Salzburg in spring is a delight. Some days, it will rain so intensely it feels like the whole world is cracking apart. Other days, the sun will beat down and the flowers will open up and the light will catch even the darkest of shadows.
Living in the mountains comes with the inevitable mountain weather and, after a long winter of guaranteed snowfall, the promise of spring flowers, the return of the sun and the birds chasing each other around newly built nests is what spring is all about. The mountains are still covered in their blankets of white from late spring snows but in the city, the sky is bright and everything feels a bit more alive again.
I have lived here for three springs now and during that time, I have tried to experience as much as this little mountain city has to offer. May is an especially lovely month in Salzburg - we have four public holidays in May in Austria and you'll find there are plenty of corresponding events on the calendar encouraing people to get outside and enjoy the culture.
So, if you're visiting Salzburg in spring or you're a local and you're on the hunt for new ideas, I hope you enjoy this curated list of everything I've done in Salzburg in the spring months:
1. Wander through the Mirabell Gardens
I visited Salzburg just once before I moved here, on a day trip with my parents in 2001 when I was five years old. My mum and I have a photo together in front of the fountain in the heart of the Mirabell Gardens and it remains a dear memory.
Mirabell, along with the Palace at the end of it, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Palace features the Marmorsaal where Mozart used to perform and where you can go watch live performances to reminisce on what it might have been like.
The gardens were also famously used as the filming location for the scene in the Sound of Music where the Von Trapp family and Maria sing "Do-Re-Mi" in their clothes converted from curtains.
In spring, Mirabell comes to life with the most beautifully coloured array of flowers.
2. Walk around the Leopoldskroner Weiher
The Leopoldskroner Weiher freezes in winter and is a popular ice skating spot. In spring, once the ice has melted, the baby ducklings, cygnets and goslings suddenly seem to appear in abundance, filling the lake with their fluttering wings. The spring light reflects so beautifully at this time of year around the lake.
On one end of the lake, you can also see the Schloss Leopold, now a hotel but also famously used as the filming location for the scene in the Sound of Music where the Von Trapp children and Maria row in a wooden boat on the lake and fall in, as well as as the back of the Von Trapp family home.
3. Visit Schlosspark Hellbrunn
You can reach Hellbrunn on foot, by bike, by car or by public transport. The park is free to visit. Right at the entrance to the park you'll spot the pavilion from Sound of Music where they filmed "16 going on 17". Then you can meander your way through the idyllic park, and walk up the hill in the centre with sweeping views of the park, the city and the mountains around.
Check out my complete guide to visiting Schlosspark Hellbrunn here!
The pavilion from Sound of Music
The ponds are home to huge sturgeon
4. Hike the Mühlenweg
At this time of year, most hikes at higher elevation are likely to still be covered in snow. The Mühlenweg, a short drive or bus ride outside Salzburg, is a low elevation beautiful option with big fields full of wildflowers nestled against a backdrop of snowy mountains. Spring makes for that perfect combination of cool forest air, snow still lingering on the mountains, but bright and warm sunny skies.
5. Walk along the Monchsberg
The Monchsberg is one of the best little walks to do in Salzburg, with countless beautiful viewpoints looking at various angles of Salzburg, starting with my all-time favourite from just below the Festung Hohensalzburg and then all the way along the Monchsberg, following along the Salzach River below.
6. Go second hand shopping
Spring is the perfect time to do a spring-clean of your wardrobe. Around the city, there are numerous clothing bins where you can drop off your pre-loved no-longer-worn clothes to give them a second life. Then, you can pop into one of the three Humana locations - on the Linzer Gasse, on the Salzach and near Mirabell - to find some pre-loved new goodies for the spring season and imminent warmer weather.
Green three-quarter zip from Humana
Brown knit sweater from Humana
7. Spot the cherry and magnolia blossoms
The whole city blooms in springtime, and perhaps best of all in March in the Makartplatz near the Dreifaltigkeitskirche. Spotting the first magnolias of spring is always a much-loved, much-photographed moment on the Salzburg annual calendar.
8. Hike up to Erentrudisalm
Most mountain alms (huts) don't open until later in the summer however, the Erentrudisalm is at a lower elevation and is open much earlier, offering hikers or those who come by car their first taste of yummy outdoor hut food for the season - they do an excellent Spinatknödel!
May 2023
Sunset in May 2024
9. Go for a walk at Wolfgangsee
One of my favourite lakes in the Salzburg region is Wolfgangsee. There are some beautiful hikes above the lake, too, if that takes your fancy - such as Falkenstein or Schafbergspitze - or you can simply walk along the lakes edge. I recommend the stretch from Brunnwinkl to Hotel Fürberg.
10. Spot the northern lights, or at least, the stars
Okay, admittedly, this is a really rare one. But if you happen to be in Salzburg on an exceptionally clear night with high solar activity, head out of the city to avoid the light pollution and you might be lucky enough to see the aurora borealis dancing across the sky. If you can't see the northern lights, at least you'll see the beautiful sky full of stars.
11. Go biking along the Salzach
Either take your own bike or rent one in the city and head south along the Salzach for as far as you'd like to go. The views are so beautiful, the river gushing past in its bright turquoise shades and you'll enjoy being outdoors with the sounds of birds chirping and fresh growth blooming around you. The mountains, still covered in snow, make for the perfect backdrop.
12. Spot the goslings and the wildflowers at the Almkanal
The Almkanal is one of my favourite local hangouts in the whole city and I come here as often as I can in the summer to laze along the riverbank. The Almkanal is an icy cold rushing canal, perfect for swimming in on hot days. In the spring, it seems to be the spot for swimming lessons for all the baby goslings and it's a delight to watch them learn against the currents.
13. Check out the Kunst- and Designmarkt
Every March, the Brandboxx turns into a Kunst- and Designmarkt showcasing many of Salzburg's local artists and designers. In 2023 one of my friends, Janna, displayed her paintings here.
14. Take a yoga class
Spring is the perfect time to get moving again and shake off the cobwebs of winter. I personally love yoga and go weekly (when I am home), taking classes at Bliss Yoga Salzburg. I've also tried out a few Pop Up Yoga classes which are a wonderful way to try new classes, meet new people and check out some really cool new spots in the city.
Bliss Yoga
Pop Up Yoga at an art gallery
15. Run the 10km, half or full Salzburg Marathon
Every May is the annual 10km, half marathon and full marathon through the city of Salzburg. I very spontaneously ran the 10km race for the first time in 2024 (like, signed up the night before in one of the last spots) and had a blast running through the city. The energy was high and the route was a really beautiful one past some of Salzburg's best-known spots.
16. Attend Salzburger Dult
Consider Dult like the Oktoberfest of spring - it symbolises the kick-off of the warmer outdoor months. Dult has its roots in the Middle Ages around the religious Pentecost holidays. 2024 Dult was actually the first time I got to wear my dirndl, the traditional Tracht of Austria and Bavaria, and I think it’s the prettiest piece of clothing I own.
I am not Austrian, but if you'd like to read a little more about why wearing this dirndl is important to me, I wrote a long Instagram caption all about it!
17. Have lunch and coffees outdoors
Perhaps not quite yet warm enough or light enough in the evenings for outdoor dinners, but spring is the perfect season to start having coffee and lunch out of doors again. Salzburg has some delightful cafes and restaurants with outdoor terraces just right for the occasion.
Cafe Bazar
Humboldt Bio
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium
220Grad Rupertinum
Tula Bistro
220Grad Nonntal
Das Kaffeehaus by Hotel Melanie
Coffee House
Cafe Tomaselli
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Hi! I’m Jana, a British-Dutch-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
