The Best Way To Spend
5 Days in Salzburg on a Budget

Have you got a long weekend on the horizon and don't know how to spend it? I've jotted down some notes from my own trip to Salzburg, the city that sells itself, to give you some inspiration!

So, Austria — what's the first thing that comes to your head when I say this destination? I wouldn't call myself a betting man but I'm sure that it would be skiing or Vienna. Ever thought about merging the two…

That's Salzburg, a baroque city so perfectly preserved it looks like a stage set, which is appropriate, given that it was essentially the childhood backdrop for The Sound of Music and the birthplace of Mozart. But beyond the tourism, it's a genuinely extraordinary city: the historic old town on both sides of the Salzach River is UNESCO-listed, the fortress above it is the best-preserved medieval castle in Central Europe, and the surrounding lake district is among Austria's most beautiful landscapes.

So, where do I begin? Honestly it is rare that you visit a place that you genuinely could see yourself living and working in, but this was it for me. My girlfriend and I embarked on this trip for an anniversary getaway at the end of March, a time of year you wouldn't particularly be looking at a city like Salzburg for but it was absolutely perfect. We could very much embrace and see the true city when it isn't swamped with tour groups. Although this may mean some attractions aren't open, it is very much worth it.

We stayed in a quiet neighbourhood just north of the centre, a one-bed Airbnb right by the Salzach River for just under £100 a night. Nothing feels better than waking up in a new city, especially one as relaxing as Salzburg — taking in the crisp March morning on a leisurely walk along the river before the day begins. By the end of the trip it felt like a routine we'd had for years. If you're planning Salzburg: think twice about staying inside the tourist centre. Find somewhere that gives you that walk, and the chance to see the more natural, everyday flow of the city.

The Salzach River, a few minutes' walk from the Airbnb — our morning routine for five days.

If you want to do exactly what we did, search Airbnb along the river north of the Old Town — a one-bed with the Salzach on your doorstep for around £85–110 a night. For those after something more special, Hotel Sacher Salzburg is the one. A grand, privately-owned five-star that has sat on the banks of the Salzach since 1866, with rooms looking out over the fortress and the old town rooftops.

Our meal spots

Salzburg surprised us with the food. It's not somewhere you necessarily think of as a destination for eating well, but we found some genuinely brilliant spots. Coffee first and honestly any café you stumble into in the old town will do the job. The Austrians take their coffee seriously and it shows.

For lunch, Burrito Factory is exactly what it sounds like and exactly what you want after a long morning of exploring - it gives generous portions, cheap, and no fuss. White Horse Coffee Bar is the another spot that we tried for lunch: a relaxed, friendly spot that does the best bagels in Salzburg.

For dinner, Amidaa Sushi was a standout - lovely setting and very reasonably priced for some outstanding sushi. Lievitamente is a great pizza place that we were recommened by our airbnb host, after escaping some heavy rain we bundled ourselves into this cosy spot and it did not disappoint. And if you want the most local evening of the trip, Fuxn is the one. A lively gastro-pub with a proper Austrian menu, a serious beer selection, and an atmosphere that feels entirely removed from the tourist trail. Schnitzel, good beer, busy tables - exactly what you want on a cold March evening in Salzburg.

Our first day was one of those perfect ones you don't plan, you just find yourself in the middle of. Having got up for our flight at half 3 in the morning, you would think that we would be shattered, but its that feeling of being in a new place that keeps you going — it does a better job than any amount of caffeine would (although a coffee upon arrival definitely helped out!) The weather was certainly on our side — sunny, fresh and ideal for our first date with Salzburg.

I'm ashamed to say that my first time watching the iconic 'The Sound Of Music' was a mere few days before flying out, which was one of the best decisions I have made. As cringy as it sounds, I couldn't help myself from singing along to the songs as we took on the Sound of Music walking tour.

I would greatly recommend a free self-guided route over the traditional bus tours both due to cost, as well as the chance to experience the city on foot, at your own pace. You find the better parts of the trip take place when you go off plan, and that's exactly what this 'tour' is, taking you around the key sites of the city with an explanation of what it is and how it appeared in the movie.

Having it fresh in our heads meant that when we walked into Mirabell Palace gardens and found the exact fountain and the exact steps from the Do-Re-Mi sequence, it landed properly. From Mirabellplatz we wound through the old town, past the Residenzplatz where Maria famously splashes the fountain mid-song, through St Peter's Cemetery which is beautiful entirely on its own terms, up to Nonnberg Abbey at the foot of the fortress hill. Here was when we got our first view over the city, and wow what a view it was. Luckily for you I grabbed a photo of it:

The view from Nonnberg Abbey — our first glimpse of the city from above.

Then out along Hellbrunner Allee in the afternoon — a long, straight, tree-lined avenue that leads south out of the city toward Hellbrunn Palace, where the pavilion, if you've seen the film you'll know it, is located.

The whole thing is free, takes half a day at a relaxed pace, and doubles as one of the best ways to learn the geography of the city on your first day.

If you'd prefer a guided version, the Original Sound of Music Bus Tour on GetYourGuide is the one to book — run by Albus, the same company involved in the original filming. It covers all the city locations plus gets you out into the Salzkammergut countryside for the lake and mountain scenery. Around 4 hours, with free cancellation.

I'll save the full story of Hallstatt for its own post — because it deserves one. But the short version is this: we took a train through mountain scenery that had our faces pressed against the glass, crossed the alpine lake by ferry, and watched one of the most beautiful towns in Europe gradually materialise from the water.

Hallstatt, gradually materialising from the water as the ferry pulled in.

If you'd rather leave the logistics to someone else, the half-day guided tour from Salzburg to Hallstatt on GetYourGuide is one of the most booked trips in the city for good reason — 5.5 hours, free cancellation included.

Normally I'm not one to purchase the tourist trap that a city card is but this time I was pleasantly surprised. On top of the free transport it provides, this pass was a simple itinerary stacker, including all the best "indoory" activities to do in Salzburg for a fraction of the price — especially in our case where we kept a day deliberately loose, knowing we'd get bad weather at some point in March.

The fortress in the morning, and if you're visiting Salzburg this isn't optional. If you're like me and love to gather the odd fact or two on your travels, this is the spot to do so. On top of being a great viewpoint above the city, the fortress is drowning in history — from the bull that saved the city to the fact that it has never been successfully captured (hence why it's so well preserved!)

You can book the Hohensalzburg Fortress skip-the-line ticket on GetYourGuide in advance to avoid the queue at the desk — it includes the funicular ride and access to the whole castle complex.

We did both Mozart sites — his birthplace and his residence — and we'll be honest… they weren't the most interesting. Luckily they are covered under the Salzburg Card so it didn't feel like much of a waste when we rushed our way through.

Salzburg is made for a slow day, so don't feel bad when you aren't constantly rushing around to see what the city has to offer. In those moments is where you really find what you are looking for — a coffee, a bagel, and a wander.

Ah one more thing; if you are a football fan like myself, it's a must to see the local stadium. The Red Bull Arena, home of RB Salzburg certainly didn't disappoint. This stadium was one of the starting points for some great players, including Erling Haaland and fortunately for my girlfriend there were no home games during our time there — but you are able to see the ground from the outside, I'll give you a glimpse:

Red Bull Arena — where Haaland started. Worth a visit even from the outside.

The best part of the trip, and I'd say that even against Hallstatt. We took the bus up to Gaisberg — the mountain that sits above and behind the city — and hiked a circular route that presented us with glimpses of the city and the white wasteland of snowy peaks in the other direction. If you fancy to get a bit of a sweat on there's the opportunity to climb through the treeline and up to the summit.

Such a short distance away from the city and you see the ground turn green to white, welcoming you into a whole new world. And wow the views were stunning. The trees opened up and on a stretch in front of us, the whole city lay there in wait. That right there was the most magical part of the trip — and we gave it hard competition with the fairytale town of Hallstatt.

Such a short distance away from the city and you see the ground turn green to white, welcoming you into a whole new world.

From the summit — the whole city in the valley below, the Alps in every other direction.

At the summit there's a small restaurant where we had to have a beer of course before we got the bus from the top back down to the Hauptbahnhof.

Truly the best way for us to end our trip.

Getting There & Getting Around

Salzburg is the rare city that doesn't need to perform. Cropped between the alps and the ever-standing fortress every turn is a postcard. You can sit at a simple café table with your drink of choice — and that's the whole thing, really.

We went for an anniversary trip on a budget in a month most people skip. We came home talking about when we could go back (and maybe for more than just a holiday).

A perfect example of dropping the bags and experiencing a shift from the everyday bustle that life is.