Old Town Salzburg Walking Tour (Includes Viewpoints) + Map

Technical details:

• Approximate overall travel distance (including funicular and elevator): 8 kilometers 
• Approximate walking time (from one attraction to another): 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Elevation gain/loss: 250 meters

Please note that the metrics above do not include the time and distance you will spend at each tourist attraction.

Summary (and Tips):

In this Old Town Salzburg walking tour, we aim to see the highlights of Old Town Salzburg and take a short hike in Mönchsberg. The hike is to see the beautiful views of Salzburg and the Alps, which are a must-see when visiting Salzburg.

For this walking tour, your first destination is Hettwer Bastion.

Since the view from the bastion is stunning during sunrise or sunset, I encourage you to start this walking tour a few minutes before sunrise. The last stop, on the other hand, is Richterhöhe in Mönchsberg.

It’s another viewpoint, but instead of the city, you’ll see the Alps from here. You might want to bring some afternoon snacks for a lovely picnic at Richterhöhe.

The jump-off location is at the Makartplatz bus stop.

If you are coming from other parts of Salzburg, take the bus to save time and effort. For example, if you are coming from the train station, take bus #1, #2, #3, #5, #6, or #25 and you will arrive at Makartplatz in a few minutes.

From Makartplatz, Hettwer Bastion would only be just a 10 to 15 minute short hike.

For a different experience, take Stefan-Zweig-Weg up to the bastion and Imbergstiege stairs back to the Old Town Salzburg. Stefan-Zweig-Weg offers a more gradual climb to the viewpoint so it’s preferable to use it when going to the bastion.

Your next destination is Salzburg Cathedral, located on the other side of the Salzach River.

To get there, walk along Steingasse and cross the river using Mozartsteg. You’ll enjoy the walk because Steingasse is one of the oldest streets in Salzburg, with a cobblestone pathway that will transport you back to the time when Salzburg was still the Roman city of Juvavum. And Mozartsteg is a picturesque bridge with a view of Hohensalzburg Fortress.

After visiting Salzburg Cathedral, proceed to Hohensalzburg Fortress.

You can get there by funicular or on foot, depending on the type of ticket you book. If you’re a fan of the Sound of Music movie or enjoy taking a moment of silence to contemplate or introspect during your travels, you might want to stop by Nonnberg Abbey located beside Hohensalzburg Fortress.

After visiting the attractions in Festungsberg, we’ll proceed to Getreidegasse.

You can choose to walk back to the area near Salzburg Cathedral to reach Getreidegasse, but I suggest taking a little hike instead, between Festungsberg and Mönchsberg, for a different experience.

To exit Festungsberg or Hohensalzburg Fortress, head towards the Schartentor gate tower located to the west of the fortress. You’ll see this gate tower after passing under the funicular rail that links the fortress to Old Town Salzburg.

Before you reach Roter Turm (the tower) in Mönchsberg, you’ll find a path to your right midway between the towers.

Turn onto it and after walking for a few minutes, you’ll see a staircase leading back to Old Town. This staircase is called Clemens-Holzmeister-Stiege and you should see it before reaching Stefan Zweig Center.

When you reach Max-Reinhardt-Platz, turn onto Hofstallgasse, the street that heads away from Hohensalzburg Fortress.

Keep walking until you reach Bürgerspitalkirche St. Blasius. Getreidegasse is the street opposite this church. Near the eastern end of Getreidegasse opposite Hagenauerplatz, you’ll find Mozart’s Birthplace which is your next destination.

After visiting Mozart’s Birthplace, we’ll head to Mirabell Palace to relax in its gardens and admire the picture-perfect view of Hohensalzburg Fortress.

To get there, cross the River Salzach using the Marko-Feingold-Steg bridge for a more special experience – a romantic view of Old Town Salzburg.

After crossing the river, enter Mirabell Garden through its southern gate on Makartplatz. Exit the garden through its northern gate, which is beside the palace. From there, Müllnersteg bridge, your next destination, is just 5 minutes away. After crossing Müllnersteg bridge, we’ll start our hike in Mönchsberg.

There are three places to see: Humboldt Terrace, Museum der Moderne, and Richterhöhe.

If you prefer, you can end the hike at Museum der Moderne and return to Old Town Salzburg using the Mönchsberg elevator. For a refreshing and rewarding end to the walking tour, you may continue to Richterhöhe, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Alps.

Overall, this walking tour could take up an entire day, or perhaps shorter if you walk quickly and experience the highlights quickly.

If you want, you can plan your time so that you can watch the sunset from Museum der Moderne while having dinner.