Salzburg in autumn is a dream. The trees burst into colours of red, orange and gold, preparing to nestle down for the inevitable snows of winter ahead. The days are still warm in the autumnal sunshine and the nights get cooler and darker sooner, making for bright star-filled skies. The first candles are lit, the sweaters are pulled back out of cupboards and hot coffees are sipped on long walks along the river.
I've lived in Salzburg since 2021, but somehow autumn is the season that I most often am abroad for, so in a way I feel like I've hardly experienced a proper autumn here at all and have only had a taste of all the joy there is of the most colourful season of the year. Having said that, I've still tried to experience as much as this little mountain city has to offer.
→ Follow along my Austrian adventures on Instagram @JanaInAustria!
Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about Austria can be found in my Ultimate Austria Map!
This is a digital map featuring hundreds of my favourite:
- restaurants
- places to stay
- shops
- photo spots and viewpoints
- hikes
- museums and galleries
- beaches, lakes and rivers
- ski hills
- spas
- AND SO MUCH MORE!
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.
COMING SOON → Buy the Ultimate Austria Map!
Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Salzburg in the autumn. 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 autumn, one of the most most beautiful and cozy seasons of the year. You can also check out my Salzburg guides for spring, summer 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 along the Salzach
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:
So, if you're visiting Salzburg in the autumn months 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 autumn (or fall, for all you North Americans):
Hike the Untersberg
The Untersberg is perhaps one of the most classic hikes around Salzburg, with the poignant peak standing clearly against the skyline, its iconic shape visible from almost anywhere in the city. It's not an easy hike, with more than 1300m vertical elevation given that much of the hike is up ladders, but it's a really fun trek, with simply breathtaking panoramic views of Salzburg far below. You can clearly spot Salzburg Airport from above and it's quite the experience to be above planes as they come in for landing! It's a great hike to do in the autumn so you can see the beautiful changing colours plus it won't be as hot as you climb.
Check out all the best viewpoints of Salzburg
Being a mountain city, Salzburg seems to be in abundance of beautiful viewpoints across the city in all different directions. I've put together a complete guide with all my favourite viewpoints in Salzburg that I love and visit often which are especially beautiful as the colours begin to change.
Viewpoint behind Festung Hohensalzburg at Richterhöhe
Walk around the Leopoldskroner Weiher
The Leopoldskroner Weiher freezes in winter and is a popular ice skating spot. Before that happens, the sun glows across orange and golden foliage of the lake, making it the perfect spot for an autumnal walk. You can walk the entire way 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 go rowing 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!
Go biking along the Salzach
Either take your own bike or rent one in the city and head north or 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 autumnal colours all around you.
Take a yoga class
Keep up the excitement of a summer of movement with some cozy and warm evening yoga classes. 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
Attend the Kaiviertelfest
At the end of September, the Kaigasse comes alive with dancing, food stalls, music and outdoor markets all in celebration of kicking off autumn and back-to-school for Salzburg's university students. There are more than 50 vendors so there's something for everyone!
Enjoy the day spa at Naturhotel Forsthofgut
Just an hour south of Salzburg you'll find the exquisite waldSPA at Naturhotel Forsthofgut. It's quite famous on Instagram but most people don't know that you don't need to be a guest to visit their spa! Day passes are available.
With vibrantly-coloured leaves and crisp morning air, this is the perfect place to unwind allow the new season to fully arrive. With multiple indoor and outdoor facilities, including saunas, hot pools, red light, steam rooms, nap rooms and, of course, the famous outdoor natural pool with its impressive mountain backdrop, the whole thing felt impeccably designed to soothe and calm those who visit.
→ Check out my guide to a day at the Naturhotel Forsthofgut!
Attend Rupertikirtag
In celebration of St. Rupert, the patron saint of Salzburg, Rupertikirtag is a five-day festival in late September that feels a bit like a mini Oktoberfest. Celebrated in Salzburgerland only, this annual festival features lots of Tracht-wearing Austrians (the traditional clothing of Bavaria (southern Germany) and Austria).
I have not yet attended one myself, having always been out of the country during the Rupertikirtag celebrations, but my friends always go and love it!
Go for an autumnal run or walk along the Salzach
Running is my favourite activity and Salzburg is such a pro-running city. With so many pedestrian- and bike-only paths throughout the city, especially along the river, you'll find runners (and walkers and cyclists alike) here all year-round and at all times of day. It's also a great way to see the city!
Hike (part of) the Salzburger Almenweg
The Salzburger Almenweg is a gorgeous 350km trail through the mountains of Salzburgerland. There are more than 120 alpine huts to choose from along the way so you can explore as much or as little of the trail as you wish. Divided into 25 stages, you can also hike just part of it as a day trip. It's particularly gorgeous in autumn.
→ Check out my guide to hiking Stage 2 of the Salzburger Almenweg!
Browse Salzburg's bookstores
The cooler weather is perfect for browsing the shelves to pick up some nice new reads (most have a fantastic English section) for the autumn season. Some of my favourite bookstores in Salzburg include:
- Buchhandlung Höllrigl (the oldest in Austria, open since 1598!)
- Rupertus Buchhandlung
- Buchhandlung Stierle
→ Check out my book list for every book I've read since 2018!
Step inside a church
For a small city with a compact old town, you might be surprised at just how many churches there are in Salzburg. In the old town alone there are 22 churches, including the stunning Dom (cathedral) at the heart of the city! Beyond the official city limits, the number increases tenfold.
→ Check out this great self-guided walking tour of Salzburg's 22 churches.
Salzburger Dom
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.
Go for a dip in Waldbad Anif
Most popular in the summer, Waldbad Anif is a manmade lake just south of Salzburg in Anif. However, summer tends to linger on in the Salzburg mountains and we usually get pretty warm Septembers so on a warm day, you can still enjoy a dip.
Waldbad Anif is open from March to September each year.
→ Check the current opening hours and ticket prices on their website.
Catch a sunset over the old town
Of course, you can't predict the weather, but as the seasons change and the clouds get heavier, we tend to get some pretty epic sunsets. My favourite sunset spot is the Müllnersteg, a bridge from which you can see the whole old town with the Festung Hohensalzburg rising majestically behind it.
→ Check out all my favourite spots to watch the sunset in Salzburg!
Walk through the old town
This is something you can do literally any day of the year, but there is just something so cozy about wandering through the buildings of Salzburg's Altstadt, dating back to as early as 698! Grab a coffee from one of our amazing cafés and get lost in our beautiful cobblestoned streets. The Altstadt is on the south side of the Salzach and the Neustadt (new town) is on the north. Both are so worth a wander; and it's only called the Neustadt because it was built after the old town... but it still dates back to the 1860s!
Join a Pilates class
Keep your body moving during the cooler months! Pilates is one of my new favourite ways to stay healthy, toned and work up a sweat in a cozy, inviting environment. There are loads of Pilates studios dotted all across Salzburg; my favourite is Nalu. There are two locations, one near the Europark and one south of the city on the Salzach.
Take a day trip to Berchtesgaden National Park across the border in Germany
The Berchtesgaden National Park is perhaps most famously home to the Eagle's Nest, a former Nazi building on the summit of the Kehlstein, used by members of the Nazi Party for government and social meetings.
However, it is the exquisite natural landscapes that draw many visitors to this incredible region, home to alpine lakes, hikes, mountain ranges and wonderful views. Autumn is one of my favourite times of year to visit Berchtesgaden to take in the stunning nature full of beautiful colours.
→ Check out my guide to visiting the Berchtesgaden National Park!
Königssee
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 autumn. You can check out my other Salzburg guides by clicking on the photos below:
Salzburg in Winter
Salzburg in Spring
Salzburg in Summer
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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.
