One Day in Salzburg: the Best Tips

Take a seat and enjoy. A melange coffee at Cafe Bazar, a sunny hour in the garden of the Mirabell Palace, a special glass of wine at Wein & Co on Platzl or a small, fine snack at Azwanger on Grünmarkt. Some places in Salzburg are almost like private lounges and offer very different experiences for elegant city dwellers, Salzburgers and guests from all over the world.

Breakfast with Salzburgers

On the terrace of the Café Bazar on an early summer's morning, you know why you can't help but love Salzburg. The unique views of the old town's silhouette, the glittering breath of the Salzach river and the almost unreal light shining through the chestnut trees on the riverbank.

City slickers meet art critics here, newcomers meet insiders and regulars meet tourists. Those who come here want to see – and be seen. Or just sit quietly read all the newspapers. The regulars order a Bazar salzig (salty) or süß (sweet), or waiter Wolfgang already knows their order when they arrive. That‘s when you know you have arrived in Salzburg.

Café Fingerlos also has a lot to offer, and even those who don't like breakfast become fans of the early meal at the sight of the well-filled little trays of delicacies. Locals are in the majority here, where they fortify themselves with breakfast or a snack on Thursdays in front of the Schranne market, the largest and most beautiful in the city.

The beautiful Mirabell Gardens with its palace, built by Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau for his mistress Salome Alt, which is today the seat of the city government, is an oasis in the hustle and bustle of the city. The early Baroque garden is populated by gods, dwarfs, mysterious animals, a maze, an open-air theatre and an abundance of magnificent flowers, arranged as mosaics.

On the sun loungers and shaded areas, you are immersed in another world. The baroque city is a true hotspot of "savoir vivre with Salzburg flair" thanks to its architecture, cultural offerings, Salzburg cuisine and the sometimes almost southern art of living. 

Tradition and New

Salzburg is a fascinating city that seduces even those who have lived here for many years with its fresh charms. Not quite new, but highly recommended, especially for good coffee, a different view of Salzburg and for over 1,200 wines, is the Wein & Co Bar with wine bistro at Platzl. You can taste great wines by the glass in fine Riedel glasses, enjoy a snack and buy everything your wine heart desires in the shop.

But of course a Salzburg day also includes a great classic: the Café Tomaselli. In the venerable coffee house you can breathe tradition, even Kuchen-Fräuleins still exist. On summer days you can sit in the shade under old trees in the Tomaselli Kiosk with sausage and egg dishes or delicious redcurrant ice cream.

If you want to take your coffee with you on a walk through the old town, stop at the Window Cafe and then walk along Hofstallgasse into the heart of the city with your hot drink. This area is dominated by the many churches and their towers, but also by the Grünmarkt, which is very Salzburg.

On the square in front of the baroque Collegiate Church, which is transformed into a place of special musical experiences during the festival summers, the market enchants with a symphony of bright colours, scents, voices and movement.

If you don't have a kitchen in town and have worked up an appetite, you can satisfy this hunger in the Blaue Gans, Herzl, the Goldener Hirsch restaurant or Gasthof Goldgasse. A southern oasis on the market is also Azwanger on Grünmarkt with an Italian range of antipasti, ideal for a snack. 

Insider Tip: Ladyfingers

Somewhat hidden in one of the beautiful Durchhäuser is the Schatz Konditorei, which not only offers Rigó Jancsis, raspberry soufflés or Papageno-Torten in wonderfully old-fashioned glass displays, but where you can also get the very best biscotti (ladyfingers) in town, which you can also have individually as a small treat. A real Salzburg insider tip.

There's also a bit of Herr Leopold with perhaps the best coffee in the city, market views from the guest garden included. Or in the rather unknown district of Mülln, Baltram Feine Patisserie has sinful cakes and macarons.

Much of Salzburg revolves around a talented composer named Mozart. Balls, squares, cakes, sausages and many other things bear the name of the musical genius who would have been delighted by this marketing.

Not only his music has achieved worldwide fame, but also the Mozartkugel, the original of which can be enjoyed at the inventor's Café-Konditorei Fürst. A little outside the centre, a visit to Brunnauer is worthwhile, at least with the best lunch menu in town.

Ice, Ice, Baby

Salzburg has become a real ice-cream hotspot in recent years. There are ice-cream parlours everywhere, ranging from traditional to innovative. And when it gets hot in the alleys of the old town, such a cool treat is perfect. A classic is the Eisgrotte, where high-quality ice cream has been produced in the old town on site since 1958.

Fabi's on Grünmarkt with frozen yoghurt or the organic ice cream made from sheep's milk by Eisl in a beautiful passage house, which comes as creme de luxe ice cream in cones, is very popular. Alpz Gelato on Platzl not only offers Salzburg dumpling ice cream, and Höfinger on Kapitelplatz and Hanuschplatz also has beetroot ice cream for the brave. Here, classic meets modern in the gastronomy.

Before the Premiere

You have to attend the famous Salzburg Festival once. And before the events, seat yourself in one of the beautiful restaurants, which sometimes have stars, but always promise fine food from SalzburgerLand and the world before cultural enjoyment. And since not only the world has changed, but also the culture of enjoyment, there are many restaurants in the city and the country that cook for all those who want to enjoy a relaxed meal before enjoying the arts.

Food in the Afternoon. Cultural Enjoyment in the Evening

For some years now, a trend has become noticeable in Salzburg that many restaurants have taken to heart. The meal before the evening operas and concerts takes place later in the afternoon. So many of the restaurants cook throughout the day, not only in summer, and this is enthusiastically accepted by customers.

A late lunch or an early dinner? It's now just a matter of personal preference. The list of restaurants where you can dine deliciously all day is getting longer by the year. Would you like a selection? Top chef Andreas Döllerer cooks regional specialities throughout the day in his inn, and in the Blauen Gans there is a small menu with Salzburg specialities all day long.

The Schlosswirt in Aigen does the same, and in one of the most beautiful guest gardens in the city. It is not only the excellent beef dishes that are recommended. Richard Brunnauer starts his "summer kitchen" at 5pm and serves light, regional, always perfectly cooked food. Andreas Kaiblinger in the Esszimmer does the same and composes his extraordinary menus with lots of vegetables and creative ideas.

Lunch and Country trip

The best chefs in Salzburg, the Obauers, are a must for lunch. Try Rudi Obauer's latest creations with tradition and alpine flavours and combine it with a short trip to SalzburgerLand. Another option for a trip to the countryside would be Josef Steffner's Mesnerhaus, where you can experience his culinary art, or Pfefferschiff, where Jürgen Vigne and his creative cuisine are a guarantee for culinary downtime. A long lunch before an evening visit to the festival is also worthwhile at Ikarus in Hangar-7 or at Andreas Senn's Senns – both restaurants have two Michelin stars.

And then there is the small town of Grödig, where famous caviar is produced. Grüll is the name that promises exquisite pleasure here. But it doesn't always have to be caviar; everything that comes out of the kitchen or is made by Walter Grüll is also "festival-worthy". And in the bistro, too, you are already very close to culinary heaven. And of course the wonderful blue White Panther prawns from Styria are already making their grand entrance here.

Salzburg's Wide Views

At lunchtime or before or after performances, m32 on the Mönchsberg is the place to be. The cuisine is good, the view phenomenal. The Glass Garden at Hotel Mönchstein offers a different view of Salzburg. Innovative cuisine and a stylish bar to chill out in are highly recommended before or after premieres.

After the Premiere

The lights on Domplatz go out. The devil and death have finished their game with Everyman, and soon the last sound of violins and trumpets fades throughout the festival district and silence returns. Now it's time to fan out and celebrate life.

A Night for Everyman

Night owls and late-night eaters have a wide range of options in Salzburg. The city's trendy bars are not only in season after the festival performances. For those who simply want to enjoy the city, let me tell you: "Happy Hour" is passe. Today people meet at the "Blue Hour" and for drinks that celebrate the evening. And that means a Campari in Milan, a Bellini in Venice, a Negroni in Florence and a champagne cocktail, a glass of beer or simply an aperitivo in Salzburg, where everything is possible.

Salzburg's most beautiful hotel bars include the bar in the famous Goldener Hirsch and the one in the legendary Hotel Sacher. Here you can have a drink in the footsteps of the Beatles. Once they were in Salzburg, and then, so the story goes, they sneaked into the hotel on the Salzach (at that time it was still called the Österreichischer Hof). You can still order good drinks, feel the flair of times gone by and check out the celebrities of today.

Newer and very popular for trendsetters are Mentor's and, very stylish and with its own extraordinary creations, the Mayday Bar in Hangar-7. Triangel isn't a bar, but THE place to meet - before, after and during the performances - with its guest garden and view of the Festspielhaus. Ever since Anna Netrebko & Co. chose this place as their "break room", so to speak, people have been coming here, festival chatter almost always included.

Würstel Stands

At the legendary Würstel stands of yesteryear, you could find out all the news about what was going on at the market and with the regulars. And even today, many stories revolve around those days of yore. The stalls at the Grünmarkt are an institution, but only open during the day. 

It's a completely different story at the Heiße Kiste and the "Salzburg Sausage Queen" at Hanusch-Platz. In Salzburg, sausages are not fast food, but a small, quick treat from a steaming cauldron. Sweet or spicy? That's the classic question, and it's not a choice between Mozartkugel and Käsekrainer, but the mustard. And many who are on their way home after music, dance and theatre feast on the sausages on offer.

We have compiled the best, most beautiful and, above all, most enjoyable places for all guests of the baroque city with history, music and culture, so that they can immerse themselves in an extraordinary cosmos of culinary possibilities by day and night.

The Rome of the North, festival city, world centre of music, Mozart's birthplace - the beautiful baroque city of Salzburg has many names. And many faces. These also include the diverse culinary specialities that round off a time out in Salzburg into a total work of art for all the senses. 

RESTAURANTS

• Schlosswirt in Aigen
  Schwarzenbergpromenade 37, 5026 Salzburg
  T: + 43 662 621284
  schloss-aigen.at
• Salzburger Würstelkönigin
  Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz 5, 5020 Salzburg
  T: + 43 677 63798125
  salzburgerwuerstelkoenigin.at

ICE CREAM PARLOURS

• Aplz Gelato
  Platzl 3, 5020 Salzburg
  T: + 43 664 5262048
  facebook.com/AlpzCafe
• Eisgrotte
  Getreidegasse 40, 5020 Salzburg
  T: + 43 662 843157
  eisgrotte.at
• Eisl Eis
  Getreidegasse/im Durchgang 22, 5020 Salzburg
  T: + 43 670 6086212
  shop.eisl-eis.at
• Fabi's Frozen Yogurt
  Universitätsplatz 14, 5020 Salzburg
  T: + 43 664 1407687
  fabisfrozenbioyogurt.com
• Höfinger Eis
  Kapitelplatz und Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz, 5020 Salzburg
  T: +43 650 9397927
  hoefinger-eis.at