A one day trip in Salzburg in October 2023 was not enough for my family. Salzburg needs to be explored for more than one day. To get around Salzburg with the limited time we had, we chose to do a free walking tour.
Hello traveller,
We arrived in Salzburg very early in the morning. We chose to travel past midnight from Germany to save on accommodation costs. By arriving early morning we had plenty of time for one day to explore Salzburg.
As we had very limited time, at first we chose to do the free walking tour. By taking this tour, we were able to see most of the famous places in Salzburg in about two hours. After the tour, we had some time left to meet our friend and explore other places that were still untouched by the free walking tour.
Free Walking Tour
As usual, I was tasked with finding a free walking tour operator. At that time there was only one operator that I managed to find. The name of the tour is Free Walking Tour Salzburg.
What you need to know is that a free walking tour usually requires prior reservation because the number of participants is limited. For example, the Free Waking Tour Salzburg only allows 25 participants. The reservation can be made through the operator’s website. When we report our participation to the tour guide, he will check if we are on the list of participants. If we do not belong to the list, we will not be able to join the walking group at that time.
Walking around Salzburg
We were lucky because the tour started in the morning at 9.30 am. The timing matched our arrival time in Salzburg. The train we travelled on from Munich arrived in Salzburg at 8 am. After getting off the train, we quickly stowed our luggage in the storage area at the station. We already had breakfast during the train journey.
The meeting point was at the Spirit of Mozart next to the Staatsbrücke, a bridge that connects the two sides of Salzburg. From the meeting point, we walked to visit the famous places in Salzburg. Not only visiting, the tour guide also told us about many things related to the history of the city of Salzburg and the place being visited.
Not only the history of the beginning of the city of Salzburg and the royal period, we also get historical stories during the World War. We also got information on where to eat that is favoured by the locals.
Some of the places we visited along with the free walking tour included Mozart’s birth house, Mirabell Palace, Getreidegasse, University Square, University of Salzburg, Monastery St. Paul, the concert hall of Salzburg, Fortress Hohensalzburg and ended in the old town.
The end of the tour
Salzburg is famous for its culture and art. Gerhard, our tour guide, explained many things related to this. From the way he tells his story, it’s clear that he’s proud to be a Salzburg citizen.
There was no charge for this tour. As the name implies, it was free. The tour guide only expects tips from the trip. Usually we give a tip between 15-25 Euros depending on our satisfaction with the tour guide’s service, attitude and storytelling.
The old town and Getreidegasse
Since the free walking tour ended in the old town, we ended up walking around there while waiting for our appointment with our friend who lives in Salzburg. We bought souvenirs at one of the souvenir shops there. The price of souvenirs is more or less the same as in Germany.
After that, we walked back to Getreidegasse to see the shops. We enjoyed the old buildings and had lunch around in one of the restaurants not far from there. After lunch, we met up with our friends.
Moenschberg
My friend planned to visit the famous children’s museum in Salzburg. Unfortunately, because my son was sick after being caught in the rain during the free walking tour, we had to cancel the plan. My son and my husband chose to go to the hotel to rest. My friend and I went up the Moenschberg, a hill at Salzburg. It was her second plan after visiting the museum.
The journey to the top of the hill took about an hour – 1.5 hours. We could not walk fast because I was pregnant. The path we took was friendly for pregnant women. The long journey to the top of the hill did not feel long and boring because we chatted, took pictures, and enjoyed the scenery on the left and right of the path.
It was worth the trip. From the top of Moenschberg, we could see the beautiful city of Salzburg. The weather which was dark and cloudy slowly changed. By the time we reached the top of the hill, the weather had cleared up. The city of Salzburg is clearly visible. The beautiful scenery surrounding Salzburg also looks very beautiful. It’s a pity that my husband and son couldn’t enjoy this view.
My advice is to plan to visit Salzburg for more than one day. Exploration of Salzburg itself is best done over two days. Enjoy hiking to the hills in Salzburg and its beautiful scenery for one day.
I hope to visit this city again someday.
Happy travelling,
Amelia
