Mozart’s town has an array of beer halls, music sites and palaces to choose from – and many of them do not cost a thing.
Mozart’s town has an array of beer halls, music sites and palaces to choose from – and many of them do not cost a thing.
StieglKeller
This cavernous beer hall, perched above the old town, hosts free concerts on Thursday evenings. Add good company, jaunty folk music, malty ale and hearty grub – such as goulash and pork knuckles – to make for the perfect winter warmer.
Schloss Mirabell
Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich had this palace built for his mistress in 1606. Take a crisp walk along leaf-strewn paths that glisten with frost, as November ushers in winter at the Mirabell Gardens. The sculpturedotted Dwarf Garden is also worth a wander.
Salzburger Dom
The crowning glory of Salzburg’s old town is the baroque Salzburger Dom – on the site of the city’s first cathedral. To gain historical insight, join a free tour, departing daily from Mozart Square at 2pm, or attend Sunday mass to hear the cathedral where Mozart once served as organist resounding with music .
The Sound of Music
Along with Mozart, Maria is Salzburg’s biggest draw. The Sound of Music’s snow-capped mountains slide into view on the bicycle trail to Schloss Hellbrunn – it’s free to visit the gardens, home to the pavilion of Sixteen Going on Seventeen fame. You can also see the Nonnberg Abbey, where the song Maria was filmed.
Kerry Christiani lives in Germany and is researching the Austria chapter for Lonely Planet’s Western Europe guide.
This article was published in partnership with Lonely Planet Traveller.