When I was in Munich in June, one of the day trips that my cousin and I took together was to Salzburg in Austria. Salzburg is known as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and home to the “Sound of Music”. Salzburg lies about 145 km south east of Munich. With the German ‘recommended’ highway speed of 130 km per hour, it took us just a little bit over an hour to get there by car.
Upon our arrival in Salzburg, the weather was sunny, warm, 32 Celsius, and humid. We managed to see five of the top sights in Salzburg: Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mozart’s Birthplace, Mozart’s Residence, Salzburg Old Town, and Salzburg Cathedral Quarter.
Hohensalzburg Fortress is the biggest fully preserved castle in Central Europe. Construction of the Hohensalzburg Fortress started in the year 1077 and ongoing development of the fortress architecture continued until 1500. The fortress is open year round and can be reached on foot or by funicular. It’s worth visiting if you’re interested in historical exhibits, including original furnishings from the year 1501/ 1502.
Mozart’s Birthplace and Residence, both of which are now museums, provide a glimpse into his extraordinary childhood:
- The yellow-walled Geburthaus (or Mozart’s Birthplace) at 9 Getreidegasse where Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 and lived there until 1773.
- The soft pink-walled WohnHaus (or Mozart’s Residence) at 8 Markatplatz where he lived with his family from 1773.
Salzburg Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located on the left side of the Salzach River which divides Salzburg into two halves. The pedestrian-only streets in the Old Town are lined with shops, all with decorative metal works above the entrances. We enjoyed exploring the maze of streets leading to and from several main public squares.
Salzburg Cathedral and Cathedral Square (Domplatz): Of its numerous churches, the cathedral is Salzburg’s most important sacred building. The façade is made of marble. Looking down from it are four monumental statues: Apostles Peter and Paul holding a key and a sword, as well as Salzburg’s two patron saints, Rupert and Virgil, clasping a salt vessel and a model of the church. The two statues at the top of the gable commemorate the two builders of the cathedral, Markus Sittikus and Paris Lodron. The cathedral interior is also stunning to see.
Cathedral Square connects with Residence Square (Residenceplatz) which is surrounded by the Residence building (left in the photo below) and Salzburg Museum (right in the photo below).
In the centre of Residence Square is the beautiful baroque Residence Fountain created by the Italian sculptor, Tommasso di Garone. At the base of the fountain, four snorting horses seem to spring forth from the spouting rock. Giants rooted in the rock carry the lower basin, in which three dolphins balance the scalloped upper basin. The upper basin holds a Triton, a jet of water shooting into the air from his conch-shell trumpet. It’s truly magnificent artwork.
From Residence Square, we walked to Salzburg Market to pick up fresh snacks and to browse all kinds of food products, traditional folk wear, and souvenirs. Then it was time to head back to Munich.
I had a wonderful day trip to Salzburg. I hope you’ve enjoyed visiting (or revisiting) Salzburg through my lens.
I’d love to hear your comments.
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Natalie the Explorer 
We loved Salzburg, Natalie and of course I was singing songs from the Sound of Music the whole time I was there. Such a beautiful and interesting place and definitely a must visit for anyone who is in Germany or Austria. We did the trip from Munich and it was an easy day trip seeing so much. #lifethisweek
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Hi Sue – I agreed with you Salzburg is a beautiful and interesting city, easily reached from Munich. The day we were there, it was a bit too hot to be outdoors for long so we went indoors a few times to have a break from the heat and humidity.
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HI Natalie I think we went in an October so the weather was cooler. Thanks for joining and sharing at #MLSTL and have a lovely week. x
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Thank you, Sue, for hosting. A lovely week to you, too.
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I remember visiting over 20 years ago and making my husband suffer through my reenactment of Do-ray-me… complete with dancing and actions. Thanks for taking me back there!
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That’s really cute. He may have truly enjoyed it inside.
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That’s what I keep telling him lol
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Hi, Natalie – It’s been quite awhile since I visited Salzburg. Thank you for bringing it back to life with me.
BTW – I wish I had been there to hear Jo’s re-enactment of Do-Ray-Me!
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Thank you, Donna, for reading my post and commenting. Yes, I’d like to see Jo’s re-enactment of Do-Ray-Me.
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Hi Natalie, Salzburg is somewhere we’ve not been to yet but it looks delightful through your eyes. Thanks very much for taking us along with you 🙂 #lifethisweek
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Thank you, Debbie, for reading my travel post and commenting. Salzburg is a nice city to visit.
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Beautiful photos, Salzburg is definitely on my list too! Thanks again, Natalie!
SSG xxx
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Good choice, SSG. Thank you for your comment.
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Love the architecture! Thanks for taking us on this trip 🙂
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Thank you, Sanch, for traveling along with me 🙂
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Gosh, I just love going places like this and yet not having to leave my chair!!
XOXO
Jodie
PS…You might want to update your Disqus with the new website…
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Easy traveling 🙂 Thanks, Jodie, for the Disqus update reminder. I thought I did. Will double check.
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Gorgeous photos!
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The sunlight helped. Thank you for stopping by.
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I can’t remember the name but there are some beautiful gardens there, below the palace. We weren’t so lucky with the weather but it was still beautiful. 🙂 🙂 Many thanks for your company, Natalie.
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Hi Jo – I think it’s the Mirabell Gardens. It was hot and humid the day we were there so we skipped the outdoor gardens. Thank you for stopping by. Have a safe and fun trip to England!
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Yes, that’s the one! I think it was the only bit of sunshine we had in our couple of days there. 🙂 🙂 Thanks a lot!
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What a beautiful place….maybe one day will visit…#Senisal
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Yes, put Salzburg on your ‘to visit’ list. It’s easily accessible from several nearby European cities. Thank you for your comment.
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I loved visiting Salzburg! So much to see and do, which is shown in your beautiful photos. Now I want to go back for a longer visit.
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Thank you, Sandra, for your comment. A longer visit to Salzburg would be very nice.
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What a lovely and beautiful place to visit. Thanks for sharing it. #MLSTL
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Thank you, Patrick, for your comment. I greatly appreciate it.
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I haven’t been to Salzbury Natalie – it looks beautiful and I loved the architecture (so typical of European cities) and the food markets look great.
Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 🙂
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Hi Leanne – Thank you for hosting and sharing. Salzburg historic centre is a lovely place to explore on foot. It’s a well-maintained UNESCO World Heritage site. Have a wonderful week!
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I’ve always wanted to visit Salzburg! Thanks for taking me there! I always associate it with The Sound of Music and forget it was the birthplace of Mozart! Gorgeous photos too Natalie. I’m in awe of all the historical buildings!
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Hi Min – Mozart image is everywhere in Salzburg (e.g. lots of chocolate boxes with his image on them). I think you’ll love it here and will snap tons of photos.
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I’ve never been but I’m quite certain from your description and photos that I’d love Salzburg. I must say connecting music with a visit to a city is very uplifting! I’d be listening to Happy Mozart as I wandered!
Wren x
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Thank you, Wren, for your visit and comment across the miles from Thailand. Yes, it’s wonderful to listen to Mozart’s music while wandering in Salzburg. The two Mozart museums where he was born and lived give a glimpse into his remarkable childhood with his sister and his father. Fans of the Sound of Music come to Salzburg, too. I’ll visit your blog shortly. It looks like we both have exploring in common 🙂
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My goodness, it’s fun traveling along with you! The architecture is just splendid to see along the narrow streets. Great photos, thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you linked up at ‘My Corner of the World’ this week!
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Thank you, Betty, for hosting and for your comment. I hope to see the sunrise in New Zealand one day.
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Salzburg is a beautiful and interesting city.
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It sure is. Thank you, Carol, for stopping by.
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What a beautiful documentary of your side trip.
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Thank you for your comment.
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It looks lovely and I like the architecture. I’ve only been to Europe a couple of times but am reminded of how ‘new’ Australia is compared to many countries there when I see buildings hundreds and hundreds of years old.
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I like the older architecture, too as Canada is also a fairly ‘new’ country compared to many other countries.
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Thank you for sharing your lovely pictures. I’m intrigued by it all, especially Mozart’s yellow and pink houses. Do you know if that is keeping to the original colors of the houses or something added later?
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Hi Jennifer – From the photos that I saw in the two Mozart houses which are now museums, I believe the yellow and pink colours are keeping to the original colours. Thank you for stopping by.
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That’s great to know. I love learning those kinds of details.
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The light pink colour seems common in Salzburg’s Old Town, too. You can see some houses with that colour in the photo below, maybe not as clear because of the angle I took.
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Natalie, I love reading about your travels! It’s like a mini vacation right here at home. Salzburg would be a fascinating place to visit and attend concerts.
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Thank you, Jean, for your visit and comment. Salzburg has an annual music festival. It would be fantastic to attend concerts there, especially in the Cathedral Square.
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Salzburg has always been a dream destination of mine. I was once also just a brief car ride away while on a business trip in Linz (it straddles the Danube River midway between Salzburg and Vienna). Sadly, it was a full-on project and I didn’t get to see much of anything but the inside of a conference room. Your post has me dreaming of a Salsburg visit all over again. It looks pretty empty of tourists in that Residence Square image making it even more inviting.
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Hi Lisa – Nice to hear from you. We were in Salzburg on a weekday. It wasn’t busy at all, even at the market. The heat and humidity that day may have made more people stay indoor, too.
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Oh that awful heat. surprisingly, its been cooler in the tropics than in Europe or North America. Scary
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On the day that we were there, it was 32C (about 90F) with humidity. It wasn’t breaking any record yet but still very warm for walking outdoors under the blazing sun for an extended period of time. Cooler weather is ideal for explorers.
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Totally agree. I am a cool weather fan myself by The Captain prefers the warmer climates (although I think that 32 C would have even been a bit much for him)
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Hi Natalie, It may sound corny, although “The Sound of Music” is one of my favourite movies, and the first movie I saw as a girl. Went with my Dad. Fond memories. You are very well organized with your travels and a great itinerary where you manage to see many quality sites. The Fortress/Castle is impressive! The Salzburg Market is a real taste of Europe. Thank you for sharing through your lens. I love the post and the photos!
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Thank you, Erica, for sharing your fond memories of “The Sound of Music” movie. My cousin treated me so well on this trip. I have him and his wife to thank for taking me to places in and around Munich and Salzburg.
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Sorry, there is no translator on this website?
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Thank you, Heidi, for your visit. Sorry, I don’t plan to set up Google translate for my blog.
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