Salzburg is a small city and the perfect place to explore on foot. Its baroque architecture and natural setting have been so well preserved that the Old Town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the 17th- and 18th-century skyline of its prince-archbishops still largely intact. That makes it a dream for photographers and Instagrammers alike. The pastel colours, many in millennial pink, are like a baroque Candyland, and the green space in the city provides incredible views that blend the natural and the man-made. I’ve provided a Google map of all the locations and put them in an easy-to-follow sequence so you can use this guide as a walking tour!
No matter what time of year it is, Mirabell Gardens and Palace are among the most colourful and scenic places in Salzburg. Standing at the top of the stairs beside the Pegasusbrunnen, or Pegasus Fountain (marked on the map), you have one of the most spectacular views across the gardens and up towards the Hohensalzburg Fortress. The gardens are immensely peaceful and definitely my favourite spot to spend the morning wandering with a cup of coffee.
The gardens’ floral design changes throughout the year to reflect seasonal colours and local flora, and it always makes for bright, colourful pictures. Early morning is one of the best times to go, since it’s nice and quiet and the sunrise looks awesome over the greenery.
Next, be sure to get a shot running down the iconic hedge tunnel, the leafy archway used in the film ‘The Sound of Music’. In winter the leaves don’t create the same sort of canopy effect, so it’s best to visit outside the colder months. And don’t worry, no one will mind if you sing a few tunes along the way.
Walking down from the Mirabell Gardens, head towards the Salzach River. From this northern point on the river’s right bank, you have a beautiful view across the Old Town, capped by the towering Hohensalzburg Fortress atop Festungsberg hill. I was lucky enough to catch this view at sunset, when the lights of the city were just starting to bloom, but the peaceful vista is just as awe-inspiring in the early morning.
Continuing down the riverbank, stop for a look at Hotel Sacher, the city’s only historic grand hotel. It opened in 1866 as the Österreichischer Hof and was built in the founding-era (Gründerzeit) style rather than the baroque of the Old Town across the water. Alongside those pastel, candy-coloured facades, it’s as stunning now as it was more than 150 years ago. The trees popping up beside the river look almost like toys, they are so perfectly trimmed.
Continuing along the riverbank, you’ll come upon the love-lock-encrusted Makartsteg footbridge. Thousands of love locks now cover the bridge, and although some cities have tried to stop this ritual, it remains alive and well here. Get a snap of your own love lock on the bridge for something even more personal.
Head towards the Museum of Modern Art by taking the Mönchsberg Lift, which carries you 60 metres up the rock in about 30 seconds, to the top of Mönchsberg. From this little mountain on the side of the city you can walk along the terrace to take in some of the most incredible views across Salzburg’s historic district. There really is nothing like this vantage point. Even on a rainy day, grab your umbrella and make the trek up here; it’s not to be missed.
Take a walk down the hill from Mönchsberg and make a quick stop at Herbert von Karajan Square and the “Horse Pond.” The square is named after Salzburg-born conductor Herbert von Karajan, and the pond itself dates to the 17th century, when it was built to wash the prince-archbishops’ parade horses. It’s crowned by an evocative statue of a horse and its tamer and backed by a set of horse frescoes, and it appears in ‘The Sound of Music’ when Maria and the von Trapp children pass by on their carriage ride. Today it’s a popular spot to get a photo beside your favourite horse.
Getreidegasse is the bustling heart of the Old Town. While the shops lining the street are now fairly international and ubiquitous, look past the brands and find the hidden gems. Traditional inns and unique businesses steeped in history can still be found here today. But what makes this street a favourite with photographers are the artistic wrought-iron guild signs that hang above its unusual doorways.
The through-houses of Getreidegasse are arcaded passageways that cut through the buildings along the street. The odd-numbered ones lead to University Square, and the even-numbered ones lead to the Griesviertel by the river. Inside these passageways are some incredible hidden galleries and one-of-a-kind shops. The layered shop canopies piled against bright green flower boxes and colourful window awnings make for the perfect photo!
University Square has been the site of a farmers’ market, the Grünmarkt, since 1857, when the market moved here from Alter Markt, and it remains a lively spot today. It’s an adorable little getaway from the busier Getreidegasse, lined with burgher houses that in many cases have 14th-century origins and later baroque façades. The designs around the window sills are stunning and look bright and cheery no matter the weather outside.
Number 9 Getreidegasse marks Mozart’s Birthplace, and the bright yellow building is unmissable! Mozart was born here in 1756, and his family lived on the third floor from 1747 to 1773, so he spent his first 17 years under this roof. It was where his musical talent began and was fostered. Today it houses a wonderful museum, but it’s just as stunning to look at from the outside. The yellow is so bright it appears like a shining sun against its neighbours.
This spot on Sigmund-Haffner-Gasse, one of Salzburg’s oldest streets, is great for a photo! From here you can capture the beautifully framed scene of the Old Town Hall clock tower between the burgher houses on either side. Since this lane tends to be quieter than Getreidegasse, your shots should be freer of human clutter.
Café Tomaselli’s green-and-white striped umbrellas and bright fuchsia flowers, set against the pale yellow building façade, make for one of the most picturesque views in Salzburg. It is considered the oldest coffeehouse in Austria, and Mozart is said to have been a regular, as were later artists and writers including Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Max Reinhardt. Today it’s a wonderful place for a photo and a cup of coffee. Although the prices might be slightly inflated, you’re paying for the history and the incredible location.
The Alter Markt was laid out as Salzburg’s trading centre in the 13th century, and its weekly market stayed here until it moved to University Square in 1857. Whatever the season, the square is charming. The stately burghers’ houses, medieval at their core, make for incredible pictures with their remarkable pastel façades. Stop by the octagonal fountain of St. Florian von Lorch in the centre of the square. Its marble basin dates from 1685 to 1687, and if you look closely you can make out the coat of arms of Salzburg on the column.
Salzburg has no shortage of squares. Five of them were laid out under Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, and Residence Square is probably the largest. It is named after the Residenz, the palace of the prince-archbishops that stands beside it. But the real draw is the incredible baroque Residence Fountain, which also appears in ‘The Sound of Music’, where Maria splashes the fountain’s horses while singing “I Have Confidence.” The fountain is truly awesome. Four snorting horses spring out from a large rock, and giants rooted in the rock carry a lower basin where three dolphins balance a scalloped upper basin, topped by a Triton shooting water from his conch-shell trumpet. It’s a remarkable piece of art and makes for an incredible shot. In winter, the Christkindlmarkt lights up the square with fairy lights and the sights and smells of Winter Yule.
Waagplatz is right beside the more popular Mozartplatz. From the 15th century this square served as a hay and bread market, and it is also where the city’s first tavern stood, as early as the 13th century. It’s the birthplace of the poet Georg Trakl, too. Today, the square is a favourite with photographers for its bright orange building with blue shutters and its views of the Old Town Hall tower.
Domplatz is the location of Salzburg Cathedral. Standing in the square, you have the most incredible views of the cathedral’s two towers, crowned with green domes, and its mighty central dome. In front of the cathedral stands a large Marian column, featuring the Virgin Mary enthroned on a mountain of clouds made of Untersberg marble and a globe.
If you have time to see the interior of Salzburg Cathedral, be sure to come inside and view the remarkable painted dome. Its frescoes of Old Testament scenes are wonderfully detailed, which makes them appealing to modern photographers too. A bomb damaged the dome in 1944, and the cathedral was not reconsecrated until 1959. A small preservation fee is charged for entry.
It might seem macabre, but the catacombs of St. Peter’s have some of the best views. Carved into the conglomerate rock of the Mönchsberg in early Christian times (the Gertraud Chapel was consecrated in 1178), they are a treat to climb and study. Once you reach the top, you can look out over St. Peter’s Cemetery and the Old Town below.
Kapitelplatz, or Chapter Square, is a spacious square beside the cathedral, and the views up towards the fortress are outstanding. What makes it even more interesting is the enormous golden sphere topped by a man in everyday clothes, Stephan Balkenhol’s 2007 sculpture ‘Sphaera,’ and the oversized chess set. After snapping a few photos, don’t be shy about playing a game, since the pieces are there for locals and visitors alike. Neptune’s fountain, dating from 1732, completes the scene.
From the top of Hohensalzburg Fortress, Central Europe’s largest completely preserved fortress, which dates from the 11th century, you have the best view down across the city. Climbing one of the towers also brings parts of the fortress into your shot. The contrast of the bright white exterior against the blue and green landscape makes for a stunning picture! The fortress itself is a wonderful piece of Salzburg’s history and a great place to explore.
Staatsbrücke is another of Salzburg’s iconic bridges and the most prominent, linking the Old Town’s Rudolfskai and Old Town Hall with the Platzl and Linzer Gasse area. The current bridge is the tenth on the site and opened in 1948. Standing on the bridge and looking west, you can see all the pastel-coloured houses of the Old Town, as well as the bright orange face of the Town Hall clock tower.
On the right bank of the river, a semi-secret staircase that some guides nickname “The Dark Staircase” climbs from Steingasse to the Kapuzinerkloster Monastery. Along the way there are several small lookouts over the city, and they provide some of the most incredible views. The outlook from this side of the river is markedly different from the Mönchsberg views on the other, so if you have the chance to visit both, don’t miss out.
Late baroque St. Sebastian’s Church, with its striking onion-dome tower, sits beside a cemetery that Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich had laid out between 1595 and 1600 in the style of an Italian camposanto (“holy field”). It is the final resting place of some of Salzburg’s best-known figures, including Mozart’s father Leopold, Mozart’s widow Constanze and the physician Paracelsus. The magnificent arcades and striking sepulchres make it a photographer’s delight as well as a sombre place to reflect on life.
If you’re willing to travel a little outside the city, the brilliant golden façades of Hellbrunn Palace are among the most incredible places to visit for photography. The yellow paint against the green gardens and surrounding forest makes for unforgettable pictures. The palace, built between 1612 and 1615 for Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus, is also a wonderful place to visit, with trick water fountains designed to entertain and amuse his guests. The grounds also hold the famous glass gazebo where Liesl and Rolf sing “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and Maria and the Captain share “Something Good.” You know it… ‘The Sound of Music’.
Salzburg really is a small city made for walking. From the pastel facades of the Old Town to the baroque fountains and squares, and the green hills that frame the view, every stop on this route blends art, history and architecture into something worth photographing. Take it at your own pace, start early for the quiet light, and don’t forget the map to keep you on track. If you walk it, I’d love to hear which spot became your favourite.
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