What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Salzburg, Austria.
Photo: werdepate / Pixabay
Salzburg sits on the Salzach River with the Alps close by, and its Old Town is small enough to explore on foot. Expect baroque squares, church towers and a fortress above the rooftops, plus Mozart's birthplace and the sites from The Sound of Music. It's a compact city, not a huge metropolis, so you can see a lot without rushing. May and September bring milder weather and fewer crowds than peak summer, making them the best months to visit.
Two to three days cover the Old Town, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mirabell Gardens and a half-day trip to Hellbrunn Palace, with time left for Mönchsberg's museum and a walk along the river.
Old Town (Festungsberg)
A large medieval fortress on the hill above the Old Town, and the city's main landmark. You can walk up or take the funicular, then tour the state rooms and museums. The views over the rooftops and the Alps are the main reason to go.
Old Town
A Baroque cathedral with a white marble-like interior, a large dome and several organs. It sits at the centre of a ring of squares, including Domplatz and Residenzplatz.
Old Town
One combined route through the Residenz state rooms, the Residenz Gallery, the cathedral organ gallery and the museum of St Peter's Abbey. It shows how the prince-archbishops lived and ruled, and gives views of the cathedral from inside and above.
Old Town (Getreidegasse)
The yellow house on Getreidegasse where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born, now a museum. It holds family letters, portraits and instruments, including his childhood violin.
Old Town
The Old Town's best-known shopping lane, narrow and lined with tall houses and wrought-iron shop signs. Look for the small passages and courtyards that link it to the river and the squares behind.
New Town (Neustadt)
A palace with formal Baroque gardens, fountains, statues and flower beds, with the fortress framed in the background. The gardens are free to walk through, and some scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed here.
Old Town
One of the oldest monasteries in the German-speaking world, with a richly decorated church. The small cemetery beside it has ornate iron grave markers and catacombs cut into the Mönchsberg cliff.
Hellbrunn, south of the centre
An early Baroque summer palace built for a prince-archbishop, best known for its trick fountains that spray visitors without warning on a guided tour. The large park around it is good for a walk and holds the gazebo from The Sound of Music.
Mönchsberg
A wooded hill right above the Old Town, reached by a lift from Gstättengasse or by footpaths. The modern art museum at the top has changing exhibitions, and walking trails lead along the ridge towards the fortress with views across the city.
New Town (Makartplatz)
The larger apartment the Mozart family moved into after leaving the Getreidegasse house. Its museum focuses on Mozart's life and work as a young composer, with an audio guide and original instruments.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C / -4°C | 16 days (124 mm) | 4.8 h/day | 1.2/10 |
| February | 8°C / -2°C | 13 days (94 mm) | 6.3 h/day | 1.9/10 |
| March | 11°C / 1°C | 14 days (92 mm) | 7.8 h/day | 3.8/10 |
| April | 15°C / 4°C | 15 days (109 mm) | 9.3 h/day | 5.6/10 |
| Best month: May | 19°C / 8°C | 19 days (182 mm) | 9.3 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| June | 24°C / 13°C | 16 days (146 mm) | 11.4 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| July | 25°C / 15°C | 17 days (156 mm) | 11.5 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| August | 25°C / 15°C | 15 days (170 mm) | 10.4 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| Best month: September | 20°C / 11°C | 13 days (147 mm) | 8.8 h/day | 7.4/10 |
| October | 16°C / 7°C | 13 days (109 mm) | 7.0 h/day | 6.3/10 |
| November | 10°C / 2°C | 13 days (97 mm) | 5.7 h/day | 2.9/10 |
| December | 7°C / -2°C | 15 days (106 mm) | 4.6 h/day | 1.2/10 |
Cold month with highs of 5°C and lows near -3.6°C, plus 15.8 rain or snow days. Score is low at 1.2, so this is a tough-weather month, better for festive lights than long walks.
Still chilly, highs reach 8°C with 13.4 rain days and more sun at 6.3 hours. Score of 1.9 keeps it in the low-season range, though skies brighten slightly.
Highs climb to 11.2°C and sun hours rise to 7.8, but 14 rain days keep things damp. Score is 3.8, a transitional month between winter cold and spring warmth.
Spring arrives with highs of 15°C and 9.3 sun hours, though 14.5 rain days remain common. Score rises to 5.6, an acceptable time to visit as the city opens up.
Warm days hit 18.5°C but rain picks up sharply with 19.2 rain days and 182mm, the wettest month of the year. Score is a solid 7, so green scenery comes with frequent showers.
Highs reach 23.6°C with 11.4 sun hours and 16.2 rain days. Score stays at 7, making this a reliably good month for warm, longer days.
The warmest month, highs of 24.8°C and 11.5 sun hours, but also 17 rain days and 156mm of rain. Score holds at 7, so summer heat comes with regular downpours.
Highs stay near 24.7°C with 10.4 sun hours, while rain totals 170mm over 15.4 days. Score remains 7, a consistently good summer month despite the rainfall.
Highs cool to 20°C, rain days drop to 13.2, and sun hours stay strong at 8.8. Score peaks at 7.4, the best-rated month for a visit.
Highs fall to 16.4°C with 7 sun hours and 13.4 rain days. Score of 6.3 keeps it in good territory as autumn colours set in.
Highs drop to 10°C, lows near freezing at 1.5°C, with 12.6 rain days and only 5.7 sun hours. Score falls to 2.9, marking the start of the tough-weather winter stretch.
Cold and dark, highs of 6.5°C, lows at -1.5°C, 14.6 rain or snow days, and just 4.6 sun hours. Score is 1.2, the lowest of the year, though festive markets draw visitors despite the chill.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Austria →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, sightseeing
The Old Town on the left bank of the Salzach is the historic core, with Getreidegasse, the cathedral and the fortress above. You can walk to most major sights in minutes. Daytime crowds fill the narrow lanes, and cobbles plus car restrictions make arriving with luggage awkward.
Good for first-timers, couples, good transport
Across the river from the Old Town, this area runs from Mirabell Gardens along Linzer Gasse and has a more everyday feel, with cafés and shops used by locals. A short bridge walk takes you to the main sights, and buses run often. Main roads such as Rainerstraße carry steady traffic, so street-facing rooms can be noisy.
Good for beer lovers, relaxed stays
This old quarter sits below the Mönchsberg, just north-west of the Old Town, and is known for the Augustiner monastery brewery and its large beer garden. It feels quieter and more local than the centre, yet the walk into town is easy along the river. Some streets are steep, and evenings near the brewery can be lively.
Good for quiet, walkers
Nonntal lies on the south side of the fortress hill, around Nonnberg Abbey, and is mostly residential with university buildings and green space. It suits travellers who want calm nights while staying within walking distance of the Old Town. Dining choice is limited, and reaching the centre on foot can mean climbing over or skirting the hill.
Good for rail travellers, budget-minded
The district around the main railway station is handy for day trips and late arrivals, with frequent buses into the centre. It has plenty of practical shops and international eateries. It is less attractive than the historic areas, and the walk to the Old Town is longer than from the other options.
Good for families, quiet
Parsch is a leafy residential area east of the Kapuzinerberg, with villas, gardens and easy access to walking trails. It is peaceful and feels far from the tourist flow. You will rely on buses or a fairly long walk to reach the sights, and there is little nightlife.
This sweet, egg-based soufflé is the city's signature dessert. It's baked in peaks meant to resemble the hills around Salzburg and served warm straight from the oven at restaurants across the old town.
A round chocolate treat with pistachio marzipan and nougat inside, named after composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Locals and visitors buy them from confectioners throughout the city as a souvenir or snack.
A thin, breaded and fried veal or pork cutlet, common on menus across Austria. In Salzburg it's often paired with potato salad or lingonberry sauce in traditional guesthouses.
A thick beef stew with paprika, brought from neighbouring Hungary but a staple of Austrian comfort food. It's usually eaten with bread dumplings or crusty bread on cooler days.
Soft dumplings made from flour and egg, mixed with melted cheese and topped with fried onions. This hearty alpine dish is popular in mountain huts and traditional taverns around the region.
Yes, August scores 7 out of 10, rated 'good'. Daytime highs reach 24.7°C and lows stay around 14.7°C, so it's warm but not extreme. Rain falls on about 15 days with 170 mm total, so pack a light rain jacket, but sunshine still averages 10.4 hours a day.
Plan for 2 to 3 days. The main Old Town sights — Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Cathedral, DomQuartier, Mozart's Birthplace and Getreidegasse — take roughly a full day combined. Add Mirabell Palace, St Peter's Abbey, Mönchsberg and a half-day trip to Hellbrunn Palace, and a second or third day lets you see everything without rushing.
September and May are the top-scoring months, both rated 'good' with scores of 7.4 and 7 out of 10. September brings mild highs of 20°C, lower rainfall at 147 mm over 13.2 days, and 8.8 hours of sunshine. May is warmer at 18.5°C but wetter, with 182 mm of rain over 19.2 days.
Yes, January is the coldest month, with highs of just 5°C and lows down to -3.6°C. It also gets only 4.8 hours of sunshine a day and sees rain or snow on about 15.8 days. The month scores 1.2 out of 10 and is marked 'avoid' for typical sightseeing, though it suits travellers who want a snowy, quiet city.
Summer is the wettest season by volume. May sees 182 mm of rain over 19.2 days, June has 146 mm over 16.2 days, and July reaches 156 mm over 17 days. Despite this, all three months score 7 out of 10 and are rated 'good', since sunshine hours stay high at 9.3 to 11.5 hours a day.
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