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Writer's picturerachnamone

SALZBURG – the perfect city break with kids.

Updated: Jun 18



Salzburg is a beautiful city with lovely people and enchanting sights all around! We visited Salzburg in the beginning of autumn 2018.



Salzburg is also an easy and wonderful city to explore with kids as it is small enough to explore on foot but also connected with excellent public transport and there are multiple interesting spots to visit in and around the city.


What to see and what to do?


This is a proposed 3 day Itinerary for Salzburg and surrounding areas. We highly recommend buying Salzburg card, as the public transportation and lot of attractions are included. The 3rd day is reserved for s trip to HALLSTATT.


We bought a 3 day Salzburg card costing 44 euros per adult. Children over 6 years of age pay half the price. The card is great value for money and provides an opportunity to explore the city completely hassle free.


Here is how you can explore Salzburg with kids in two days with the perfect mix of things that interest the kids and their parents :


  • Day 1: Lock bridge, Untersberg, Hellbrunn palace and trick fountains, Hangar 7, city walk.

  • Day 2 : Salzburg fort, Salzburg zoo, Salzach river cruise, Mirabell gardens and adjacent playground!

  • Day 3 : Hallstatt


Detailed itinerary for the trip:

Day 1 :


Lock bridge -

On the first day, head to Makaratplatz . Best to start the day early . A very short walk away is the lock bridge on Salzach river. It is a beautiful place to be, on a bright sunny morning. Do spend some time having a coffee by the bank of the Salzach river. The earlier you get there, higher the chances you will have it yourself.


Lock bridge over Salzach river

Untersberg -

To reach Untersberg, take a 10 mins walk to reach Theatregasse , from there you need to take bus number 25. Journey to reach Untersberg which will take roughly 30 minutes. The journey itself is beautiful!


Untersberg bus stop

Untersberg mountain is part of Berchesgaden alps and is approximately 2000 mts high. Located close to Salzburg city, the mountain top provides gorgeous views of the city and the landscape below. The bus take you right to the foothills of the Untersberg mountain from where you can take the Untersberbahn cable car to reach the top of the mountain.


The return journey on the cable car is 25 euros per adult , which is included in the Salzburg card (one time entry).



View from the top of Untersberg mountain

It tends to be colder and windy at the mountain top as compared to the city , hence it is always a good idea to carry a light jacket, some water and also sunscreen in a backpack. Also this place can get really crowded, so visit early morning . There are many trails to explore at the top!

Hellbrunn palace and trick fountains -


Grounds at Hellbrunn palace

After enjoying Untersberg we took bus 25 towards the city to reach the Hellbrunn palace. The fountains are an architectural marvel , creatively constructed 400 years back and still functional! There are various time slots for the guided tour of the fountains and you may have to wait for 20 minutes for the tour. The tour guides speak in both german and English and it’s a very enjoyable experience (guaranteed that you will get wet!). Lot of fun for kids and adults alike.


The trick fountains!

Ticket to the trick fountains and palace is 12.5 euros per adult, and is included with the Salzburg card.


From here you can either visit the zoo or like us, schedule it for Day 2 as we were all little tired, and its better to explore a zoo with an energetic toddler. You can have lunch at Hellbrunn palace cafe/restaurant.


cheese strudel anyone?

Hangar 7 / red bull hangar-


This is an interesting place to spend half an hour, with some interesting planes and cars on display, the kids (and the adults) are sure to have a good time. Also a place to rest your feet a little. This a free attraction. Located next to the airport, take bus number 10 to reach this place.


Interesting displays at Hangar 7

The last stop for the day was the city center. We strolled the streets, soaked in the atmosphere, bought souvenirs for home and ate a meal after an amazing day!


Exploring the beautiful city center

Day 2 :


Festung Hohensalzburg -


The first stop for day 2 is the Fortress or Festung Hohensalzburg.

From Makaratplatz, it’s an easy and beautiful walk through the old city towards the funicular for the castle. But as you cross over the Salzach river you HAVE to stop, soak in the beauty and only then move ahead .


Remember this from the sound of music? ( we didn’t do the most poplar tours from Salzburg – sound of music tour – should be at least a half day trip- a must do for sound of music fans)

Funicular ride to the Fortress

Ticket to the fortress costs 12.9 euros per adult and the funicular to the top is 10 euros return journey, both are included in Salzburg card.



The fortress overlooking the beautiful city

An audio guide is provided for the tour . The castle and artefacts are well preserved. The tour takes around 2 to 2.5 hours.


Salzburg fort

Salzburg zoo -


After the castle take bus number 25 to reach the zoo (though zoo is situated right next to the Hellbrunn palace and can be visited the same day before or after the palace and trick fountains, but we chose to do it the next day as our little one was tired the previous day).


Ticket price is 11.5 euros per adult, 5 euros for children 4-14 years age. Again the entry to zoo and also the bus ride is included in Salzburg card.


Salzburg zoo

Salzburg zoo is a beautifully landscaped zoo, has a good variety of animals to interest the kids and is well kept. It also has a restaurant, good to have a meal and also some delicious ice-cream.


Ride for the zoo!

These trolleys are available to rent out for the charge of 1 euro (which can be retrieved once you return it) from near the entrance. Makes the entire walking around easier and more enjoyable , especially with toddlers.


Mirabell gardens -


Head back to the city to explore the beautiful Mirabell gardens. A must visit site for " sound of music " fans . It was extremely crowded during late afternoon when we visited. It is probably a better idea to visit in the morning.


Mirabell garden


There is a small public playground next to Mirabell gardens.




Salzach river cruise –


After an entire day of walking around, it is time to sit back and relax and enjoy floating on the river! I would recommend this activity as a break from your city exploration or as an end of the day treat to your weary feet and little ones. The cruise starts just below the lock bridge .


Salzach river cruise

Ticket price for adult is 15 euros and for children 4 to 14 years is 7.5 euros. With Salzburg card one ride is free.



Gorgeous autumn colours along the Salzach river

Day 3 of the Salzburg itinerary was dedicated to a trip to Hallstatt. I have a dedicated blog about it. Hallstatt is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Europe. There are several tours available to visit Hallstatt, however we chose to make the journey ourselves using public transport so that we can explore at leisure.

Read about how to plan a trip to Hallstatt on your own, in our blog DIY trip from Salzburg to Hallstatt.


Salzburg was a wonderful to city to visit, from a beautiful fortress to a zoo, from great food to great music - it is a great destination for everyone (not just sound of music fans) , especially young families. Salzburg card in our opinion is great value for money and makes the whole process of exploring the city more flexible, convinient and enjoyable!


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