Salzburg: Where the Hills Still Sing

From Hallstatt, we continued our Europe by Train Girls’ Trip to Salzburg. Salzburg is an Austrian city near the border with Germany, framed by views of the Eastern Alps and divided by the gentle flow of the Salzach River.

On one side sits the medieval and baroque Altstadt (Old Town), a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with narrow lanes and ornate church domes. Across the river lies the Neustadt (New Town), slightly newer but still unmistakably historic in that very European way where “new” often still means centuries old.
Salzburg is famous for many things: its elegant Baroque architecture, its musical heritage as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the world-renowned Salzburg Festival of opera and classical performances. But for many visitors, including us, there’s one more reason that draws people here year after year.

The Sound of Music.

For Sari and me, the movie was part of our childhood. We grew up singing along to the songs and dreaming of the Austrian landscapes that appeared on screen. Visiting Salzburg, and joining the Sound of Music Tour, had been sitting quietly on our bucket list for years.
So when our girls’ train trip through Europe brought us from Vienna to Hallstatt and finally to Salzburg, this stop felt a little bit like stepping into a familiar story.

Getting to Salzburg

By Train
Salzburg is well connected by train and easy to reach from major cities in Central Europe.

From Vienna: about 2 hours 15–30 minutes
From Hallstatt: about 2 hours, with a change at Attnang-Puchheim

The main station is Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, in the northern part of the city. It’s well equipped with everything a traveler might need: taxi stands, lockers, ATMs, a tourist information office, and plenty of food options. One small tip: if possible, use the restroom on the train before arriving, since the station toilets charge a fee.
From the station, the Old Town is about 15–20 minutes on foot. We took a taxi to get to the New Town, where our hotel was.

Getting Around Salzburg

Salzburg is a wonderfully walkable city. The historic Altstadt is largely pedestrian-only, which makes strolling through the narrow streets both peaceful and scenic. Only residents with permits and taxis are allowed to drive into the Old Town, and even deliveries are restricted after 11 a.m.

Public transport relies primarily on buses (there’s no metro or tram system), but the network is efficient and easy to use, running every 10 to 20 minutes and connecting the city center with surrounding attractions. One change worth knowing about: as of 2026, you can no longer buy a ticket directly from the bus driver — you now need to buy and validate it beforehand, either from a machine at the stop, a tobacco shop, or the transport app, or risk a fine if you’re checked without one. A single ride runs a little over €2.50, and a 24-hour pass is around €5.

Here’s the detail that might actually save you money: if you’re staying overnight anywhere in Salzburg city or the wider Salzburg Land region, ask your accommodation about the Guest Mobility Ticket. Since mid-2025, overnight guests have been entitled to a card that covers city buses, regional buses, and regional trains for the length of their stay, at no extra cost. It doesn’t cover the Festungsbahn funicular or the Mönchsberg lift, but for getting around town it can make a real dent in your transport budget.

Many excursion buses depart from Mirabellplatz, making it a key hub for day trips outside the city.

Where to Stay in Salzburg

Altstadt (Old Town)
For first-time visitors, Altstadt is the most atmospheric place to stay. Most major attractions are within walking distance, including Mozart’s birthplace, the cathedral, and the fortress. The narrow streets open into charming historic squares, making it a wonderful area simply to wander without a plan.

Neustadt (New Town)
Located across the Salzach River, Neustadt offers a slightly calmer atmosphere while still being close to the main sights. You’ll find plenty of shops, restaurants, and cafes here, along with one of the city’s most famous landmarks from The Sound of Music: Mirabell Palace and Gardens. Staying here gives you easy access to Old Town while avoiding the busiest tourist streets.
This is where we chose to stay. Our hotel, Mercure Salzburg City, is less than 1 km from Mirabell Palace, and we could easily walk to Old Town by crossing the Makartsteg bridge.

Nonnberg District
Perched on a hill overlooking the Old Town is the quieter Nonnberg district. This area is home to Hohensalzburg Fortress and Nonnberg Abbey — the abbey where the real-life Maria von Trapp lived before marrying Captain Georg von Trapp.

What to Do in Salzburg

Mirabell Palace and Gardens

Sari was still not feeling well and decided to nap at the hotel while Alyssa and I walked to Mirabell Garden. I was elated to finally see it in person, since several iconic scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed here — this is where Maria, played by Julie Andrews, danced with the von Trapp children while singing “Do-Re-Mi.” Today the palace houses the city administration and is also one of Salzburg’s most popular wedding venues. The gardens themselves are free to walk through. Walking through them, it’s hard not to hum the song, even if you promise yourself you won’t.

Makartsteg Bridge

From Mirabell Gardens we walked toward Old Town and crossed Makartsteg, a footbridge over the Salzach River. The bridge is named after the 19th-century painter Hans Makart, who was born in Salzburg and became famous for his work in Vienna. Today Makartsteg is reserved for pedestrians and cyclists and is covered with hundreds of love locks — romantic, photogenic, and slightly chaotic in the way love tends to be.

Salzburg Old Town

Crossing Makartsteg leads directly into the shopping streets of the Old Town. From here we continued walking past Salzburg’s Rathaus (City Hall), the University of Salzburg, and the path leading toward Hohensalzburg Fortress. The streets here feel like a maze of pastel buildings, hidden courtyards, and charming shop signs — one of those places where wandering without a strict plan is half the fun.

Hohensalzburg Fortress

Towering above the city skyline is Hohensalzburg Fortress, one of the largest and best-preserved medieval castles in Europe. Built in the 11th century, the fortress symbolized the power and authority of the Prince-Archbishops who once ruled Salzburg.

Today visitors can reach the fortress by funicular (the Festungsbahn, Austria’s oldest, running since 1892) or by walking up a footpath in about 20–30 minutes. As of 2026, a basic ticket with the funicular round-trip runs around €15–16 for adults, with an all-inclusive option (adding the Prince’s Chambers and additional museums) around €18–19; kids and footpath-only tickets are cheaper. From the top, the panoramic views over Salzburg’s rooftops and the surrounding Alps are spectacular.

Opening hours vary seasonally — generally from around 9:30 am, closing anywhere from 5 pm in the depths of winter to as late as 9 pm in peak summer. The funicular does close for scheduled maintenance for short stretches in November and January, so it’s worth checking ahead if you’re visiting then, since the footpath becomes your only option during those windows.

The Sound of Music Tour

If you grew up with the film like we did, the Sound of Music Tour is almost mandatory. The film, released in 1965, tells the story of Maria, a young novice who becomes governess to the seven von Trapp children before eventually marrying their father. Salzburg still sees a steady stream of visitors each year specifically for these filming locations.

Some of the famous filming locations include:

Mirabell Gardens — the “Do-Re-Mi” dance scene
Schloss Leopoldskron — the von Trapp family home in the film (now a private luxury hotel, viewable only from across the lake)
Hellbrunn Palace — garden scenes, including the gazebo
Nonnberg Abbey — Maria’s convent
St. Gilgen / Wolfgangsee — opening landscape scenes
Mondsee Basilica — the famous wedding scene

We booked the Original Sound of Music Tour by Panorama Tours, a roughly four-hour guided tour departing from their terminal at Mirabellplatz, for the following day. Our experience on the tour, and all the filming locations we visited, deserves its own story, which I’ll share in the next post.

Final Thoughts

Salzburg may be famous for Mozart, baroque architecture, and classical music, but for some visitors, especially those who grew up singing along to an old musical film, the city carries a slightly different kind of magic.

Walking through Mirabell Gardens, crossing the Salzach River, and looking up at the fortress above the Old Town, it’s easy to understand why Salzburg feels almost theatrical. The mountains frame the city like a stage set.

And somewhere in the background, if you listen carefully enough, you might still hear the hills singing.