Childhood dreams came true for our guest blogger, Kathryn. When her European adventure took her to Austria, Kathryn discovered a few of her favorite things in Salzburg. Here’s her story.
I won’t lie. A huge reason that I even decided to visit Salzburg, Austria on this trip was so I could go on the Sound of Music tour.
I really couldn’t help it. I grew up watching and loving this movie!
Arriving in Salzburg was such a lovely change from all the hustle and bustle of the large European cities I had been visiting. Salzburg is actually a pretty small place and only has about 150,000 residents. However, between the Sound of Music tour, the skiing in the winter, and the scenic alpine views and hikes, this city draws a lot of tourists!
The architecture of the city is just beautiful. Almost the entirety of the city was built in the baroque style of the 19th century. Salzburg is an incredibly scenic place with quite a few attractions.
Best Things to Do in Salzburg, Austria
1. Hohensalzburg Fortress
Salzburg is situated in a large valley in between several mountains. On one of these is the Hohensalzburg Fortress. You really can’t miss it if you’re in Salzburg. This obviously desirable defensive position was inhabited as early as the Roman period. The whole place was built in stages over hundreds of years and many different leaders. It’s really interesting to literally be able to see the transitions between different periods of time.
Climbing the tallest tower also affords you a beautiful view of the city. Although the hike up to the fortress is a bit rough (Read: VERY steep!), it is totally worth it. If climbing isn’t your thing, you can cheat and take the funicular up. Additionally, the fortress houses many exhibits on the history of Salzburg and the many wars this country has been through.
2. The Sound of Music Tour
Even if you’re not a superfan of The Sound of Music like I am, I would still recommend going on this tour. Besides taking you to all of the spots in the city of Salzburg where the movie was filmed, the bus takes you out to the lakes and mountains district to a lovely little town called Mondsee. It’s home to the beautiful church where Captain Von Trapp and Maria are married in The Sound of Music movie.
There you can also eat lunch, walk around and enjoy the scenic mountains. The mountains there are so beautiful! It looks like something out of ... well ... a movie! Plus, it's nice to take a break from hoofing it around Europe and let someone else drive you around for a change.
3. Beer
While I know that Munich is the beer capital of everywhere, Salzburg certainly can hold its own. In addition to several smaller breweries, there is another Augustiner brewery. This was originally related to the same Augustiner as that in Munich but is now separate. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit this Augustiner due to a cold, but everyone I talked to that has gone recommended it very highly!
I did get to visit a smaller brewery and restaurant. This was called Die Wiesse. This restaurant has many specially brewed beer varieties and boasts some of the most delicious and authentic Austrian food around.
4. Untersberg Mountain
Going up the Untersberg Mountain was undoubtedly my favorite thing I did in Salzburg. The mountains here are ridiculously beautiful. To get to the mountain, you simply take city’s Busline 25 to the last stop. From there, you can either do a tough three- to four-hour hike up the mountain or be a reasonable human and take the cable car up. The cable car will give you some stunning views and is surprisingly quick — just a 9-minute ride to the top!
Once at the top, you can enjoy the many scenic views, do some hiking on one of the many trails, or eat some delicious apple strudel at the restaurant (10/10 would recommend!). I ended up doing some hiking with a friend, even though I was sick, and I am so glad I did. It was more than worth it. It really is just unbelievably beautiful!
Best Travel Insurance for European Vacations
Kathryn’s cold was minor, but if she’d come down with a more serious illness during her travels and needed treatment, she would have been covered thanks to her Seven Corners Trip Protection plan. Contact us today or get a quick quote online to find out how our plans can protect you not only if you get sick or hurt during your trip, but also with trip cancellations, delays, lost baggage, and more.
About the Author
Kathryn Snyder is the daughter of Seven Corners team member, Angela Borden. She has studied and traveled abroad extensively, sharing her adventures with us along the way.
