Salzburg Sightseeing Guide

October 29, 2026

Sightseeing in Salzburg

The old town of Salzburg has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. It was shaped by prince-archbishops who built churches, palaces and squares in Baroque style, and nearly all of it can be seen on foot. Prices are 2026 figures and hours can shift in summer, so check before you go.

Cathedral and DomQuartier

Salzburg Cathedral on Domplatz is a 17th century Baroque church designed by Santino Solari, with a 71 metre dome. Mozart was baptised in its Romanesque font in 1756. Entry is free and a donation is requested. It is open Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 18:00 and on Sunday afternoons, since Sunday mornings are for Mass.

The DomQuartier is a circuit through the Residenz state rooms, the cathedral museum, the art and curiosity cabinet and the museum of St. Peter’s Abbey. The Residenzgalerie painting wing is closed until about autumn 2027, so tickets are reduced: about EUR 12 for adults, EUR 10 reduced and EUR 26 for a family. It is closed on Tuesdays.

St. Peter’s and Nonnberg

St. Peter’s Archabbey was founded in 696 and is the oldest monastery in the German-speaking world that has been in continuous use. Its cemetery is free, and the catacombs cut into the Mönchsberg cliff cost about EUR 2. Nonnberg Abbey, below the fortress, is a working Benedictine convent founded around 712. The church is open to visitors but the convent quarters are private. Maria von Trapp was a novice here.

Squares and streets

Getreidegasse is the old shopping lane, with tall narrow houses and wrought-iron guild signs. Alter Markt has the Florianibrunnen fountain and Café Tomaselli, which has traded since 1700. Residenzplatz and Kapitelplatz are the large squares behind the cathedral; Kapitelplatz has the golden sphere sculpture by Stephan Balkenhol.

On Residenzplatz, a memorial set into the paving marks the public book burning of 30 April 1938, when about 1,200 books by Jewish, socialist and pacifist writers were burned. Small brass Stolpersteine in the old town pavements commemorate individual victims of Nazi persecution. Read them quietly and give them space.

Palaces and gardens

Mirabell Palace, with its Marble Hall, Pegasus Fountain and Dwarf Garden, is free to enter. Hohensalzburg Fortress offers the broadest view of the roofs; see the sister page on activities for ticket prices. Schloss Leopoldskron is a private hotel and cannot be visited as a tourist.

Across the border

The Dokumentation Obersalzberg in Berchtesgaden is a history exhibition on Nazi rule with preserved bunker tunnels. It is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, costs EUR 4.50 and closes from 16 to 24 November 2026. The nearby Kehlsteinhaus was largely destroyed by fire on 23 and 24 October 2026 and is closed with no reopening date.

Card and timing

A Salzburg Card gives one entry to the fortress, Mozart’s Birthplace, DomQuartier and Hellbrunn plus city buses. In high season a 24 hour card is EUR 38 and a 48 hour card is EUR 45.