Introduction: Salzburg, Austria
SALZBURG
Population: 150,001. Country-Area code: +43-(0)662.
Elevation: 450 m (1,480 ft).
License plate: S.
In 17 A.D. the Romans settled Juvavum, or ‘Seat of the Sky God,’ a majestic outpost on the banks of a jade-green river that bisected the forested Mönchsberg (Monks’ Ridge) and Kapuzinerberg (Capuchins’ Ridge). It wasn’t long before the Romans discovered the region’s most valuable commodity: salt. They used it abundantly as a medicine, doctoring virtually every illness conceivable, and in their baths as a vapor-inhalation treatment. 
Salt was also used as a food preservative, and the Romans even paid their legionnaires with the “white gold”; hence the term we use today, “salary” (from the Latin “salarium,” referring to the salt allotment issued to Roman soldiers for money). Juvavum blossomed and the population swelled to 15,000. By the year 477, the once vast and mighty Roman Empire had collapsed and Juvavum fell to nomadic tribes.
In 696 A.D., the Catholic Church dispatched Bishop Rupert from the German city of Worms to form a diocese on the ruins of Juvavum. He founded St. Peter’s monastery, bringing peace, prosperity and Christianity to the region. From these pious roots came the first archbishop, Virgil, and the community’s new name: Salzburg (meaning Salt Castle, first mentioned in 755). Appropriately, the jade-green river flowing through Salzburg was also given a name: Salzach, or Salt River—not because of any salt content, but for the prosperous river trade that transported the “white gold” downstream to the Inn River, which flowed into the Danube and eventually the Black Sea and into the coffers of powerful Asian rulers. Bishop Rupert’s city of salt flourished, and Salzburg over the next 1,000 years became a wealthy archbishopric, an independent church state ruled by the resident Catholic archbishop, not the Habsburg emperor seated in Vienna. Salzburg is Austria’s only city that can claim its own history of autonomy from the imperial family.
In 1803, Napoleon’s troops arrived and secularized the millennium-old diocese, forcing the last archbishop (Hieronymus) to flee to Vienna. It wasn’t until 1816 that Salzburg actually became part of Austria.
More than a century later, Austria joined forces with Hitler’s ill-fated Third Reich, consequently attracting swarms of Allied aircraft to the city of salt. From October 1944 till the end of World War II (May 1945), there were 16 bombing raids over Salzburg, totaling some 750 bombers (mainly B-24s), leaving 46% of the city’s buildings either lightly or heavily damaged. Salzburg, however, didn’t take long to recover and today the antique settlement on the Salt River has never looked better. What’s more, since 1996, Salzburg’s Altstadt has taken its place alongside the historic Old Towns of Brugge (Belgium), Dubrovnik (Croatia), and Florence (Italy) as an esteemed member of UNESCO’s World Heritage List. For this reason, Salzburg’s Old Town has largely been pedestrianized and its buses are smog-free, powered by electricity.
According to a reliable source, 1 in 5 Salzburgers work in the service and tourism industry, and the city’s single biggest private employer outside of this broad field is the Stiegl Brewing company with more than 650 employees. But tourism remains the city’s No. 1 money-spinner, attracting nearly 7 million visitors per year. Next to the federal capital of Vienna, Salzburg is Austria’s second most important tourist destination. I, your humble author, have personally escorted some 6,000 guests through Salzburg, and not one was ever disappointed! Now it is your turn to marvel the majesty that is this magnificent municipality.
PURCHASE the full do-it-yourself Salzburg, Lake District & The Sound of Music destination guide, pdf file download or traditional-style guidebook (pictured below). See this guidebook on Amazon.com
Click thumbnail for larger image (but note the actual size of the guidebook is 5.06" x 7.81", not what's shown).
Brett Harriman (Photoshoped) is seen here in the Mirabell Gardens holding the Salzburg, Lake District & The Sound of Music guidebook with the old-town fortress in the background. (2012 guide out soon) (Background photo courtesy of ©Salzburg Tourism.) See this guidebook on Amazon.com
(See Comments at the bottom of the page and feel free to add one of your own!)
Suggested Itinerary:
Use Salzburg as your base to tour regional attractions; thus I suggest at least a three-day stay. Mood and weather permitting, divide your time like so:
Day 1: At Mozartplatz set off on my do-it-yourself orientation tour of the city. Buy the Salzburg Card and visit sites of interest. Sound of Music fans, combine the aforesaid city orientation tour with my SOM do-it-yourself Walking Tour. Conclude your day on the Stein Terrasse then dinner in the Stiegl Keller or splurge on the Mozart Dinner Concert. Note: Because public transportation is efficient and 100-percent free with your Salzburg Card, ignore the (overpriced and redundant) yellow Hop On Hop Off sightseer bus regularly circuiting through town. (Locals often refer to it as the Geisterbus, or Ghost Bus, because outside of the peak summer months it’s virtually always empty as it motors past.)
Day 2: Continue touring sites of interest with your Salzburg Card, or travel 25 km southwest to the Bavarian village of Berchtesgaden to tour the Eagle’s Nest, Königssee lake, and/or salt mines. Pack a picnic, or head to the Goldener Bär for lunch on the main pedestrian drag or for more money jump up to the scenic outdoor Panorama restaurant on the rooftop of the newly built Hotel Edelweiss in view of the Berchtesgadener Alps and the Eagle’s Nest. Back in Salzburg, consider an evening with the puppets at the Marionette Theater or perhaps listening to a classical concert in the fortress or Mirabell Palace; (see Entertainment).
Day 3: Either head south to the alpine village of Werfen to experience the lofty ice caves and medieval fortress or head east for a day in the Salzkammergut, conceivably the world’s most beautiful lake district.
Day 4: Consider staying an extra day to fulfill any remaining sightseeing opportunities. You won’t regret it!
Chapter Orientation: Free Salzburg; city map (see below); Sights; DIY orientation tour of the city; More Sights; Best Views & Hikes; Shopping; Entertainment; Cafés & Restaurants; Good Sleeps; Excursions, such as Oberndorf (“Silent Night”); Werfen (fortress, ice caves); lake district (Salzkammergut); Hallstatt; “The Sound of Music” do-it-yourself tour.
Don't miss it!: Don’t miss it!: (Note: On my do-it-yourself orientation tour of Salzburg I walk you past, or point out, all of these listings.) Climb the Glockenspiel (if it’s open when you arrive); admire the Cathedral; tour the Fortress; stroll through St. Peter’s Cemetery and into St. Peter’s Church; stop by St. Peter’s Stiftskeller; sample a chocolate Mozart ball; window-shop Getreidegasse; throw down a shot at Sporer wines & spirits; eyeball the exquisiteness of the Mirabell Gardens; take a spell at one of Austria’s most scenic café’s, the Stein Terrasse; beer drinkers, blow the froth off a couple at Müllner Bräu or the Stiegl Keller; and lastly, the Salzburg Card is a must (and since the card is your key to the city, a whole other round of sites and attractions are worth visiting, that is if you have the time, such as: the Untersbergbahn, Residenz, Mozart’s birthplace and Wohnhaus, boat ride, Monchberg Lift, Schloss Hellbrunn and zoo.
Tourist Information, (www.salzburg.info, tel. 0662/8898-7330). Salzburg has a trio of TIs, offering help and advice to hundreds of tourists every day. To complement this guidebook, pick up a city map. The TI has two types, free and for a fee: The basic but adequate single-sheet map is free, and the detailed (not-so-necessary) foldout version costs 70¢. Staff also provide a room-finding service for 2.20€, or search for free online via the TI website.
Old Town: The largest of the city’s three TIs is on Mozartplatz, centrally located in the Old Town (closed Sundays Nov and Jan-March, otherwise daily 9:00-18:00, July thru mid-Sept till 19:00). This main branch has an event ticket agency, and offers a one hour (English-German) guided city tour twice daily (departing 12:15 pay guide 9€ adult or 7€ with Salzburg Card, and again at 14:00 for less money 8€ adult or 6.50€ with Salzburg Card); see TI.
Railers, most convenient for you is the new temporary TI (daily 9:00-18:00, May/June & Sept 8:30-19:00, July/Aug till 20:00) stuffed into a portable out front of the main train station. Note that this branch also sells event tickets, e.g. concerts at Mirabell Palace.
Drivers, best suited for you is Süd TI, packed into a portable at the Park+Ride off the A10 autobahn. Exit Salzburg-Süd and drive towards Salzburg—after about 4 km follow TI sign to the right. Hours here vary but generally: closed Oct and early Jan thru April, otherwise May Thur-Sat 10:00-16:30, June/July Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00, Aug Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00 & Sun 10:00-17:00, Sept Wed-Sat 10:00-16:30, and mid-Nov thru New Year Thur-Sat 10:00-16:30.
Emergency Tel. Numbers, valid Austria-wide; Fire dept. (Feuerwehr) = 122; Police (Polizei) = 133; Ambulance/Rescue = 144.
Main Train Station: (www.oebb.at) Salzburg’s Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) is smallish and overly scenic upon arrival, especially from the east. This year the train station is undergoing major renovations that have pushed the tourist information office into a portable directly out front of the station (pick up your free city map daily 9:00-18:00, May/June & Sept 8:30-19:00, July/Aug till 20:00). Toilets (.50¢) are adjacent to the TI. Also a victim of the new construction effort and pushed into a portable out front is the Resiezentrum, or the train info and ticket purchase office (Mon-Fri 6:30-20:30, Sat 6:30-19:00, Sun 8:30-20:30). Note that also represented here is a clerk from the German rail authority, Deutsche Bahn (DB), imparting state rail info as well as selling tickets for Germany, e.g. the Bayern-Ticket (see next entry for details). Lockers (2-3.50€/24hr) are also located out front, behind the aforesaid Resiezentrum. An Internet café is immediately outside the station (exit right, 3€/hr daily 8:00-24:00, has Skype, CD burning) or you can pick up free Wi-Fi out front beaming from McDonald’s. Local bus connections, as well as those to Berchtesgaden, are out front of the station. Taxis are abundant and also out front. In the “Forum 1” mall outside the station (exit front and angle right) is a McDonald’s as well as a pharmacy (Apotheke Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 8:00-12:00) and a EuroSpar supermarket (Mon-Fri 7:30-19:00, Sat 7:30-18:00, all major CCs accepted). Also outside the station and to the right, past Burger King, is a post office (Mon-Fri 8:00-20:30, Sat 8:00-14:00, Sun 13:00-18:00). For bike rental exit station left and follow signs to Top Bike’s outdoor storage facility usually staffed by smilin’ Sabine (for price/hours see Bike Rental below). Getting to the Old Town from the station is a painless 20-min *walk, about 8€ by taxi, or ride bus 3, 5 or 6 headed direction Zentrum and get off a handful of stops later at Rathaus. *By foot, exit front of station, go left and continue straight along Rainerstrasse for some distance, eventually leading under the train tracks (this part of the walk is not so nice). A couple of cross streets farther, opposite the church, cut right through the enchanting Mirabell Gardens and traverse the river. By train from Salzburg to Innsbruck 2hr trip (roughly every hour 6:00-22:00) 38€/adult; Vienna 3hr trip (hrly from 5:00 until roughly 22:00) 48€/adult; Melk 3hr trip (hrly from 5:00 until roughly 22:00, one change) 35€/adult; Berchtesgaden 85-min trip (hrly with one change), or ride the cheaper and faster bus 840 (explained under Buses below), either way is valid with a Bayern-Ticket (see next entry for details); Munich 2hr trip (2/hr, hrly from 5:45 until roughly 21:00), consider purchasing the Bayern-Ticket (explained below). Note: Because Salzburg is partnered with the German rail authority, special Deutsche Bahn train tickets (like the Bayern-Ticket) and Eurail passes that include Germany are valid to/fro Salzburg main train station at no additional cost.
The Bayern-Ticket is a terrific buy for individuals (21€) and small groups up to five persons (29€) traveling for the day within the German state of Bavaria and to/fro Salzburg main train station. Although the latter ticket is specifically aimed at Bavaria, it’s ideal from Salzburg if you’re headed across the German border to, for example, Munich or Berchtesgaden, which many of you will be. For instance, you can visit the Bavarian capital for the day, and travel on the city’s trams and buses and subway as needed, then return to Salzburg main train station for the aforesaid bargain price of 21€ one person or 29€ for small groups up to five persons. For travel to Berchtesgaden, however, the Bayern-Ticket is not recommended for one person since the day ticket sold by the driver of bus 840 is a better deal (see Buses below). The Bayern-Ticket (group tariff 29€) is also ideal for parent(s) who can use it to travel with an unlimited number of their own children aged 14 and under. What’s more, there are many discounts on attractions Bavaria-wide afforded to holders of a valid Bayern-Ticket, in which case I’ve listed these where applicable throughout this guidebook, starting right here in the city of salt with a 10% discount on the Salzburg Card. Note: The Bayern-Ticket is valid Mon-Fri after 9:00 until 3:00 (the following morning) and the whole day Sat/Sun in 2nd-class seating on non-speed trains (heading to/fro Salzburg Hauptbahnhof across the German border) and on all public transportation within Bavaria (but not Salzburg). To save the 2€ counter service fee, purchase the Bayern-Ticket either online (www.bahn.de, print out invoice and bring it on train with your ID) or from the driver of bus 840 (headed to Berchtesgaden) or at one of the DB ticket automats in Salzburg main train station (automats accept all major credit cards and are multilingual). To emphasize; if the ticket is bought over the counter you will pay a 2€ surcharge (i.e. 23€ for individuals and 31€ for small groups), and even more if purchased on the train. Lastly, if you’re holding a railpass, e.g. Eurail, you may not find the Bayern-Ticket such a bargain. Weigh your pass-type and destination against the price of the Bayern-Ticket.
Buses, (www.stadtbus.at). Salzburg isn’t big enough to warrant a subway system, therefore an efficient and eco-friendly bus network (consisting of 220 drivers operating 81 electric buses on 9 urban lines) does the trick. Most of the city’s attractions can be found in the Old Town, or within walking distance of it, rendering public transportation for many travelers unnecessary. Moreover, the vast majority of you (my readers) will be holding a valid Salzburg Card and therefore ride for free! That said, here are the prices in case you require the service: a single one-way ticket (Einzelkarte) costs 1.90€, or 2.10€ from driver, but you can slash this price to 1.60€ per ticket if you purchase a block of five from a magazine/tobacco shop or at a city bus service counter. The 24-hour ticket (24-Stundenkarte) 4.20€, or 5€ from driver, is good for exactly 24 hours from time of validation. And the week ticket (Wochenkarte) 12.80€, not available for purchase from driver, is valid for exactly one week from first use and is transferable, meaning another person can use it. Purchase tickets at multilingual automats labeled Fahrkarten/Tickets or at magazine/tobacco shops. Tickets purchased from the bus driver are prevalidated but cost more money! Small groups consider hailing a cab. Note: Stamp ticket in time box on bus to validate; watch locals. An on-the-spot fine of 60€ will be enforced if caught riding Schwarz, i.e. without a valid ticket. To signal the driver to stop, push halt button on handrail or by exit door. And note that at Mirabellplatz (one of Salzburg’s main transportation hubs) there are three different pick-up points; check posted schedule to make sure you’re in the right place. Lastly, I use the word “exactly” concerning the 24-hour and week tickets because the city requires that the ticket holder complete his/her final journey by the time of expiration or run the risk of being fined for traveling without a valid ticket.
Bus 840 to Berchtesgaden (4.70€ one way, 50-min trip) departs typically Mon-Fri 8:15, 9:15, 10:15, 11:15, 13:05, 14:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:15, 18:15, and Sat/Sun 9:15, 10:15, 11:15, 14:15, 16:15, 18:15 from opposite Salzburg’s main train station (out front on the street, or from *Mirabellplatz, Rathaus, and Mozartsteg a few minutes later. *Note that at Mirabellplatz there are three different pick-up points; you need to wait at the north end, i.e. the bus stop closest to main train station, but check schedule in advance for changes). If you’re planning on returning to Salzburg, purchase the day ticket (Tageskarte 9€) from the driver, which will cover all your bus transportation for the day, including to/fro Salzburg and Obersalzberg (bus departure area for Eagle’s Nest), as well as to the salt mines and Königssee lake. But if you are a small group of 4 or 5 persons, buy the Bayern-Ticket (explained above) directly from the driver of bus 840 to significantly increase savings. Note: Bus 840 terminates at Berchtesgaden’s train station, where buses depart roughly every 30 min to Obersalzberg and elsewhere around town. Lastly, those of you traveling in a small group of 4 or 5 persons and are planning on buying the Bayern-Ticket from the driver, note that during the week (Mon-Fri) the ticket is officially valid after 9:00 but is usually only enforced by the driver if the bus is nearing capacity. Thus, I suggest you play dumb and take a chance on catching the 8:15 bus to maximize your time in breathtaking Berchtesgaden. (For the record, the Bayern-Ticket is also valid Sat/Sun but there is neither an 8:15 bus nor an early time restriction on weekends.)
Getting to Berchtesgaden: This picturesque Bavarian village is only 25 km southwest of Salzburg (on the German side of the border) and, as you are probably already aware, highly worth a visit, especially mid-May thru Oct when the Eagle’s Nest is open. From Salzburg you have five ways to reach Berchtesgaden: train, bus, taxi, car, pricey tour. By train: If you’re holding a Eurail consecutive-day or dated Flexi/Select pass, you ride free on the train: 85-min trip (hrly with one change). By bus: If you’re not holding a discounted rail pass (and even if you are you may want to) forget the train and ride bus 840 to Berchtesgaden. It’s quicker and cheaper, (see entry above). By taxi: From Salzburg’s main train station it will cost around 40€ to Berchtesgaden and 50€ to Obersalzberg. By car: Exit A10 autobahn at Salzburg-Süd and head direction Berchtesgaden; follow this road straight all the way (roughly 14 km). But if you’re coming from central Salzburg, you need to get to the southeast side of town and connect onto the Alpenstrasse; drive this straight to Berchtesgaden. Pricey tour: If interested, tours are available to Berchtesgaden from Salzburg; ask TI or staff at your digs for info.
Drivers/Parking: For street parking pay at nearby automat and leave ticket on dashboard of your car (applicable Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, otherwise free). Price (automat) typically 10¢/6 min, 50¢/30 min, max 3.30€/3hr; Saturdays free for a max time of three hours but you must use your parking dial between 9:00-16:00. There are a few parking garages around town, but the best choice for new arrivals is the 24-hour underground Altstadt Garage at Hildmannplatz with some 1,400 spaces available (1.20€/30 min, 2.40€/60 min, every 10 min thereafter 40¢, 15€/24hr, but note that many shops in the Old Town can discount your parking ticket to 3€/4hr or 5€/8hr if you make a purchase [thus ask about ticket validation before you shop], or Sporer spirits told me they would validate your parking ticket without having to purchase anything, just stop by and show this guide with your ticket). Getting to the Altstadt Garage is straightforward (GPS: N47 47.855 E13 02.264)—exit A1 autobahn at “Salzburg Flughafen” and follow signs to Salzburg, then Mitte and Hotel route. After about 4 km you will reach a giant cliff face and a tunnel funneling into the Old Town—don’t drive through the tunnel! A short distance before it, on the right, is the entrance descending to the garage. After parking, follow signs Festspielhäuser (Festival Halls) to the Toskaninihof opening to the Old Town. (Sound of Music fans, both the Festival Halls and Toscanini Hof were used in the filming of the movie and are part of my DIY tour.)
Drivers who wish to avoid the city entirely, leave your car at the Salzburg Süd Park+Ride (fee required) on the outskirts and ride the bus in. To get there, GPS: N47 46.150 E13 04.234, exit the A10 autobahn at Salzburg-Süd and continue in the direction of Salzburg—after about 4 km follow TI and Park+Ride (P+R) signs into parking lot. Note: Purchase Salzburg Card from the on-site TI (see Tourist Information above for hours) and the bus ride into town is free as well as most attractions. As a reminder, vehicles traveling on the Austrian autobahn are required to have a “Vignette,” or toll sticker.
Salzburg Card:
I highly recommend you invest in the savings afforded by the Salzburg Card. You will not only gain unlimited use of public transportation within the metro area but also free one-time admission into most attractions in the Old Town (for example all sights in the below-listed do-it-yourself city orientation tour are free with the Salzburg Card), including select discounts on services and entertainment. The Salzburg Card comes in three validity types: 24, 48 and 72 hours (each available at the TI, info counter at the airport, and possibly your accommodations). The cost of the card varies depending on the time of year, for example the price increases May-Oct: 24-hour card adult 22€, youth 6-15yr 11€ (May-Oct 25€/12.50€); 48-hour card adult 30€, youth 6-15yr 15€ (May-Oct 34€/17€); 72-hour card adult 35€, youth 6-15yr 17.50€ (May-Oct 40€/20€); students, AAA auto-club members and holders of a valid Bayern-Ticket ask for discount. Note: The Salzburg Card is not valid until you sign and date it; do this prior to its first use.
Airport, locally Flughafen (www.salzburg-airport.com, code SZG). Salzburg’s W.A. Mozart airport is idyllically nestled at the foothills of the Alps—a spectacular scene for anyone flying to/fro the city of salt. 
Moving more than 1.5 million passengers annually, Salzburg airport is situated 5 km west of the Old Town with regular *bus connections or a taxi will cost roughly 15€ (depending on traffic and where you’re headed; *daily bus #2 25 min to/fro main train station or Mirabellplatz, or Mon-Sat bus #8 20 min to/fro the Old Town Rathaus or Hanuschplatz, see Buses above for price details). (In April 2001, the Austrian post office released 1,600,000 units of the shown 14-schilling postage stamp to commemorate the 75th birthday of Salzburg Airport.) Note: Consider purchasing the Salzburg Card; see info counter. Aviation aficionados, visit Hangar-7 two bus stops (bus 2 or 8 direction city) from the main airport terminal.
Bike Rental: Salzburg is a pleasure to cycle around, and Top Bike will help you fulfill this eco-adventure. So get your butt in gear and ride your very own Tour de Salzburg. Cycle to Schloss Hellbrunn, or along the river, or pedal my Sound of Music do-it-yourself Driving Tour (excluding lake district). Rent your wheels from Top Bike (www.topbike.at, mobile 0676/476-7259)—show this guide and receive a 20% discount off the below-listed prices. Top Bike is located at the Staatsbrücke (main bridge in town) and open daily (except in bad weather), April-June and Sept/Oct 10:00-17:00, July/Aug 9:00-19:00. Price (before discount), 6€/2hr, 10€/4hr, 15€/24hr, 45€/week. Bring ID. Ask about the 7-seater “Octopus.” Maybe it’s something for your group?
Internet: You can access the World Wide Web at the café just outside the main train station (3€/hr, daily 8:00-24:00, has Skype, CD burning) or for a cheaper rate (1€/hr, daily 9:30-23:00, has Skype & Web cam) walk 7 min to Gabelsbergerstrasse 11 (exit front of station and go left some 200 meters to the traffic light, then walk left under the rail bridge to No. 11 ahead on the left; if it’s closed, cross the street to No. 8 to the much smaller Net shop: daily 9:00-23:00, 1€/hr, has Skype & Web cam). Another place to surf, but best to avoid at 12€/hr(!), is the petite and outrageously expensive café a few doors left of the TI on Mozartplatz. Pick up free Wi-Fi in and around the Museum of Natural History and the next-door Republic café (trendy teen hangout at Anton-Neumayr-Platz in the northwest part of the Old Town) as well as at McDonald’s in front of the main train station.
Post Office, Salzburg has four central branches: (1) Outside the main train station, on the far side of Burger King, is a P.O. (Mon-Fri 8:00-20:30, Sat 8:00-14:00, Sun 13:00-18:00). (2) The most centrally located P.O. (Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-12:00) is hidden behind the cathedral, off Residenzplatz, at the same entrance as the Panorama Museum (page 8). (3) You’ll find a P.O. (Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00) on Makartplatz by the Mirabell Gardens. To find it, stand in front of and face Mozart’s Wohnhaus, then march left up the street to the P.O. on the corner. (4) Most interestingly for stamp collectors there is an Austria Post shop at Linzer Gasse 24 (Mon-Fri 9:30-18:00, Sat 10:00-17:00) that is dedicated to philately (e.g. new and old Austrian releases to commemorative and special editions) as well as handling everyday postal services.
Supermarket: A convenient and centrally located grocery store is the Billa (Mon-Fri 7:15-19:30, Sat 7:15-18:00) parked at the bus transportation hub Hanuschplatz, opposite the footbridge traversing the river. But a much bigger stockpile of foodstuff can be found at the EuroSpar supermarket (Mon-Fri 8:00-19:00, Sat 7:30-17:00) secreted in the “Forum 1” shopping mall outside the main train station.
Laundry: There are two coin laundromats in Salzburg worth mentioning; the first one belongs to the Bubblepoint franchise (daily 7:00-23:00 last wash 22:15, has Internet, 4.50€/wash, 1.30€/dry 10 min, free wash powder), located a short walk from the main train station (exit station straight out the front and at the street go right, then make the next left on Karl-Wurmb-Strasse to the Bubblepoint ahead on the right). The other coin laundry (Mon-Fri 7:30-18:00 last wash 16:00, Sat 8:00-12:00 last wash 10:00, 10€/load, pay attendant Susan or Monika directly) is parked on the corner of Wolf-Dietrich-Strasse and Paris-Lodron-Strasse in the New Town.
Holidays in Salzburg, 2011
1. January, Saturday – Neujahr (New Year)
6. January, Thursday – Heilige Drei Könige (Epiphany)
22. April – Karfreitag (Good Friday)
25. April – Ostermontag (Easter Monday)
1. May, Sunday – May Day (Labor Day)
2. June, Thursday – Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day)
13. June – Pfingstmontag (Whit Monday)
23. June, Thursday – Fronleichnam (Corpus Christi)
15. August, Monday – Maria Himmelfahrt (Assumption Day)
26. October, Wednesday – National Independence Day
1. November, Tuesday – Allerheiligen (All Saints’ Day)
8. December, Thursday – Immaculate Conception
25. December, Sunday – Weihnachten (Christmas)
26. December, Monday – St. Stephen’s Day (Christmas Day No. 2)
What to do on a Sunday or holiday: The shops are closed but most all attractions will be open. At Mozartplatz, set off on my do-it-yourself orientation tour of the city. If you’ve been there done that, consider my Sound of Music do-it-yourself tour. If that’s already checked off your list, head to Berchtesgaden, Werfen or the Salzkammergut (lake district). Other ideas include renting a bike and cycling along the river or going for a hike (start with the Kapuzinerberg). If none of the above appeals to you, how ’bout quaffing a beer under the cooling leaves of a chestnut tree at the Müllner Bräu.
Church Service, locally Gottesdienst. Note that hours may have changed; for the latest info and other religious denominations, check with staff at your digs or at the TI. Roman Catholic service in German is held at the Dom (cathedral) Mon-Fri 6:30 and 7:15, Sat 6:30, Sun 8:30, 10:00 and 11:30. Note that the 10:00 service is often celebrated with choral music. Lutheran service in English is held Sunday 11:00 at the neo-Gothic Christuskirche, a.k.a. the Salzburg International Christian Church, (Schwarzstrasse 25, on riverbank a few blocks from the 5-star Hotel Sacher).
Drivers, (cont. from above):
Parking Dial: Before hitting the road, make sure you have the nifty parking dial: a small, 24-hour (blue) cardboard disk that is manually rotated and called a Parkscheibe, or often Parkuhr, in Austria. With the dial properly displayed on your dashboard you will be permitted to park for free in designated areas.
There should be a dial in the glove box (or in the side-door pocket) of your rental car. If your car did not come with a dial, and you haven’t yet left the rental agency, go back in and ask for one. If it’s too late, you can purchase a dial cheaply at a gas station or magazine shop. When applicable, a diagram of the dial will be featured on local parking signs along with a maximum time limit, like the pictured 1 Std. (short for Stunde meaning “hour”). Rotate the dial to the time you pulled into the space (Ankunftszeit, or arrival time) and put it on the dashboard—this way the parking inspector can see when you arrived and if you’ve overstayed your welcome.
Click here for Sights in Salzburg.
Click here for Salzburg Shopping and Entertainment.
Click here for Good Eats in Salzburg.
Click here for Good Sleeps in Salzburg.
Click here for do-it-yourself Salzburg and Sound of Music.
(This page was last updated March 2011.)
COMMENTS
PLEASE take a moment to let me and others know your thoughts about Salzburg, or the information on this page, or perhaps you have a question about a particular sight. Simply type in your comment below and click "Post as" (note that you can login via your Facebook or Twitter account). To finish, this is an open message board, thus please refrain from using foul language or disrespecting others. Thank you, Brett Harriman