Yes, it is possible to see Salzburg in 5 hours.
Although spending at least two days in the city would be ideal, 5 hours are enough to visit the main landmarks.
So we visited Salzburg in 5 hours because on our way back from the Czech Republic to England by car, we decided to make a two-day stop in Austria and visit Salzburg. We visited Hallstatt on day one and Salzburg on day two.
Getting to Salzburg was less than one hour drive from our accommodation. We stayed on a quirky farm called Biohof Schwanser, with amazing views of the mountains and Lake Attersee. We drove to Salzburg, which took us about 50 minutes.
Parking was relatively easy. There were many car parks around the city, all very well located if you are using google maps. We parked in P10, which was about 5 minutes from the centre.
A little bit of history
The name “Salzburg” comes after its famous extraction of Salt and gold mining. Described as “Salt Castle”, it is the fourth largest city in Austria. It is located right near the German border overseeing the Alps.
Part of the Roman Empire from the 15th BC, Salzburg came under the rule of the Bavarians (Germanic people) in the 6th century.
Late 14th century Salzburg gained independence from Bavaria.
Later in the 19th century, the Austrian Empire gained control but, four years later taken back to the Kingdom of Bavaria once more.
It was not until 1816, with the Treaty of Munich, that Salzburg became part of Austria.
Nowadays, it is a tourism centre for Baroque and Gothic architecture. The river Salzach runs right in the middle and divides the city. On the left bank, you can visit the Old Town or Altstadt and Neustadt or New Town on the right.
How to get around
Walking – The main touristic sites are within walking distance of each other. Walking is the best way to see Salzburg in 5 hours.
Cycling – You can rent a bike; the city is cycle friendly. There are cycleways everywhere.
Bus – If you want to visit the outskirts of Salzburg, you can take the bus. You can buy the tickets directly with the bus driver or in vending machines. A single ticket costs about 3 euros, a 24h ticket is about 7 euros, and a weekly pass is about 20 euros. You can get the Salzburg card if you want all the public transport included in one card.
How to see Salzburg in 5 hours
1-Visit the old town of Salzburg
We started our visit in the old town of Salzburg – a busy street, full of colourful buildings and quirky shops.
The Old Town, Aldstadt, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. There is a famous shopping street, ‘Getreidegasse’, whose architecture maintained the original features with tall, colourful townhouses. The road was a residential site before it was recently turned into commercial premises.
2-Check out Mozart’s Birthplace
Mozart’s birthplace was our second stop. You cannot miss the big bright yellow building.
W. A. Mozart was born in 1756 in the “Hagenauer Haus” at No. 9 Getreidegasse in Salzburg. His family lived here from 1747 for 26 years, where Mozart spent most of his childhood.
To buy tickets in advance click here
3- Have a taste of the street food
We couldn’t leave Salzburg without trying one of the best hot dogs in town. I recommend going to the Salburger Grill Imbiss. There are many choices of hot dogs, but we chose the traditional one, which didn’t disappoint us. Two spiced sausages and onion covered with a toasted hot dog bun made our day.
4-Visit the Salzburg cathedral
We continued our visit to Salzburg Cathedral. A mighty building built in the seventeenth century and dedicated to Saint Rupert (the first Bishop of Salzburg) and Saint Vergilius.
This baroque-style building was damaged during World War II and restored by 1959.
5- Take the funicular to Salzburg fortress “Hohensalzburg Castle”
This medieval castle sits on top of the mountain Festungsberg and rises to 542 metres.
In the seventeenth century, this Fortress was finally completed and later became a prison for prisoners of war during World War I.
There are two ways to get to the castle. Walk all the way up or take the funicular. We planned to take the funicular to save us some time, but again it was closed for revision.
We walked our way up the hill, and believe me, it was pretty steep, but it was only a short walk of 25 minutes. You can buy the tickets at the entrance; the tour costs 12 euros.
In the interior of this majestic building, you can walk through the courtyards, visit the golden room and explore the Fortress Museum, showing the lifestyle of the people living in the castle during these times. From the Fortress, look at the amazing views of Salzburg city and the fantastic mountains surrounding it.
6- Visit the St. Peter cemetery or “Petersfriedhof”
We finished our trip to Salzburg with a quick stop at the St Peter cemetery or Petersfriedhof. It is located right on the bottom of the Fortress, the oldest cemetery in Austria, dating back to 700. Its catacombs are carved into the mountain of Festungsberg.
So six main stops in Salzburg took about 5 hours to visit. For a more relaxing time, stop in a few cafes for a break, ideally, we need about two days. On the second day, visiting the Salt Mines of Hallein would be worth seeing. It’s one of the world’s oldest Salt mines and is about 30km from Salzburg centre.
If you want to follow us more on our trip, check out our previous stop in Hallstatt which is only one hour away by car.