Salzburg in Winter: 18 Magical Things to Do (Apart From The Christmas Markets)
Salzburg is a top destination in winter, especially for its Christmas markets, but visitors often overlook many of its other top attractions. The good news is that visitors looking for things to do in Salzburg beyond the markets will find a wide range of activities.
Attending a classical concert, visiting the Christmas Museum (open year-round), sipping tea and eating cake at Salzburg's oldest café, exploring Mozart's childhood home, or riding the funicular to Hohensalzburg Fortress for panoramic views are some of the experiences on offer.
There are Salzburg attractions to suit every traveller, and in this post, I uncover them all, making this guide perfect for post-Christmas visitors in January and February.
Need the markets? Read: Best Festive Guide To The Salzburg Christmas Markets
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1. Take a walking tour of Salzburg
Whenever I arrive at a new destination, I like to take a guided walking tour to familiarise myself with my surroundings. I want to learn more about the history of the place I am visiting, including the best attractions, hidden gems, and great places to eat and drink. Getting the insider scoop from a local is always a good thing to do.
Salzburg has a rich history, so there is much to gain from booking a walking tour, including insights into Mozart, the Old Town, and more.
If you enjoy uncovering a city's dark secrets, you might also like to join a Salzburg Dark History Tour, where you'll hear about legends of torturers, witches and ghouls that roam the cobbled streets after dark.
2. Go ice skating
If you are visiting Salzburg over the holiday season, you'll find an ice skating rink on Mozartplatz.
If you want to glide across the ice while festive tunes cheer you on, this is the place for you.
One of the top winter outdoor attractions in Salzburg is ice skating. The rink is open from mid November to the end of January..
3. Experience a lunchtime concert in the cathedral
I pre-booked a lunchtime organ concert at Salzburg Cathedral because I had heard it was among the best things to do in Salzburg. Having enjoyed a classical music concert in Vienna last year, I wanted to attend one while visiting Salzburg.
Salzburg Cathedral took my breath away. Inside, there are seven impressive organs. Accompanied by two violinists, the organist performed beautiful pieces by famous composers, including Mozart, on four different organs.
I was glad I had booked my Salzburg Cathedral concert tickets online when I saw the long lines outside for last-minute tickets. It let me walk right in and enjoy the concert from the start.
The lunchtime concert started at 12:00 p.m. and lasted for 30 minutes. It was a lovely treat to step inside this magnificent Baroque church, away from the crowds, and listen to the beautiful music.
4. See the modern art piece, Sphaera
Slap bang in the centre of Kapitelplatz by the cathedral is Sphaera, a modern art piece depicting a man in a shirt and trousers on a golden sphere. Personally, I felt it was out of place in such a historic area. I enjoy modern art, but this piece seemed disconnected from its surroundings. Nevertheless, during my visit, Sphaera attracted tourists eager to have their photographs taken beneath this 9-metre-tall piece.
5. Visit the Christmas Museum
Step back in time at the nostalgic Salzburger Weihnachtsmuseum and discover European Christmas traditions from 1840 to 1940.
At first, I thought it was a bit pricey at 9 euros per adult to enter a small museum dedicated to Christmas memorabilia. However, once inside, I really enjoyed seeing all the items that one lady had collected over 40 years.
You'll see old paper Advent calendars (before they included chocolates, jewellery, and cosmetics behind the windows), as well as antique Christmas baubles, ornaments, and other traditional festive items. Also, items depicting both Father Christmas and Krampus, his demonic sidekick, are on display.
The Christmas Museum is worth visiting and one of the top Salzburg attractions. It's open year-round and located at Mozartplatz, above Cafe Glockenspiel.
6. See the Krampus Parades
If you are looking for something unusual to do in Salzburg in winter, then you will love the Krampus Parade. Usually held on the 5th of December (the eve of St. Nicholas Day), it is one of Salzburg's top attractions during the festive season.
The Krampus Parade sees ugly, hairy, monstrous characters descend on Salzburg's main street, Getreidegasse, ringing cowbells and whipping those in the crowd who have been naughty in the year with twigs. It's all done in good fun, but getting hit on the legs with twigs does sting a bit.
But what are Krampus? Stories of the ancient demons are told to children who might not be behaving as well as they could in the lead-up to Christmas. If they misbehave, the Krampus will visit them as they sleep rather than St. Nicholas (Father Christmas).
You would think this would be the ultimate deterrent of misbehaviour, but the children we saw at the Krampus Parade in Salzburg were less scared than the adults!
I saw my first Krampus Parade at the Bratislava Christmas Markets and was startled by the grimacing monsters, not knowing what Krampus was, as it's not celebrated in the UK. This time, I was prepared and had even planned my Salzburg trip to coincide with this unusual Alpine Christmas tradition.
7. Ride the funicular to Hohensalzburg Fortress
You can't miss seeing the imposing white fortress atop one of the hills in Salzburg. It dominates the skyline and casts a shadow over Salzburg's Old Town. You can walk up there if you are fit and have a lot of stamina, but the easiest way is to hop on the funicular that will whizz you up the hill in a few seconds. No guessing which option I took!
It is worth every penny to save the leg burn; however, if you want to experience the walk, you can always come back down from the fortress on the woodland pathway. You can purchase admission tickets to the Prince's Chambers in Hohensalzburg Fortress separately from the funicular.
Once at the top, the vista will make you take a sharp breath because it is stunning. Being eye level with the top of a snow-covered mountain is the icing on the cake.
Pro-Tip: If it's snowing, take the funicular up but walk the path down for incredible photo ops of the city's spires
Either side of the fortress offers a different perspective - one side huge mountains and scattered houses interspersed with grassy spaces; the other a bird's-eye view of rooftops, cathedral domes and the Salzach River that cuts through the city. A visit to Hohensalzburg Fortress is one of the most popular attractions in Salzburg, and for good reason.
Inside the fortress, you can see the small puppet museum, grab refreshments in the 500-year-old bakery and step inside the 16th-century Gothic St. George's chapel.
You can also attend a Mozart concert and dinner in Hohensalzburg Fortress - a very special experience.
8. Shop on Getreidegasse
Getreidegasse is a long, narrow thoroughfare connecting Rathausplatz to Burgerspitalsplatz. It is lined with shops selling quality fashion, homewares, cosmetics, pastries, and chocolate, as well as restaurants. It is also where you can experience the annual Salzburg Christmas Krampus parade.
Small walkways lead from Getreidegasse to smaller squares and narrow streets.
What makes this street charming are elaborate wrought-iron signs, some original and some more modern additions, that identify what the shop sells by name or symbol.
I last saw signs like these in Eguisheim, France, and like then, I felt they gave this cobbled street in Salzburg a somewhat medieval feel. If you look carefully, you will even see some dates on the tops of buildings. One building in this photograph is marked with the year stamp 1387.
9. Shop on Goldgasse
Goldgasse is a narrow lane curving from the Residenzplatz to the Alter Markt. It was once the home to goldsmiths and artisans, which is how it got its name. Now you'll find antique shops, quality giftware and the luxury Hotel Goldgasse along this charming street.
10. Visit the birthplace of Mozart
Salzburg is where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born; you will find streets and squares named after him, as well as two museums.
His childhood home, Hagenauer Haus on Getreidegasse, is a bright-yellow building you can't miss. It's one of Austria's most-visited museums and a top attraction in Salzburg. The entrance fee is €15 for adults / €4.50 for children, and you can see original rooms, instruments, and manuscripts. We didn't go ourselves, but by all accounts it's worth visiting.
11. Explore the DomQuartier
DomQuartier is home to the historic Salzburg UNESCO World Heritage Museum complex. This includes the Residence, the cathedral, and St. Peter's Abbey.
If you love museums, head inside the Residence, once home to the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg and a Baroque masterpiece, and for jaw-dropping decadence, see inside Salzburg Cathedral. In St. Peter's Museum, you'll see art treasures from the St. Peter's Abbey collection, the oldest monastery in the German-speaking world.
12. Stroll along the Salzach River
Whatever the season, a walk along the Salzach River will reward you with beautiful views of the historic buildings in Salzburg. In winter, the crisp air and a light dusting of snow on the mountain peaks give the walk a festive feel, perfect if, like me, you are visiting for the Christmas markets.
13. Hike Mönchsberg Hill
If you enjoy walking, take one of the footpaths to the viewpoint on Mönchsberg Hill. From the top, you will get a panoramic view of Salzburg's river, rooftops and fortress.
14. Experience Salzburg’s Famous Coffee House Culture
Mr P and I are coffee snobs, and finding great coffee while we travel is a must. Salzburg's historic coffee-house culture is an essential winter experience, blending classic Viennese-style cafés with modern speciality roasters.
Here are five of the best coffee shops in Salzburg that we tried:
Visit Café Tomaselli (Oldest café in Salzburg)
While in Salzburg at Christmas, don't miss visiting the city's most famous bakery and coffee shop, Café Tomaselli. Run by the same family for over 150 years, this local institution is a must-visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Its range of mouthwatering cakes includes Erdbeerschüsserl, made from sponge cake, Parisercreme (chocolate and whipped cream), vanilla cream, redcurrant jam and fresh strawberries. Another in-house speciality is the crescent-shaped biscuits made from butter pastry with walnut filling and sugar-rum icing - perfect to accompany your coffee or tea. And of course, Christmas cookies take centre stage during the Advent season!
We shared a slice of Esterházy torta; Mr P had a hot chocolate topped with whipped cream; and I had a Hugo spritz. There was a queue for tables, but it soon thinned, and we were seated promptly.
I had to take photos of the cakes and translate what was in them on Google, as the menu doesn't list the selections available-you have to go and have a look in the cake cabinet yourself. If you are interested, ours was buttercream spiced with vanilla, sandwiched between five layers of almond meringue dough and topped with fondant icing. Delicious!
Buy chocolate balls and coffee at Cafe-Konditorei Furst (Home of the Original Mozartkugel)
Opposite Café Tomaselli is the shop where the original Salzburger Mozartkugel was first produced in 1890. The dark chocolate encases a delicious core of pistachio marzipan and nougat, and is wrapped in a blue-and-silver wrapper with Mozart's image.
If you want to try the chocolates without committing to a bag or box, you can buy a single one for €2.20. We purchased two and enjoyed them with our coffee.
As well as being a landmark chocolate shop, Cafe-Konditorei Furst is a well-loved, popular coffee house in Salzburg. Expect a wait to be seated, then take your time enjoying refreshments (and chocolate) in this historic setting.
220GRAD Rupertinum (Best speciality coffee)
Address: Wiener-Philharmoniker-Gasse 9
Just outside of the main square in the old town, you will find 220GRAD coffee. On our visit, the place was packed, but for good reason; it's one of the best coffee shops in Salzburg.
Due to the number of people waiting to be seated, we ordered a takeout flat white to test the waters. The service was impressively fast—especially given how busy it was—but the coffee was spot on. One sip of the locally roasted brew and I was back at the counter ordering a second cup for Mr P.
Beyond perfectly roasted coffee, they offer a nice selection of brunch choices and light bites, including classic cakes. They also sell their own roasted beans for take-home purchase. 10/10
Nur Coffee (best take-away coffee)
Address: Bürgerspitalgasse 3
If you’re hunting for a top-tier brew in Salzburg, head to the junction of Getreidegasse and Burgerspitalsplatz (right next to Confiserie Fürst).
Nur is a take-away coffee spot with efficient window service. They’re famous for their "coffee in a cone," but I played it safe with the classics.
The verdict? The reviews were right. I ordered a cappuccino and a flat white, and both were bold, smooth, and expertly crafted. 10/10
Kaffee-Alchemie (best for atmosphere)
Address: Rudolfskai 38
The Bohemian interior of Kaffee-Alchemie quickly entices you to find a cosy corner to settle and savour your flat white, and in our case, Irish coffee. This slightly dark, eclectic coffee shop, decorated with trailing plants and a map of historic coffee shops in Europe, roasts excellent coffee. It's a winner for us! 8/10
15. Explore St Peter's Complex
St Peter's Church
St Peter's Church is brighter and more open than Salzburg Cathedral. Its interior is adorned with beautiful religious images, and the altar features marble and gold statues, with a cross suspended above. It's worth a visit.
Gift Shop
If you are looking for a religious gift to take home, you will surely find it in St Peter's gift shop. From glass crosses to incense urns and Advent candles, this little shop offers tasteful gifts.
Catacombs
Pay the 2-euro entrance fee (cash only), then climb the stone stairs to see two areas: one with an altar and the other with a couple of tombs carved into the rock face.
If I am honest, the best part of visiting Salzburg's catacombs was the halfway balcony overlooking the church spires and the mountain backdrop. I don't think the catacombs are worth visiting purely on their own merit.
Bakery
Stiftsbäckerei St Peter is an ancient bakery located beside the cemetery and church. We arrived at the right time, when the bakers had just made a fresh batch of bread, so we paid €2 for one.
The warm brioche with raisins was being taken out of the bakery oven, and I ate it while it was still hot. More of a touristy gimmick than a delicious treat, but while in Salzburg, it's worth trying.
Cemetary
I enjoy wandering around cemeteries, and so I couldn't pass this one up. Fresh shrubs and candles decorate graves, with ornate metal markers in place of tombstones. At some point, you will no doubt walk through the cemetery, which links to the Hohensalzburg funicular.
St Peter's Christmas Wonder World
Don't miss St Peter Stiftskulinarium, Europe's oldest operating restaurant. It's located within the ancient abbey walls, and at Christmas, it's bursting with festive loveliness.
Unfortunately, on our visit, it was overcrowded, so we couldn't find a seat or get close enough to buy Glühwein. Nevertheless, it was an enchanting place to see with its Christmas trees, red baubles and wicker reindeer.
16. Mirabell Palace and Gardens
While winter in Salzburg is not the time to see the Mirabell Palace gardens in all their glory, it is still a nice place to stroll through to reach the river and onwards to the old town. If visiting in December, you will find a small Christmas market set up in front of the palace.
You might also consider attending a classical concert with dinner at Mirabell Palace.
Book a day trip to the lakeside town of Hallstatt
If you want to visit the fairytale town of Hallstatt, it's easy to reach from Salzburg.
If you don't wish to spend a whole day away from the main Salzburg attractions, there is a 5-hour, 30-minute tour to Hallstatt. Hallstatt is pretty small, and in winter some main attractions close, so bear that in mind when booking.
Book a Sound of Music Tour
The hills are alive with the sound of music - well, they will be if you book the Original Sound of Music Tour from Salzburg.
One of the most popular things to do in Salzburg is to explore the filming locations of The Sound of Music. Sing along to the film soundtrack as you discover the nostalgic places the von Trapp family sang about.
| As of the winter of 2026, the Sound of Music Museum will take up permanent residence on the grounds of Hellbrunn Palace, one of the most beautiful places in Salzburg. This multimedia experience will include film and musical memorabilia, as well as information about the Von Trapp family. |
17. See a winter sunset from a rooftop
Finish the day by watching the hues of a Salzburg sunset turn from pink to orange like a fireball in the sky. The rooftop at Hotel Imlauer Pitter is a great spot, and they serve pretty delicious cocktails.
18. Visit the Salzburg Christmas markets
I promised this post would feature the best Salzburg attractions beyond the festive Advent markets. However, I couldn't omit the Christmas markets altogether, as they are among the top reasons to visit Salzburg in winter.
Scattered around the Old Town (Altstadt), these festive cabins, adorned with fairy lights, fir-tree fronds, and tinsel, sell traditional Austrian winter foods like special noodles called “fleckerl” with ham and a cream sauce and Flammkuchen, wood-fired flatbread topped with smoky bacon lardons and onions. And let's not forget the hot toddies, such as Glühwein and hot chocolate laced with amaretto or rum, on sale at every market in Salzburg.
Visiting the festive markets is one of the best things to do in Salzburg in winter, filling you with the joy of the holiday season. I know it left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling and happy Christmastime memories to take home.
I will definitely be adding Salzburg to my list of Europe's best Christmas markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Salzburg Card worth it in winter?
Yes, the Salzburg Card is worth it in winter if you plan to visit at least three attractions from this list, such as the Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mozart's Birthplace, and DomQuartier.
You will also benefit from free public transport on most routes using the Salzburg Card.
How many days do you need in Salzburg in winter?
The ideal amount of time to explore Salzburg in winter is 2 to 3 days. This gives you enough time to see the main historic Old Town sights, visit Hohensalzburg Fortress, enjoy the coffee house culture, and take a Sound of Music or Hallstatt day trip.
What should I wear in Salzburg in winter?
Pack warm layers, a waterproof coat, thermal socks, a warm hat, gloves, and comfortable waterproof walking boots with good grip for icy cobbled streets.
Where to stay in Salzburg
Salzburg hotels are expensive at Christmas because the festive markets attract local and international visitors. However, after the crowds have gone home, Salzburg in winter is often more affordable.
I stayed for four nights at the 4-star IMLAUER HOTEL PITTER. I chose it for its proximity to many of Salzburg's famous landmarks.
It's a pleasant 20-minute walk from the Imlauer Hotel Pitter to the old town along the banks of the Salzach River.
Need help planning your next holiday?
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Are you looking for further winter travel destinations in Europe? Please check out the following posts:
Lanzarote In December: The Perfect Winter Sun Destination
17 Best Ski Resorts For Beginners in Europe
Berlin's 8 Best Christmas Markets: Dates, Map And Top Tips
The Perfect Prague 3-Day Itinerary: What To See On A First Visit
3 Days in Budapest: A Perfect Budapest Itinerary For First-Time Visitors
Angela Price: is an accomplished travel writer bringing extensive expertise and passion to the world of travel.
With over 40 years of globetrotting adventures under her belt and with a keen eye for unique experiences, she has established herself as an authoritative voice in travel, offering invaluable insights for fellow adventurers seeking to uncover the delights of worldwide destinations.
Her motto is “live life wandering not wondering”. Read more about Angie.
What a great list of things to do! Looks like there really is something for every traveler. I love that you start your trips with a walking tour, that's not something I've ever considered, but it definitely seems like a great way to learn about a new spot you're visiting for the first time. Also, that cake you posted looks SO GOOD.
I'm glad you enjoyed reading the post and found my walking tour tip useful.
What a thorough guide, thank you for putting Salzburg on my list of 'must-visit destinations'.
You are welcome!
Hello! I like the idea of visiting a concert or observing the Christmas museum. Both sound like a unique experience. Salzburg is incredible at any time of the year but especially in winter.
I love visiting Salzburg in winter, it's such a beautiful city and thanks to this blog I now know there are plenty of great things to do in Salzburg beyond the Christmas markets.