Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

A slight change of tone today with a trip my family and I took to Salzburg in Austria! As I’ve mentioned before and as some of you may already know, my mother has a keen interest in finding Christmas markets around the world and this time, Austria made the cut.

This will have to be a two-part series because Salzburg deserves its own dedicated Christmas article, but for now we will start with this beautiful city outside of the Christmas madness.

Salzburg is one of those cities that immediately felt calm, efficient, and impressive. It’s spotlessly clean, people politely wait for the green man at pedestrian crossings and public transport runs with almost unsettling precision. At one point we even saw a bus arrive seven minutes early – something I struggle to believe could ever happen in London.

We stayed in an Airbnb near the Old Town, which was the perfect base for wandering and sightseeing.

Free Public Transport

Getting around Salzburg couldn’t be easier. From the airport, it’s about a 15‑minute bus ride straight into the Old Town on the Number 10 (Obus).

Even better, Salzburg offers a Guest Mobility Ticket, which gives visitors free access to public transport for the duration of their stay. This includes buses around the city and is well worth signing up for, even if you only use it for the airport transfer. Find the link for this here: https://www.salzburg.info/en/travel-info/arrival-traffic/guest_mobility_ticket

Completely different to my normal posts on Aelfgifu Travels I know – efficient, cheap and stress‑free public transport. Don’t get too used to it though as some of the trips I’ve got lined up this year will quickly restore balance.

Fortress Hohensalzburg 

Towering above the city is Fortress Hohensalzburg, an enormous 11th‑century hilltop fortress that dominates Salzburg’s skyline.

We took the funicular up and were rewarded with panoramic views over the city rooftops and all the way out to the Alps. Up at the top you’ll find museums, courtyards and even Christmas markets. 

Even if you’re not a keen museum-goer, the views alone make the trip up to the top worthwhile.

The Sound of Music Tour 

Much to my father’s dismay, we booked The Sound of Music Tour.

The tour was genuinely fascinating, even for those who don’t know every lyric by heart. We learned how clever filming techniques made multiple locations appear as a single house in the film, and visited several filming spots via a mix of bus travel and short walks.

We went with Panorama Tours on their ‘Original Sound of Music Tour’ and if you’re interested here is the link: (https://www.panoramatours.com/en/salzburg/tour/original-sound-of-music-tour-tour-1a-28/?utm_campaign=SOM-Seite&utm_medium=Klick&utm_source=SOM-Seite)

The tour included sing-alongs and time to walk around Mondsee, but as there were so many sights to see it did feel like a tight schedule with limited time at each place – no complaints on this, just an observation for you.

We were hoping to go inside Mondsee Church where the wedding scene was filmed, but unfortunately arrived during a funeral. While we skipped entering, the exterior views more than made up for it.

Even if you’re only a casual fan, the scenery alone sells this experience and I’m pleased to say I did have my father singing along to Edelweiss by the end of the tour – great success!

Bierkeller: Augustinerbräu Salzburg 

One evening we walked 20 minutes along the river to Augustinerbräu Salzburg, a traditional beer hall that’s popular with both locals and visitors.

In summer I’ve read that the beer garden is overflowing with people. As we went in winter, the garden wasn’t open and trying to find a seat indoors did take some patience as it was very busy. Long shared tables mean you’ll almost certainly be sitting with strangers, and I’m sure that if you speak even a little German, you’ll leave having made new local friends.

Food and drinks are purchased from separate stalls, beer options are simple (‘regular’ or ‘Christmas’ beer) with the sizes being 0.5 litres or 1 litre and the hall strictly takes cash only.

The atmosphere was buzzing and if you’re visiting Salzburg, I would highly recommend giving this place a visit.

Salzburg Cathedral 

Right in the heart of the Old Town sits Salzburg Cathedral, which is impossible to miss given its size.

There is a preservation fee to enter of €5.00 per adult, with children and young people up to 18 visiting for free. We managed to get a discounted rate of €3,50 after showing out Guest Mobility Tickets to the salesman.

It is truly striking inside and even if you don’t go in, the exterior and surrounding plaza are well worth lingering in.

Food & Drink

Whilst here, we ate a lot of veal schnitzel (wiener schnitzel) and it’s not difficult to find as almost every restaurant offers it throughout the city. Given it’s Austria’s national dish, it was absolutely delicious and far exceeded expectations. For anyone needing explanation: the dish consists of thinly pounded veal cutlets, which are breaded and fried until golden, often served with potatoes and sauerkraut. We also had it served with lingonberry jam for the traditional Austrian touch.

My mother had multiple apple strudels for pudding just to make sure she was fully immersed in the Austrian delicacies!

When it comes to drink, Stiegl beer is the most common. It’s Austria’s largest private brewery and you’ll see it everywhere throughout the city. It was a bit too easy to drink for my liking, especially after a day of sightseeing!

The Salzburg Card

If you’re planning to see more than a couple of attractions, the ‘Salzburg Card’ is worth considering. It includes free entry to all of Salzburg’s main tourist attractions and museums (including the Mozart house and Salzburg Zoo), as well as unlimited use of public transport within the city. Cards are available for 24, 48, or 72 hours for both adults and children. Prices vary by season, with a 24-hour adult card costing €31 in low season and €38 in high season, while children’s cards range from €15.50 to €19.00.

We didn’t purchase the card as we were mainly in Salzburg to see the Christmas markets but if you are able to pack a lot into one day this is worth considering as could be an easy way to save money and skip queues. I enclose the link here if it’s something you’re keen to look into: https://www.salzburg.info/en/hotels-offers/salzburg-card

Final Thoughts

Salzburg is seriously impressive as a city with the scenery, history and free public transport making it stunning, simple to navigate and easy to recommend for a weekend trip.

Next up on my Austria schedule is the Christmas markets… and Krampus. What motivates you to try a new city – would you go for the scenery, the music or the beer? Let me know in the comments!

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Seven minutes early,

Aelfgifu