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World > Austria > Salzburg
City Guide Salzburg
Overview
General Information
Salzburg means “salt castle”, referring to its massive fortress and the white gold from the mountains in the South. It is the capital of the homonymous federal state Salzburg in Austria. With about 150.000 inhabitants Salzburg is the 4th biggest city in Austria after Vienna, Graz and Linz. Above all Salzburg is known for its famous son Mozart from which the cities name “Mozartstadt” (City of Mozart) comes from. But of course there is more to see than you might expect. Salzburg is a dreamy city with many castles, mansions and museums. The world famous Mirabelle Garden and the Mirabelle Castle, the Baroque Museum, the fabulously romantic Old Town or Mozart’s birth place are some of many sights that Salzburg has to offer. Small winding alleys lead you through the city passing souvenir shops full of exclusive watches antiquities or jewellery. A mixture of tradition and hard business shows the liveliness of this town close to the Alps. Since Salzburg is still more a town than a big city it is easy to get around on foot or by bike. Also the surrounding areas like the Salzachtal are easily manageable by bike. Tours to the forest pool Anif which offers a lake for swimming or the water castle Anif, to the salt mines or a hiking tour to the Untersberg are always worth it. The federal province of Salzburg is dominated by agricultural land, inhabited by people that are deeply rooted in centuries old traditions and customs. Some remarkable customs are living traditions and fascinating expressions of ancient believes, especially in the Alpine regions of Salzburg.
Weather
Since Salzburg is located at the Northern side of the Alps the climate is very much influenced by the mountain range. The winters are pretty cold and dry and the chance of snow fall is quite high. Summers are warm and sunny, although rainy periods can occur and most of the time last for a couple of days. The best months to visit Salzburg are May, early June as well as September and October since the weather is very pleasant and the demand for restaurants and hotels is lower than during the rest of the year.
Languages
The official language spoken in Salzburg is Austrian German but like every region Salzburg has its own dialect. English is widely understood and spoken especially in touristy shops, museums and most of the cafes and restaurants.
Religion
Salzburg is heavily characterised by the Catholic belief which covers about 56% of the population. About 7 % are Protestants, 5 % Russian Orthodox and 7% Muslims. The rest is split among atheists, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus.
Currency
The currency used in Austria is the Euro. Notes come in denominations of €100, €50, €20, €10 and €5 and the coins in use are €2, €1, € 0.50, € 0.20, € 0.10, € 0.05, € 0.02 and € 0.01.
Tipping
Restaurants in Salzburg usually include the tip but it is customary to round up the bill (ie € 2 on € 1.90). The same applies for taxis. Hotel staff usually expects € 1 to € 2 per room/night. For other services, such a haircut, it is normal to leave € 2 or more.
Taxes
The VAT of 20% can be reclaimed by visitors from outside the EU. by filling a tax-cheque by the time of purchase. At the airport your purchased items need to be taken to the customs clearance where the customs official will provide a tax stamp which can be cashed at any of the airport banks in a variety of currencies.
Telephone
To call Salzburg from abroad dial +43 for Austria and then (0)662 for Salzburg. Calling from a hotel is in general pretty expensive. Public phone can be used with telephone card. Coins are not very common anymore. Telephone cards can be purchased in any post office.
Internet
Salzburg possesses a couple of internet cafes from which the Internetcafe Cybar am Mozartplatz (+43 (0)662 / 844 822) is the best known. Here also W-LAN is provided so you can use your won laptop. Many cafes also offer the option to connect your laptop to the internet and there are public libraries where computers provide access to the internet. Other internet cafes are: Cyber "Café": Gstättengasse +43 (0)662 29 84 26 16-22 Bignet internet.cafe: Judengasse 5, +43 (0)662 84 14 70 Cybar Mozartplatz 5, +43 (0)662 84 48 22
Emergency numbers
Fire Brigade: 122 Police:133 Rescue: 144 Euro emergency: 112 Mountain rescue service:140 Water rescue 130 Ambulance 141 Information on poisoning: 01/406 43 43
Opening times
Shops are in general open weekdays between 9 am and 7.30 pm and on Saturdays until 6 pm. Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 12.20 am and then between 1.30 pm and 5 pm.
Public Holidays
New Year: 1 Jan Epiphany: 6 Jan Easter Monday National Holiday: 1 May Ascension Day Whit Monday Corpus Christi Assumption Day: 15 August National Holiday: 26 Oct All Saints'' Day: 1 Nov Maria conception: 8 Dec Christtag: 25 Dec Stefanitag: 26 Dec
Safety
Salzburg is a fairly safe city where you don’t need to worry about being out at night. However, Salzburg is a big city and normal precautions should be taken. Since pick pocketing can occur here as well, keep money in a money belt or in a wallet. Some areas might be a bit scary but they are not very touristy which means that tourists actually never go there.
Sightseeing
Sightseeing
Salzburg is a relatively small city but nevertheless, it is one of the busiest ones in Europe. All year around it is packed with visitors but especially during summer tourists flock the Mozart city. The Old Town, including Bergstraße, Linzergasse, New Town, Inneres Nonntal, Innerer Mölln , Mönchsberg and Kapuzinerberg, is the biggest UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites. Its homogenous baroque appearance is unique globally and therefore Salzburg deserves the status. Also worth a visit is Schloss Hellbrunn (Castle Hellbrunn) which encloses a palace garden, trick fountains and a garden with artificially designed landscapes. Salzburg also possesses many old churches, especially the parish churches of Morzg, Liefering, Maxglan, Gnigl and Aigen should be a destination in any sightseeing tour. The city is full of monasteries, castles and beautiful gardens, churches and baroque buildings which already attract enough people to keep tourism running. Apart from the above mentioned places a sightseeing tour, whether private or organised, should include the magnificent cathedral, the Festival Halls, Mozart's and St Peter's Abbey and Monastery. Also Salzburg’s surroundings offer a great entertainment and adventure. Take a trip with the Untersberg cable car and enjoy the view over the valley and mountains. Or dive down to one of the oldest former salt mines which is now used as a demonstration site and used to bring wealth to the cities close-by. Visit a reconstructed village of the Celts at the Dürrnberg or experience the world's largest glacial cave. Information on sightseeing in Salzburg and its surroundings is provided by the Tourist Information. Salzburg Passes The pass guarantees you free entrance to all sights in the city, free rides with public transportation, including fortress funicular, the panorama boat on the Salzach and the Untersberg cablacar, as well as discounts for cultural events and for various tours and excursions. You can pick one up at all customer service centres, in hotels and at tourist information booths. Tourist Information Office Tourismus Salzburg GmbH Auerspergstrasse 6 The city's main tourist office is supplemented by additional tourist offices at Mozartplatz 5 (tel: (0662) 8898 7330) and another on platform 2A at the central railway station (tel: (0662) 8898 7340), both of which are open all year round.