What Souvenirs to buy in Salzburg (According to a Local Guide)

    I have to preface this article by telling you that I am a minimalist. For many people, purchasing souvenirs is a part of traveling. I am not one of them. I instead collect memories and…
  • Hallstatt Bucket List: 11 Things to Do in Hallstatt

    Hallstatt, the picturesque alpine village at Lake Hallstatt in the Salzkammergut, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-see day trip destination for many tourists visiting Salzburg. With stunning scenery and a rich history,…
  • Salzburger Nockerl: Everything you need to know about the Sweet Treat

    Salzburger Nockerl is a traditional dessert from my hometown of Salzburg in Austria. Despite its popularity, however, it’s not a dish the locals order regularly. I had only had Salzburger Nockerl twice in my life,…
  • Hotel Sacher Salzburg Suite

    Ultimate List of the Best Luxury Hotels in Salzburg

    As a local who works in tourism, founded the Free Walking Tour Salzburg, and runs this travel blog you are reading, I have had the pleasure of experiencing some of the most luxurious hotels in…
  • Virgin Maries column on the square in front of the Salzburg Cathedral

    The Complete Visitors Guide to the Salzburg Cathedral

    The Salzburg cathedral, with its turquoise copper dome and its white interior, is in the center of the old town. With its distinctive appearance, it will dominate each of your landscape photos from Salzburg. Surrounded…
  • Sacher Hotel Wien Cake SachertorteRAF

    Austrian Desserts: The Icing on the Cake in Salzburg

    While Austrian main courses may become repetitive over time, the opposite is true for Austrian desserts. Austrian cuisine is renowned for its pastries and sweets, featuring a wide variety of cakes, tarts, and cookies found…
  • Gerhard Reus at Andreas Hofer

    The 8 Best Restaurants for Austrian Food in Salzburg

    The aim of this article is to guide you through some of the best restaurants in Salzburg, each offering a variety of recommended traditional Austrian dishes. These restaurant recommendations are in different areas of the…
  • Festspielhaus Concert Hall in Salzburg for the Festspiele Festival

    The Salzburg Festival: What it is and Why It Matters

    The Salzburg Festival is the biggest, most iconic Festival for classical music globally. Therefore, it is also not only the most important cultural event in Salzburg but also the main event in Salzburg overall. The…
  • Hallway with Mozart grafitti at the yoho hostel

    The Best Hostels in Salzburg (according to a Local Receptionist)

    A hostel is much more than just an inexpensive place to stay. They are a way of traveling and a way to make friends. Because I usually stay in hostels when I travel, and because…
  • Salzburg with Kids: The Best Family-Friendly Activities in Salzburg

    If you’re planning to bring the kids along to Salzburg, you’ve got a lot of experiences waiting for you. Think of wandering through the halls of castles where you can almost hear the echoes of…
These posts are probably worth your time. Straight from a local guide.

Recommended Reads

  • Gerhard Reus and the 24 hour Salzburg Card

    Salzburg Card Secrets: The Complete Guide to Salzburg Cards

    The Salzburg Card allows you admission to most of the attractions in Salzburg at a fixed price. There are 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hour Salzburg cards, allowing you free admission within those timeframes. You can visit all the museums, head out…
  • Königsseeschifffahrt

    7 Best Day Trips from Salzburg: A Local’s Guide to Top Spots

    You can explore the essentials of Salzburg in a day or two. If you are a curious traveler, you could keep going and won’t run out of new discoveries in the old town. However. If…
  • Photographer hiking Kapuzinerberg via the Imbergstiege in Salzburg

    Salzburg in One Day: The Perfect Itinerary for Independent Travelers

    There are certain ingredients for the perfect day in Salzburg. In this article, I will give them to you. This article will help design your day from start to finish, so you don’t miss anything….
  • Free Walking Tour Postcard

    The Definitive List of 100+ Things to Do in Salzburg

    Salzburg is small. You could see the main sights in a day or even half a day. However, there are many more things to do in Salzburg than just the essentials. We need the details…
  • String Puppet Museum

    Where the Hills are Alive: The Sound of Music Locations in Salzburg

    Most Austrians have never seen the Sound of Music, but as a local guide with over a decade of experience, first navigating the streets on a bike taxi and now on foot, I’ve gone deep…
  • Landestheater Salzburg and Hotel Bristol Salzburg

    The 15 BEST Hotels in the Old Town of Salzburg

    Are you looking for the perfect place to stay while visiting Salzburg? Salzburg’s Old Town is one of Austria’s most precious gems and showcases the country’s best-preserved architectural and cultural monuments. A stay in the…

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