Salzburg Details

Getting There: Depending on your U.S. Departing City, airlines to the Salzburg International Airport include Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Northwest, American, Swissair, Sabena and Lauda Air. Most flights require a transfer from another European city. Lufthansa has a direct flight from Chicago.

It may be less expensive to fly into Munich, Germany from the United States and then travel onto Salzburg. Flights into Munich include United Airlines, American, Northwest, KLM, SAS, Lufthansa, Swissair, and US Airways, with connections through another European city. The 800 phone numbers to these airlines and flight-finding Web links are listed in High on Adventure’s Travel Info section. Salzburg is about a two-hour drive southeast from Munich, or a 90-minute train ride. Check the Travel Info's Eurail link for schedules and fares.

Major car rental agencies in both Salzburg and Munich are Budget, Hertz, Europcar, and Avis, which also have 800 phone numbers and car rental Web links listed in the Travel Info section. Guide books we recommend for planning your itinerary in Salzburg are: Rick Steves’ Germany, Austria & Switzerland, a good reference for the region; Fodor’s Austria which has good lodging and dining recommendations.

Staying There: Finding a room in Salzburg is fairly easy and most rooms including breakfast. During the Music Festival (late July and August), places tend to be a bit more expensive. Check the lodging link below for a list of rooms in and around Salzburg.

Fast Facts: Salzburg is located in West central Austria, about two hours from Munich and three hours from Vienna. Originally settled by the Celts, it later became a Roman trading center. Beginning in the Middle Ages, the prosperous salt mines in the region made the Salzburg bishops rich and powerful. These ruling archbishops shaped the city according to their whims and built the Baroque monuments standing today.

The Salzach River divides the city into two parts, old and new. Most of the major attractions in the city’s old town are tightly clustered between the Salzach River and the Mönschberg. The cathedral is the center of the religious hub and the archbishops’ residence and main churches are nearby. Important sites to see on your visit include the Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mozart Square, Mozart’s Residence, Getreidegasse, Mirabell Gardens and Palace, The Hellbrunn Palace with its trick fountains, St. Peter’s Abbey (Cemetery and Catacombs), and the Cathedral.

The Salzburg Music Festival runs every summer from late July to the end of August. Salzburg is usually crowded at this time, but it is a fun and festive event. Tickets can often be found on the day of the concert. The ticket office to all 1,600 Salzburg cultural performances can be found on the Mozartplatz.

A variety of leisure activities is available: from golf, tennis, mountain biking, hiking, paraglinding and skiing in the winter. You can also ride through a salt mine in nearby Dürnberg.