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Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg

Salzburg · Austria

Background

World Heritage since
1996
Type of site
Cultural
Baroque rebuilding
16th–17th c.

Salzburg preserved an extraordinarily rich urban fabric, developed from the Middle Ages to the 19th century when it was a city-state ruled by a prince-archbishop. UNESCO credits its Flamboyant Gothic art with attracting craftsmen and artists, and the Italian architects Vincenzo Scamozzi and Santini Solari with its Baroque appearance; this meeting point of northern and southern Europe perhaps sparked the genius of Mozart.

The core zone covers 236 hectares on both banks of the Salzach, with the Mönchsberg, Festungsberg and Kapuzinerberg hills around the old city. It includes Hohensalzburg Fortress, the cathedral, Getreidegasse and the Festival halls.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 45A Roman settlement on the river
  2. 8th c.Salt barges on the Salzach pay the toll that names the city
  3. 1208The Franciscan church, one of the oldest buildings
  4. Late 16th c.Archbishop Wolf Dietrich begins the Baroque 'Rome of the North'
  5. 1756Mozart is born on Getreidegasse
  6. 1996Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Hohensalzburg Fortress
    One of Europe's largest medieval castles, reached by funicular.
  2. 2
    Salzburg Cathedral
    The Baroque cathedral at the centre of the old city.
  3. 3
    Getreidegasse
    The narrow street of iron signs and Mozart's birthplace.
  4. 4
    Residenzplatz and Mozartplatz
    The fountain square and the Mozart monument.
  5. 5
    Mirabell Gardens
    The palace gardens across the river.
  6. 6
    Kapuzinerberg
    The wooded hill with the classic old-town view.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Trolleybus from the Airport
The airport is about 20 minutes from the centre by trolleybus; tickets from the driver.
Walk It
Wikivoyage: the best way around Salzburg is on foot; buses cover the rest.
Hellbrunn's Trick Fountains
Stand next to the guide on the tour or you will get wet.
Evening Concert
Mozart by candlelight in the fortress or the Mirabell marble hall.

Old Town and the Fortress

From the GoGo Salzburg guide · Open the Salzburg Guide ›

  1. 09:00
    Mozart's Birthplace1 hr
    The house on Getreidegasse.
  2. 10:15
    Getreidegasse30 min
    The street of iron signs.
  3. 11:00
    Salzburg Cathedral45 min
    The Baroque cathedral.
  4. 14:00
    Hohensalzburg Fortress2 hrs
    Up by funicular.
  5. 16:15
    St Peter's Cemetery30 min
    The old cemetery below the rock.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: May, Jul, Sep. Freezing days in Dec–Feb. Rainy season Jun, Aug.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Jun (158 mm), driest Nov (69 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
Hallstatt and the Salzkammergut are about two hours away; Berchtesgaden and the Königssee lie just over the German border.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 784 · Wikipedia: Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg · Wikivoyage: Salzburg (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Salzburg guide · UNESCO listing