Background
For Winter Break 2023-2024, our family visited Germany and Austria! This has been at the top of our family wish list for a few years. Planning this big multi-city trip was so fun. We saw Christmas markets, snowy villages, ice-skated in 3 cities, and loved loved loved train rides with gorgeous scenery. European travel is quickly becoming one of my favorite things with family-friendly towns, easy navigating with trains and so much history and beauty. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting but with a little preparation and research and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip!
This post covers our 3 full days in Salzburg, Austria. When people think of Salzburg, many think of Mozart and Sound of Music. We did those things and so much more. Read on to learn about our favorite spots!
Read all of our European Christmas Market posts at the following links:
Getting around Salzburg
From Munich’s main station, it was an easy 2 hour trip to the main Salzburg station. On our trips between cities, we generally booked tickets the night before and were able to get really inexpensive tickets. On the train, operators stopped by to scan our qr-codes and give us a receipt. We used the website seat 61 to get some guidance but it was really straightforward. The Bayern ticket is a family ticket that is a great deal for unlimited travel in Bavaria (Munich and surrounding areas) on regional trains and is good for Salzburg day trips or even one-way trips like ours. In salzburg, we had the salzburg card and it included public transport
Where we stayed:
We stayed at Hotel Europa near the train station. Prices were a little high in the old town area due to the holiday season and we prioritized access to public transport and basic needs over some of the fancier options nearer to the main square. We used the Salzburg card (more below) which came with public transport which made it really easy to head to the old town area daily. The hotel gave us some small welcome drinks and had a nice (while expensive) breakfast that we did on one of the days. We would stay here again.
Salzburg Card Tips
When exploring highlights of cities, we often like to look at cards that include multiple museums and attractions. The Salzburg Card was a great deal and included many of the attractions we were most interested in seeing. I included in our itinerary below if it was part of the card. We purchased a 72 hr 3 day card to give us more flexibility but could have been more efficient/squeezed it in 2 days. Definitely make a plan to do non-included things outside of the window if you’re there for a little longer. For itinerary planning, the salzburg info website was really helpful.
Our 3 day itinerary in Salzburg:
Day 0: Salzburg (Christmas Eve): Transit to Salzburg, Austria, Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf
We arrived in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, and after checking in to our hotel, we went back to the train station to head to the city of Oberndorf for a Christmas Eve event. This cute Austrian village is the town where the composer of the song Silent Night lived and debuted the song for the first time 200 years ago.On Christmas Eve, the city puts on a service with readings, carols, and a group singing of the song. We enjoyed the little market shops and snacks and stood on the hill near the small church to listen to the music. It was very fun! Definitely worth a trip if you’re there on Christmas eve. At other points of the year, you can still stop by to visit the church and museum but there won’t be the same level of festivity
Day 1: Salzburg (Christmas Day): Cathedral, Christmas Markets, Dom Museum
Salzburg Cathedral
One of the reasons why we organized our trip in the order that we did was because the Salzburg markets stay open longer. After googling dates of Christmas markets, we decided that Germany before Christmas and Austria after made the most sense. On Christmas morning, we started our day with a church service at the Salzburg cathedral. You can tour at various times of the day (with a small donation) but we loved going to the mass service. We were able to listen to the German service, try to sing along and ooh and ahh at the ceilings and paintings. The Roman Catholic Salzburg Cathedral was founded in 774, but the current Baroque structure dates to the 17th century.
Christmas Markets
After the service, we explored the cute Christmas market right outside the Cathedral in the main square. This was our favorite market. There were excellent Austrian Christmas treats like Salzburger Nockerl (a fluffy soufflé dessert), gingerbread cookies, Lebkuchen (spiced honey cakes), and Kiachl (fried pastries dusted with powdered sugar). We loved the pretzel and soup stands as well. Of course, we had to get a cute mug of Glühwein (mulled wine) and hot chocolate to warm up as well. The market stands had familiar items and new items. The nativity scenes and ornaments were gorgeous and the whole environment was really charming.
Dom Quartier Museums
In the afternoon, we visited the DomQuartier museums. This collection of museums was right next to the Cathedral and is included as part of the Salzburg card. The Residenz was the official residence of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg for centuries. The staterooms were beautiful with traditional staterooms and impressive ceilings. We used the included audio guides and there were kids stories in each room. There were also several kids focused activities along the way such as seek and find and puzzles. This was a really well done museum with something for everyone. The kids loved the dress-up section. We also went quickly through some of the Cathedral history and St Peter’s monastery sections of the museum with sculptures, painting, and religious artifacts.
In the afternoon, we had some downtime in the hotel playing switch, reading Harry Potter, going for a run, and/or taking naps.
Evening Christmas Dinner
In the evening, we took the bus from our hotel back to the Old Town square and wandered another cute small market area near Getreidegasse st. This is a really cute area of town with beautiful buildings and little windows and passageways. We skipped most of the shopping and ate dinner at Spaghetti and Co, one of the few shops open on Christmas Day.
Day 2: Day trip to Berchtesgaden salt mine tour and Christmas market, Mozart House, Augustiner Dinner
Mirabell Gardens
After a quick grocery store breakfast of pretzels and yogurt drinks, we started our morning by heading to the Mirabell Gardens area. We had previously watched the Sound of Music movie with the kids and although we decided not to take a full tour, we knew that many sights could be found at this location. Specifically Do-Re-Mi has scenes with the green hedge tunnel, the horse fountain and the ending stairs. A very silly but cute little adventure. We spent around an hour exploring the gardens. We visited the actual interior of the Marble Hall later in the trip for a concert.
Berchtesgaden salt mine
After our visit, we waited at a bus stop near the entrance to head to Berchtesgaden. This trip was not included as part of our Salzburg card public transport pass and we paid on the bus. The trip to the town was around 45 minutes. The main reason for our visit was to visit and tour a salt mine. Salzburg=Salt! At the time of our visit, we received a small discount because we had the salzburg card. They also have family discounts. There are several options so make sure you know which salt mine you’re heading to. The tour we went on was really fun! There were two big slides, a train ride, and a boat ride. There was also lots of information given in the English audio guide about the history of salt mining, the geology of the area, and the different tools and techniques used throughout the centuries. The tour was very family-friendly and a memorable time. The tour took around 2 hours and was pretty packed. Be sure to book tickets in advance and know there aren’t restrooms 🙂
After our tour, we walked around 30 minutes to the main part of town where they were having a Christmas market! We stopped briefly at a playground and enjoyed lunch at the market. Spaetlze and Sausage is always a win! There was also a cute kid’s area although my kids were too old for the kiddie rides lol. On the long bus ride back, the kids enjoyed some kindle time!
Mozart's Birthplace
We had some time before dinner so we did a quick walk-through of Mozart’s birthplace. The museum spans three floors, and offers a glimpse into the Mozart family’s life. There are several information displays, a collection of instruments and compositions. At the end, we enjoyed the displays of opera scenes and the gift shop. 🙂 There were also spots to listen to music and see maps of where he traveled. The visit took us about an hour.
Dinner at Augistiner Brau
For dinner, we made our way to the bustling Augustiner Brau. Inside the beer hall, the atmosphere was electric, and truly embodied the essence of a traditional Austrian beer hall. There were enormous 1-liter porcelain mugs hanging on the wall and Ben enjoyed delicious märzen beer. The outdoor areas looked like they would be an absolute blast during warmer months. Outside the main beer hall, there were numerous snack vendors, known as the Schmankerlgang. This smorgasbord offered an array of culinary delights, from traditional pretzels and pastries to enticing cheese platters and hearty meat dishes. We shared some succulent pork knuckle, crispy wings, and of course, more pretzels.
Salzburg Day 3: Science museum, Strudel class, Funicular and Fortress Museum, Mozart Concert
Haus der Natur
This was a busy day hitting lots of fun spots in Salzburg. We started our morning at the Haus der Natur, the Museum of Science and Technology. This is included on the salzburg card. There are two sections and the museum deserved more time than we spent. We visited 2 floors of the technology area with some fun marble mazes, water areas and a cool hydraulic ride. We also stopped by the physics section with typical interactive science fun (rockets, levitating balls, wheelchair mazes, and other fun highlights). There is also a whole 5-story nature museum that we didn’t get to explore and covers just about everything, including dinosaurs, space, the ice age, local flora and fauna, the human body, oceans, geology, myths & fables, and our children’s favorite: an aquarium and reptile center. Definitely worth a visit. This is on the salzburg card.
Edelweiss Cooking School
One of the highlights of our trip was a class we took at the Edelweiss Cooking school. The Edelweiss Cooking School in Salzburg offers a wonderful opportunity for families to have fun, learn new skills, and create lasting memories together. We took a class where we learned to make traditional Austrian Apple Strudel and Vanilla Kipferl cookies. We enjoyed a delicious goulash soup lunch while the strudel baked. This was a really fun activity to do with kids. We previously did a macaron class in Paris, and it’s fun to have the kids associate food highlights with cities and feel involved. There is a really cool riverside playground (Spielplatz Franz-Josef-Kai) next to the cooking school.
Old Town Salzburg: Festungsbahn
After lunch, we walked back towards the main square. Everything is really walkable and close together in the city. We took the Festungsbahn, a funicular railway, up to the Salzburg Fortress, where we were able to walk through some historical exhibits with a rich history dating back to the 11th century. The museum had a few interactive elements such as knight armor, weapons, and touchscreens, but it didn’t really live up to our expectations.The panoramic views of Salzburg were breathtaking though, offering a stunning photo opportunity
Ice-skating in Mozartplatz
As the sun set, we walked back across the main square to Mozartplatz and rented ice skates! There were great discounts and it was a really fun time. Not too crowded and the kids are getting really good! For dinner, we made our way to Sternbräu, a traditional Austrian restaurant. This is a great restaurant for families as they have a kid’s menu and a small activity room while waiting for food.
Mozart Concert in a Palace!
The evening wasn’t over yet. With bellies full, we took a bus towards Mirabell Palace where we enjoyed a string quartet and Harp playing Mozart music! The palace was gorgeous and the concert was great! (Although Ellie fell asleep, sweet girl) If you’re interested, there are several options around town including at the Fortress and at Mirabell Palace. Many include dinner but we didn’t choose that option.
Departure to Innsbruck
On our final morning, we packed up to head to our next spot in Innsbruck! We loved Salzburg and would definitely return again. If you’re hitting multiple cities, plan on giving up half the day to movement and getting settled. From Salzburg’s main station, it was an easy 2 hour trip to the main Innsbruck station. On our trips between cities, we generally booked tickets the night before and were able to get really inexpensive tickets. On the train, operators stopped by to scan our qr-codes and give us a receipt. We used the website Seat 61 to get some guidance but it was really straightforward. The Bayern ticket is a family ticket that is a great deal for unlimited travel in Bavaria (Munich and surrounding areas) on regional trains and is good for Salzburg day trips or even one-way trips like ours.
More Christmas 2023 Posts
Read all of our European Christmas Market posts at the following links:
