Salzburg is a bucket list city visit for any lover of the musical, “Sound of Music.” But there’s much more to this beautiful Austrian city to see and do, even if you only have one day. This short little post highlights a few spots to see inside the city, hopefully to inspire your trip to Salzburg, Austria.

Whether you are on a river cruise or driving to the city on your own, you most likely will stop for a snack along the way. In Austria, like much of Europe, the roadside stops are much more than a truck stop in the U.S. A popular stop in Austria is Landzeit Autoban-Restaurants, where you actually sit and are served a coffee and snack of your choice. And since you’re in Austria, why not get a delicious freshly made apple strudel!

Nestled among the Alps and straddling the Salzach River, Salzburg is Austria’s 4th largest city. On the day of our summer visit, it was very warm and very crowded in Salzburg as there was a local festival going on. It was fun to see people enjoying the summer day but it made for tricky picture taking.

Salzburg is best known internationally for two things: Mozart and “The Sound of Music.” Yet, as we quickly learned, Austrians themselves are far more enthusiastic about the former than the latter. People flock see Mozart’s home (below). Today it is museum filled with artifacts from his life.

Scenes from “The Sound of Music” and the Mirabell Gardens

But we were here for the sites from the movie, so we were excited to finally reach the Mirabell Gardens. Here, we instantly recognized the area as the backdrop for the “Do-Re-Mi” scene. In reality, the gardens are Baroque, built in 1606 by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his beloved mistress, Salome Alt. Romantic from the start!

A closer shot at the palace. We did not go inside the palace but we were told it’s very beautiful. The gardens themselves are free to visit.

Do you remember this? The Pegasus Fountain – Where the von Trapp children danced around Maria.

And this? (Now you can see how crowded it was, I could not get a clear picture) These are the stairs where Maria and the children hopped up and down during “Do-Re-Mi”

And here, can you just see the Von Trapp children hanging out of the trees?

If you are a super fan of the 50+ year-old “Sound of Music”, having a “Maria moment” in this spot, just as she did in the movie, is great fun.

We passed by the elegant Hotel Sacher Salzburg, a riverside grand hotel with deep historical roots. Originally opened in 1866 as the Österreichischer Hof, it became a favorite gathering place for artists and aristocrats, especially during the early days of the Salzburg Festival. Now part of the same family-owned group as Vienna’s famous Hotel Sacher, it still continues as a cultural landmark in the heart of the city.

Old Town

As we wandered through Salzburg’s Old Town, we noticed that many shops had ornate, pictorial signs hanging above their doors—scissors for tailors, pretzels for bakeries, boots for cobblers. Our guide told us these decorative signs weren’t just for charm; they were once essential. In earlier centuries, most people were illiterate, and cities like Salzburg were full of travelers and traders speaking different languages. These images helped everyone, regardless of background or literacy, understand what each shop offered—a clever and beautiful form of communication that still adds character to the city today.

After seeing Mozart’s home we came up his birthplace right in the center of old town. It too, is now a museum. We learned that there are over 500 music schools in this city of just over 160,000 residents. This really highlights the lasting impact Mozart had on Salzburg, as well as the entire music world.

We came upon a small square lined with several coffee shops. We were told that the one with the green and white umbrellas was nothing like the coffee spots back in the U.S.—despite the familiar color scheme. This iconic café was Café Tomaselli, which proudly claims to be the oldest coffee house in Austria, dating back to 1703. It has welcomed generations of Salzburg residents, visiting aristocrats, and even Mozart, who was known to frequent the café. Operated by the Tomaselli family since the 19th century, it still holds onto its old-world charm, with waitresses in traditional uniforms and a timeless atmosphere.

We next went into Kapitelplatz, one of Salzburg’s another one of the many squares in Salzburg. The golden sphere sculpture—called Sphaera—immediately caught our eye, with a solitary figure standing atop it, gazing out over the city. The square was preparing for an evening evet with rows of chairs being set up. Framed by the Salzburg Cathedral and the Dom Quartier, our guide shared we were into the heart of Salzburg’s historic and cultural life.

Time For Lunch!

We broke away from our tour group to have lunch on our own and do a bit more exploring. Everyone said, we must try the Rattler, a combination of beer and lemonade. It was somewhat refreshing but as we are not big beer drinkers, we probably would not order it again.

Back to our “Sound of Music” Tour, we next found the cemetery where the Von Trapp family hid from the Nazi’s in the movie. Our guide told us, before we departed her, that this is where the movie was filmed. Upon doing our own research, we found these scenes were actually filmed in a studio with a replica set.

But it was a beautiful cemetery, nestled up against the hill, quiet and peaceful admist the busy city.

Another look at the crypts nestled at the foot of the Hohensalzburg Fortress. You can take a funicular to the top to visit the Fortress. We were short on time but we’ve heard the views from the top are breathtaking.

A Walk Along the Salzach River

We walked for a bit along the river to get away from the crowds in the city center. We crossed the Marko-Feingold-Steg, a pedestrian bridge over the Salzach River, with a great view of Imbergkirche on the hillside. The church’s tall steeple and red roof made it an eye-catching landmark as we wandered through this quieter side of Salzburg.

Too soon it was time to head back to the group and end our day in Salzburg. It was a musical and magical city. One worth exploring for more than just a day. We loved our step back into the movie “The Sound Of Music,” and learning a bit about Mozart’s birthplace. We hope this little trek inspires a visit for you too!