Many visit here to follow in the footsteps of the Von Trapp family – and more power to them. It’s a great way to get a whistle-stop tour of the city and beyond and is ideal for all ages. But you can carve out a different path here, one that takes in both the old and new elements of the city, the Mozart tributes and the jazz clubs, the Austrian cuisine classics and new kings of the kitchen.
On the ramparts
Leave the car behind to visit the Festung Hohensalzburg – the city’s iconic fortress. Situated in the heart of the city, this castle has sat on top of its cliff for over 900 years, and you can walk the ramparts before heading inside. It’s more than worth it, with the gold-covered ceiling and Gothic columns of the Golden Hall among the highlights. Some of the puppets veer towards the creepy in the Marionette Museum, but overall you get a wonderfully clear picture of the past. Time your visit right and you can take part in a Mozart recital here – there’s no better place for it.
Baroque and roll
There are numerous good reasons why much of Salzburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s dotted with palaces, churches and squares adorned with baroque flourishes. The epicentre is Residenzplatz, the much-photographed square complete with a palace and, to maintain the sense of the past, horse-drawn carriages. There’s a visible Italian influence here – no surprise that the architect was Italian – and a vast and impressive marble fountain at its centre.
The houses of the city all have a story to tell. In Getriedegasse you can visit Mozart’s birthplace, now a museum full of vintage artefacts. Schloss Leopoldskron featured heavily in A Sound of Music, and thus is a place of pilgrimage for fans of the film. It dates from 1736, and its setting is particularly sublime, the palace is reflected almost perfectly in the pond it stands next to. You can now stay here, soaking in the history and regal atmosphere.
Even more impressive is Schloss Mirabell, with an over-the-top interior that you can visit for free. Here you can walk the gardens where Maria famously sung Do-Re-Mi or tour the grand hall where Mozart made many of his masterpieces.
Alpine cuisine
Much of Salzburg’s dining scene is reassuringly traditional, with the kind of grand old European café you expect – and want – to see in abundance. For a true taste of the past go to Stiftskeller St. Peter, the oldest and most venerable restaurant in city, and one packed with history. How old? Try 1200 years – Charlemagne ate here in 803, Mozart later, making it perhaps the oldest in all of Europe.
The renowned wine cellar runs to over 16,000 bottles and tradition is mixed with elements of the new in their menu. Saddle of fawn is served with plum and curd, pike perch with sweet potato. The Wiener Schnitzel is exemplary and a dessert of yeast pancakes with sour cream and elderflower is a Bohemian classic. You almost expect the Von Trapp family to pull up some chairs at the table next to you.
Tradition touched with modernity is the story of this entire city, and Salzburg car hire is the key to your Alpine adventure.