Salzburg – Day 6 of a 10-Day Trip in Europe
Day 6 was off to another country – Austria! I headed to the Munich Central Station early in the morning to catch the train to Salzburg. Salzburg literally means Salt “Salz” Castle “Burg” – the city received its name due to its proximity to multiple salt mines. Aside from being a salt capital, Salzburg is also a beautiful town filled with medieval and baroque style buildings. In fact, the city centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. It is also known for being the filming location for the movie Sound of Music, which in my view is a Julie Andrews classic. Sound of Music recounts the (mostly) true story of the Von Trapp Family, a well known concert group in the mid-1930’s . I say mostly because as with any movie, there is usually additional details or minor changes to make it more exciting. Spoiler alert! The film begins with Maria, an aspiring nun, becoming governess to a large family. The mischievous children eventually open up to Maria and she falls in love with the children and their widowed father, Captain George Von Trapp. She subsequently gives up being a nun to marry Captain Von Trapp and become the mother of his 7 children. The second half of the film then focuses on their musical life in Austria and their eventually escape due to the Nazis regime. If you haven’t seen it – I recommend it!
Day 6
Salzburg
My day started with taking the train to Salzburg. I booked my ticket online using the OBB website. The train between Munich and Salzburg is about an hour and 45 minutes. Before boarding the train, I picked up a pastry from one of the cafes in the station and munched on it during the train ride to Salzburg. Despite being two different countries, there was no border stop entering Austria from Germany. Upon arrival in Salzburg, I stopped by the Tourist Information Center to pick up a 24-hour Salzburg Card which includes unlimited city transit and discounts/full admission to attractions. The hotel I was staying at, Hotel Kohlpeter, was a bit further from the main Salzburg area and I didn’t want to make the 1.5 hour round trip to the hotel and back to the central area, so I stored my bags in the luggage storage at the train station.
Next destination, the Mozart Residence! The Mozart Residence is the former home of one of the most influential composers in history, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Today, it is a museum and open to the public. I thought the museum was quite small and did not have a whole lot to see. There is another museum in the city called the Mozart Birthplace, which I thought was much better equipped in terms of content and artifacts.
Afterwards, I walked to DomQuartier Salzburg, a museum of state rooms, artifacts, and art. On the way, I walked through the Residenzplatz (the main plaza), which was also the location of a Christmas Market. I also snapped a picture of the Salzburg Cathedral exterior.
The DomQuartier is immense. As part of the admission, you can walk along the roof tops and enter the balcony of the Salzburg Cathedral (Note the only entry to the Salzburg Cathedral main floor is through the main entrance and is a separate ticket).
It was about lunchtime so I walked to Zwettler’s Wirtshaus and ordered a Kaiser Karl Weissbier (local beer) and a Kaiser Karl beer goulash. The beer goulash came with a gooey-soft dumpling, which was perfect for dipping in the sauce.
Energized, I was ready to head to the tallest point in the city – Hohensalzburg Fortress. Hohensalzburg Fortress sits at the top of Festungsberg Mountain and you can get there by foot or by funicular. Funiculars in Salzburg are covered under transit so if you have a valid bus ticket or a Salzburg Card, it will work on the funiculars. Hohensalzburg Fortress is a large castle and has a large museum with history and armoury artifacts. There are also great viewpoints from the fortress’ tower and plaza.
After, I walked partway down the mountain towards Norbert Abbey. Norbert Abbey is a Benedictine nunnery and where Maria Von Trapp (born Kutschera) almost became a nun. It is the oldest existing nunnery in the German-speaking countries and was consecrated in year 714. The abbey was very quiet and the chapel was open, but very dimly lit.
I continued walking down the mountain and headed towards the St. Peter’s Abbey Site. The St. Peter’s Abbey Site is a Benedictine monastery and has a cathedral, cemetery, and catacombs. The catacombs are an interesting visit and were built in the 1100s. The catacombs are carved into the Mönschberg mountain.
I walked to the Christmas Market at Residenzplatz where I indulged in gluhwein (mulled wine). It was raining so the gluhwein was a nice treat. I took a walk exploring the streets of Salzburg and stopped by the Cafe Konditorei Fürst, known for their chocolate balls with pistachio cream centre (these are so good!). Next, I walked to Mozart’s Birthplace. As a pianist, I was familiar with Mozart’s legacy and was very excited to visit his Birthplace.
In an apartment on the third floor, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 to Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria. The Mozart family also lived in the apartment for 26 years. Today, the entire building is a museum dedicated to the amazing life of Wolfgang and his family. Some history on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart now. He was a child prodigy when it came to composing music. His father, Leopold Mozart was a composer and musician himself and he brought Wolfgang Mozart along on his tours. At the age of 5, Wolfgang Mozart was already performing for royalty. Wolfgang had an illustrious musical career, but fell ill and died at the age of 35. Today, there are no direct descendants of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as his two sons, Carl Thomas and Franz Xaver Wolfgang had no children themselves.
After the museum, I walked to the Mönschberg funicular for another Salzburg viewpoint. Here is a view comparison between early and late afternoon.
There is also the Museum der Moderne at the top of the funicular, which is a Modern Art Museum. The admission is included in the Salzburg Card and since I was already in the area, I decided to visit.
It was getting late, so I headed back to the train station to pick up my bag and travel to the hotel. After checking in and dropping off my bags, I had dinner at the hotel. I ordered a Stielg beer (brewed in Salzburg, Austria) and peppercorn sauce steak with croquettes and beans. The steak was ok – it was not a great cut and I found it was cooked more than the medium rare I asked for. The beans and croquette were tasty though.
Complete Day 6 Itinerary
*Travel times may vary. Check Google Maps for most accurate travel details.
8:00am: Travel from Munich Central Station to Salzburg Main Station (1 hour and 45 minute train).
10:00am: Visit the Mozart Residence (8 minute bus from Salzburg Station).
11:00am: Visit DomQuartier (9 minute walk from the Mozart Residence).
12:00pm: Have lunch at Zwettler’s Wirtshaus (4 minute walk from DomQuartier).
1:00pm: Visit Hohensalzburg Fortress (13 minute walk from Zwettler’s Wirtshaus – take the funicular). Check out the Salzburg view from the plaza and the tower!
2:00pm: Visit Norbert Abbey (7 minute walk from Hohensalzburg Fortress).
3:00pm: Visit St. Peter’s Abbey Site (13 minute walk from Norbert Abbey).
4:00pm: Visit Mozart’s Birthplace (6 minute walk from St. Peter’s Abbey Site).
5:00pm: Take the Mönschberg funicular to another Salzburg view (8 minute walk from Mozart’s Birthplace). Enjoy the view and visit the Museum der Moderne.
6:00pm: Have dinner! If you stay at Hotel Kohlpeter, the restaurant is a good option.
10-Day Europe Itinerary
Click “Download” below for an excel version of my 10-Day Europe Itinerary to Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria. Feel free to use the excel file as a planning template for your own trip!
Austria Links:
Travels with Carolyne 