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 since late 2021 and 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.
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Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about Austria can be found in my Ultimate Austria Map!
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- restaurants
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- hikes
- museums and galleries
- beaches, lakes and rivers
- ski hills
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Each pin includes the exact location (plus the ability to open it directly in Google Maps), lots of photos for inspiration, detailed information to help you visit the spot plus a link to my relevant blog post to read lots more about it.
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Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Salzburg in the spring. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Austria is Austrian German. It is a dialect of German with its own unique vocabulary and grammar, so while it is mutually intelligible, it has a different pronunciation.
The first foreign language taught at most schools is English and Austria is actually considered the third-best country in the world for English fluency, according to the English Proficiency Index.
Currency: The currency used in Austria is the Euro, denoted as €.
I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in the local currency!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between € and your local currency.
Data: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths in Austria.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
Visa: Austria is part of the EU, EEA and Schengen Zone. Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland do not need a visa to visit Austria.
Other passport holders will require a Schengen Visa to visit Austria which permits stays of up to 90 days within the Schengen Zone.
→ Check if you need a visa for Austria.
Time of year to visit: Austria can be visited all year-round, depending on what you're interested in. Austria is lucky in that it experiences all four seasons fully: flowers in the spring, heat and sun in the summer, changing leaves in the autumn and full-on snow and Christmas in the winter.
This guide is specifically catered towards visiting Salzburg in the spring, one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. You can also check out my Salzburg guides for summer, autumn and winter.
Length of stay: I have lived in Salzburg since 2021 and still keep finding new things to do so truly you could spend weeks or months here and not run out of things to do! I highly recommend at least a week for any visit, no matter what time of year, to ensure you get to explore both the city of Salzburg and the surrounding areas.
By flight: Salzburg is serviced by its own airport, the W. A. Mozart Airport. It's Austria's second-largest airport after Vienna, the capital city.
It's a fairly small airport with one main departure lounge however it services over 50 direct destinations on three continents. Best of all, Salzburg connects directly with Frankfurt (Germany), Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Istanbul (Türkiye) from where you can get anywhere in the world.
The airport is just a ten-minute drive from Salzburg's Altstadt or a 25-minute direct bus ride.
Alternatively, one of Europe's biggest and busiest airports is in Munich just across the border in Germany. You can drive from Munich Airport to Salzburg in about two hours or catch a train via Munich Ost, a journey of about two and a half hours. Trains can be booked with DB (Deutsche Bahn) or ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen).
Salzburg Airport as seen from the Untersberg
By car: If you're arriving from a neighbouring European country (Austria borders eight!) or within Austria, you can also get to Salzburg with your own wheels. Salzburg is about two hours from Munich or Innsbruck and about three and a half hours from Vienna.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Munich or Vienna.
By train: Reaching Salzburg by train is very easy and popular, arriving at the Salzburg Hbf. Trains arrive here from within Austria and all across Europe; it's a very popular central location in the heart of Europe, with Austria bordering eight countries.
Salzburg's Hauptbahnhof (central station) is in the northeastern part of the city, from which you can take buses or S-Bahns to your final destination in the city in less than 20 minutes. Walking from Salzburg Hbf to the Altstadt takes only about 15-20 minutes!
→ Purchase your train tickets to Salzburg through ÖBB.
By bus: FlixBus services Salzburg with direct connections from 170 cities across Europe!
By guided tour: It is possible to visit Salzburg on a day trip (although I strongly recommend staying much longer). Typically from either Munich or Vienna, you can join a guided tour to experience some of our city's highlights in a day. This can be a great option if you don't have a car and have a limited timeframe.
On foot: Exploring the city of Salzburg itself is totally doable on foot. It's a small, compact city, home to only about 150,000 people. You'll be able to walk between the Altstadt (old town) and Neustadt (new town) - divided by the Salzach River - easily.
→ Join a walking tour of Salzburg to learn the history of the city from a local.
By bike: If you want to get somewhere faster or explore a bit further out of the city beyond the Altstadt and Neustadt, a bike is seriously the best way to go. The city is full of bike lanes and it's the most popular, funnest, easiest and safest way to explore. There are also a number of popular cycling tours that provided guided experiences through the city.
Biking around Salzburg
By car: You won't need a car within Salzburg to explore. The Altstadt and Neustadt are mostly car-free zones and largely restricted to cars. If you arrive by car, you can park at at one of four park & rides and then take a bus into the city. If you are staying at a hotel within the Altstadt, you can still bring your car into the city and follow the guidance of your hotel regarding access.
A car is very useful if you are hoping to head out of the city to explore the mountains and lakes
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Salzburg.
By Uber: Uber is readily available in Salzburg and is an easy and reliable way to get around the city quickly and directly.
By bus: Salzburg is well-connected by a bus network. The easiest way to purchase tickets is by using the SalzburgMobil app.
→ Plan your trip around Salzburg by bus.
If you are staying within Salzburg, your hotel reservation comes with a complimentary Guest Mobility Ticket which includes all buses, regional trains and S-Bahns in Salzburgerland!
By guided tour: There are countless guided tours available in Salzburg to explore all the different highlights of the city. Some of the most popular tours are the Sound of Music guided tours, but there are tours for whatever you are interested in such as walking, biking, history, cooking, music concerts, river cruises and more.
→ Check out my guide for Sound of Music filming locations in Salzburg!
I live in Salzburg, so I have not personally tried out any hotels in the city (yet!).
No matter your budget, there is something for you in Salzburg. There are thousands of options from cute backpacker hostels on a budget, to beautiful hotels in the Altstadt or luxury resorts in the mountains.
I have lived in Salzburg since late 2021 and in that time have spent many a morning at brunch, a midday at lunch or a cafe, an evening at a dinner restaurant, sharing a delicious meal with friends or family. Salzburg is small but as it is a very touristy destination boasts many restaurants; way more than you'd expect from such a little city! Nearly anything you're craving, you'll probably find it here.
Because I have been to so many cafes and breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, drinks and dessert spots in Salzburg, I've written a separate Salzburg Food Guide with all my recommendations:
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:
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, one we recreated when they visited me in 2022!
In spring, Mirabell comes to life with the most beautifully coloured array of flowers. My favourite is the wall of wisteria in the rose garden.
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.
→ Check out other filming locations of the Sound of Music around Salzburg!
Watch a concert in the Mirabell Palace
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.
→ Watch a live concert in the Mirabell Palace where Mozart used to perform.
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.
→ Check out all my other favourite lakes to visit in Austria!
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.
→ Check out other filming locations of the Sound of Music around Salzburg!
Visit Schlosspark Hellbrunn
You can reach the Schloss 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".
→ Check out other filming locations of the Sound of Music around Salzburg!
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.
The pavilion from Sound of Music
The ponds are home to huge sturgeon
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 beautiful low elevation 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.
Walk along the Mönchsberg
The Mönchsberg 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 Mönchsberg, following along the route of the Salzach River below.
Spring clean and 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.
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.
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!
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.
→ Check out all my other favourite lakes to visit in Austria!
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.
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.
Spot the goslings and the wildflowers at the Almkanal
The Almkanal is an icy cold rushing canal, one of my favourite local hangouts in the whole city and I come here as often as I can on hot days to laze along the riverbank and cool off in. 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.
The Almkanal is about 18km long so there are loads of options to choose from but here is where I like to go.
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 displayed her paintings here.
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.
Run the 10km, half or full Salzburg Marathon
Every May is the annual 10km, half marathon and full marathon through the 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.
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 an Instagram caption all about it!
Watch the sunset from the Gaisberg
One of my favourite places to go for a hike or for sunset views is the Gaisberg. It's also one of the best palces in the country to go paragliding and you're likely to witness paragliders launching themselves off the mountain here.
Take bus 151, hike two hours up or drive for about 25 minutes out of Salzburg and you’ll come to this incredible view.
Attend the Stiegl Maibaum Fest
For centuries across Austria and southern Germany, May has brought the beloved Maifest, a tradition celebrating spring, love, fertility and growth. A maypole of stripped spruce is decorated with ribbons, wreaths and sausages, then raised using wooden poles and many men in their Lederhosen.
Nowadays it’s a fun Austrian tradition where everyone wears their Tracht, typical Bavarian and Austrian clothing, drinks beer and eats Kasnocken in the sunshine, listens to a live band and cheers’ the men raising the pole before children try to climb up it and get the sausages!
Listen to the Long Night of the Churches
The annual Lange Nacht der Kirchen happens every spring in Salzburg where more than 50 churches and cathedrals are open from 6pm into the late evening with a varied programme of free concerts, choirs, organ performances, dance, stories and more. It's such a beautiful way to experience Salzburg’s gorgeous buildings.
→ Check out the schedule for the Long Night of the Churches.
Salzburg from the Katakomben
Spend a day in the spa at Hotel Krallerhof
One of our favourite ways to relax and unwind is in typical Austrian style by heading to a day spa. It's always such a wonderful, indulging experience.
We had access to over 3000m² of world-class, calming and beautifully designed wellness spaces including their 5000m² natural bathing lake with an integrated infinity pool from 9:00am to 8:00pm as well as a buffet breakfast. Austrians just have the spa culture nailed - think luxuriously designed spas, incorporating natural spaces both indoor and out, overlooking mountains; yup, relaxation perfection.
→ Check out my guide to visiting the day spa at Hotel Krallerhof.
Austria can be visited all year-round, depending on what you're interested in. Austria is lucky in that it experiences all four seasons fully: flowers in the spring, heat and sun in the summer, changing leaves in the autumn and full-on snow and Christmas in the winter.
This guide is specifically catered towards visiting Salzburg in the spring, one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. You can also check out my Salzburg guides by clicking on the photos below:
Salzburg in Winter
Salzburg in Summer
Salzburg in Autumn
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-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.
