“Stay here”
Hotel Goldene Ente is located on a narrow street in the heart of Old Salzburg. It is run by Frau Ulrike who is friendly, charming, multilingual and extremely helpful. My father and I stayed here for a week while visiting the Salzburg Festival and we couldn't have enjoyed it more. The room was up-to-date and comfortable (an air conditioner would have been nice to have on a couple of warm nights but these are rare in Salzburg) and the bathroom spacious and modern. The included breakfast was copious and fresh. The wireless internet connection worked perfectly. On top of all that, they have a restaurant on the ground floor that is charming and holds its own for traditional Salzburg fare. There are also a few tables on the street for dining and/or drinking. A plus for beer lovers: they have Pilsner Urquelle on tap. Overall, one of the best hotel experiences I've had.
Area recommendations
Old (Alt) Salzburg is the part of the city you probably picture from the Sound of Music. It is very picturesque with the cathedral, a few other churches and many streets and squares to explore, surrounded on three sides by high cliffs, on one of which sits the famous Salzburg Castle (Festung). The fourth side is the Salzach River which divides the old city from the (comparatively) new.
Some of the old city's other attractions include Mozart's birth house (now a fascinating museum about his family and early life), the Residence (the palace where the prince-bishops who ruled Salzburg in the 17th and 18th centuries lived), a "museum of the modern" on the Monchsberg that overlooks the city, several smaller museums and, of course, the music venues of the Salzburg Festival which runs every summer during the months of July and August and features superb performances of Mozart's music as well as that of other composers.
Food in Old Salzburg restaurants tends to be traditional Austrian which is hearty and delicious but somewhat monotonous and not exactly haute cuisine. However, there are several restaurants near the old city that serve truly excellent food, usually for steep prices.
Shopping in the Old City is richly varied but you will not find many bargains here.
When to go
The Festival takes place in July and August and it's packed with tourists during that time. If you're not interested in the Festival, you should go in May-June or September-October. Those who plan to ski at one of the Austrian or Swiss resorts could spend a couple of charming days here in the winter.
Getting there
The fastest way from the US is to fly to Munich and take a train. There is a local train (S1 or S8) from the Munich airport to the main train station that costs 10 euros and takes about 45 minutes. From there it's about a 2 hour train ride to Salzburg through charming Bavarian countryside.
Getting around
In the old city you can walk everywhere, including the most interesting parts of the new city across the river.
Must see
In addition to the music festival: the Cathedral. the Residence, Mozart's birth house (Geburtshaus), the house the Mozart family's occupied when Papa was working for the Prince Archbishop (called the Mozart Wohnhaus), the Castle (Festung Salzburg).
Dining
Most restaurants serve traditional Austrian fare which is hearty and delicious but limited in scope. There are several excellent restaurants near the old city that serve really excellent food. Prices tend to be high.
Events and shows
The Salzburg Music Festival takes place every year from late June to early September. Is is one of the world's great music events and attracts the best musicians, singers and directors from around the world. The performances include operas, symphonic music, chamber music and vocal ensembles. Mozart is naturally emphasized but many other composers are also performed. Tickets should be ordered (online) by the prior January in order to have the best selection, but some tickets are available last-minute at a few ticket sales offices around town. Tickets are expensive unless you are used to New York prices and even so will be towards the high end. The performances we saw, however, were well worth the price.
Outdoors or beach
There are several places to take walks in the immediate vicinity of Salzburg. We went to Maria Plain, a Baroque pilgimage church a short bus ride (bus 21) from downtown and a brief but pretty walk uphill through a deep forest. The view from the church is spectacular, overlooking the valley and the city with the castle in the background.
