Best Things to Do in Salzburg With Kids

Not sure what to do in Salzburg with kids when they aren’t interested in Mozart or The Sound of Music? Fortunately, there’s much more to the city than its famous musical connections.

My boys hadn’t seen the movie, and I wasn’t convinced they would want to spend the day touring churches and museums. Fortunately, there’s so much more to do in Salzburg for families beyond its musical history.

We visited Salzburg en route from Germany through Austria. In one day, we walked up to Hohensalzburg Fortress, wandered through the Old Town, cooled off in fountains, ate gelato and found an unexpected viewpoint over the river after taking a wrong turn. 

Salzburg was small, walkable and easy to explore without a packed itinerary. We only wish we had stayed longer, especially after discovering how many family attractions and day trips we had missed. In this guide, I’ll share the best things to do in Salzburg with kids, what worked during our visit and what we would add next time.

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Is Salzburg Good for Families?

Yes, Salzburg is a great city to visit with kids, even if they aren’t interested in Mozart or The Sound of Music. 

The Old Town is small and easy to explore while walking, so you don’t spend half the day getting between attractions. That made a big difference for us. We could walk for a bit, stop when something caught the boys’ attention, and keep going without feeling like I was dragging them through a long sightseeing list.

There’s also a good mix of things to do. You can visit the fortress, wander through the Old Town, play beside the river and stop at fountains and viewpoints along the way. With more time, Haus der Natur and the trick fountains at Hellbrunn Palace would be high on my list.

We only spent one day in Salzburg, but it never felt difficult or rushed. It was easy to let the boys stop when something caught their attention, whether that was a fountain in the pavement, a Mozart statue or a place to play beside the river.

Best Things to Do in Salzburg With Kids

These are the things we enjoyed during our day in Salzburg, along with a few kid-friendly places I’d add if we had more time.

1. Explore Salzburg Old Town

One of my favourite things to do in Europe is simply wander through an old city, and Salzburg is perfect for that. I had a few places I wanted to see, but for the most part, we walked around without much of a plan and stopped whenever something caught our attention.

Salzburg’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it doesn’t feel like somewhere you need to explore with a guidebook in hand. The historic centre is small, and mostly pedestrian-only, with squares, fountains and narrow streets all within an easy walk of one another.

We passed through Residenzplatz, saw the large fountain and stopped outside Salzburg Cathedral. We didn’t go inside, though you can, and it’s supposed to be beautiful. The boys just weren’t too interested, and it was such a nice day we wanted to keep walking.

(And if you visit in December, this is where you’ll find Salzburg’s Christmas market stalls.)

2. Walk Along Getreidegasse

As you explore Salzburg’s Old Town, you’ll probably find yourself on Getreidegasse. This is the city’s main shopping street, lined with tall historic buildings and decorative wrought-iron signs hanging above the stores.

I loved seeing all the signs, even above modern stores like H&M, which, of course, we had to go into. To me, details like this feel so distinctly European. You see them throughout Germany and Austria, but they’re not something we come across much at home.

Mozart’s Birthplace is also here, in the bright yellow building at No. 9. We didn’t visit the museum, but it was still fun to point it out after the boys had spent the day noticing Mozart everywhere around Salzburg.

Keep an eye out for the narrow passageways leading through the buildings into courtyards and neighbouring streets. They’re easy to walk past, but following a few of them is part of what makes Getreidegasse more interesting than a typical shopping street.

3. Find Mozart Around Salzburg

You don’t need to visit a Mozart museum to notice how connected Salzburg is to its most famous former resident. We had already seen the Mozart statue when we visited Vienna a few years earlier, so the boys recognized his name and were excited to hear that he had been born in Salzburg.

We found his birthplace on Getreidegasse and stopped at Mozartplatz, where they insisted on having another photo taken with his statue. They weren’t Mozart fans before our visit, but hearing that he had been born in Salzburg and seeing reminders of him throughout the day made his story more interesting to them.

If your kids enjoy music or want to learn more, you can also tour Mozart’s Birthplace on Getreidegasse or Mozart’s Residence across the river. We were happy simply finding the places connected to him as we explored.

4. See the Golden Ball in Kapitelplatz

A short walk from Mozartplatz brings you to Kapitelplatz, where it’s hard to miss the enormous golden ball in the middle of the square. The sculpture is called Sphaera and features a man standing on top of a large gold sphere.

The boys were fascinated by it, although I’m not sure whether it was the size, the colour or the man balanced above everyone’s heads. It’s an easy, free stop and makes for a fun photo with Hohensalzburg Fortress rising behind it.

There’s also a giant chessboard set up beside the sculpture, or at least there was when we visited. One of my boys is a big chess player and wanted to join in, but it was pretty popular and I wasn’t quite willing to wait in line for a turn. If you’re there on a quieter day, though, it would be a fun thing to try.

5. Explore Hohensalzburg Fortress

Hohensalzburg Fortress is the one you’ll see sitting above the city as you wander around Salzburg’s Old Town. It’s visible from almost everywhere below, so naturally, we had to go up and see it for ourselves.

There is a funicular that takes you right up to the fortress, but my kids usually prefer to walk. The uphill walk wasn’t too bad, and passing through the old gates made getting there part of the experience.

That said, if little legs are already tired after walking around the Old Town, the funicular is an easy way up.

We arrived later in the day and I didn’t think the boys had the attention span for the indoor museums, so we mostly explored the grounds and enjoyed the views over Salzburg. Even without seeing every room, it was fun to walk around such an old fortress and look down over the city we had spent the day exploring.

6. Cool Off in the Fountains

Salzburg has plenty of impressive historic buildings, but one of the boys’ favourite parts was much simpler: the fountains we found while walking through the Old Town.

As we passed through Kajetanerplatz, we came across a spot where water sprays directly up from the pavement. The boys loved trying to run between the jets without getting soaked, which of course didn’t fully work.

We found another fountain nearby where mist sprayed out from the side, so they had to take a turn cooling off there too. It was a warm day, so they dried quickly, and the stop gave them a little more energy to keep exploring.

7. Stop for a Snack

If everyone needs a snack while exploring the Old Town, stop at Stiftsbäckerei St. Peter near Kapitelplatz. Dating back to the 12th century, it’s considered the oldest bakery in Salzburg and still bakes bread in a wood-fired oven. Even if you’re not hungry, the historic bakery and its turning waterwheel are worth seeing.

You’ll also see Mozartkugeln, or Mozart balls, sold all over Salzburg. My kids loved the name, although the chocolates themselves weren’t their favourite. The original version has a pistachio-marzipan centre surrounded by nougat and dipped in dark chocolate. They’re a Salzburg classic and an easy treat to try while you’re there.

8. Keep an eye out for the weather station

In Alter Markt, we also came across a historic weather station that looked a little like a fancy miniature clock tower. The boys have always loved clock towers, so this one immediately caught their attention, especially because it seemed more their size. But when we took a closer look, we realized it wasn’t a clock at all. It was a weather station displaying the temperature, air pressure and humidity. Kind of interesting! 

9. Cross Salzburg’s Love Lock Bridge

Crossing the Salzach River is part of exploring Salzburg, and chances are you’ll walk across the Marko-Feingold-Steg at least once. This pedestrian bridge connects the Old Town with the Mirabell Gardens side of the city, and its railings are covered with thousands of colourful love locks.

You’ll likely cross the bridge if you’re heading to Mirabell Gardens, so take your time and look at the locks as you go. My kids are always interested in seeing the different names, dates and designs, although their favourite is still the impressive collection we saw while exploring Cologne. We don’t recommend adding your own lock because of the waste and extra weight they create, but they’re still fun to look at.

10. Walk Along the Salzach River

After exploring the Old Town, we ended up walking along the Salzach River for a while. It wasn’t something I had planned as an “activity,” but it ended up being a nice break from sightseeing. The path also gives you a different view of Salzburg, with the Old Town on one side and the fortress sitting above it.

My boys were happy just walking along the water, picking up sticks and tossing rocks where they could. After spending much of the day walking around historic squares and buildings, they were glad to have a break where they didn’t need to look at anything in particular. Sometimes, kids just need a little time beside the water before they’re ready to keep exploring, or maybe that’s just my boys?

11. Explore Mirabell Gardens

Once you cross the river, it’s an easy walk to Mirabell Gardens. The gardens are one of Salzburg’s best-known Sound of Music locations, and the steps, Pegasus Fountain and vine-covered tunnel all appear during “Do-Re-Mi.” When we visited, there were people recreating scenes from the movie on the steps, but I didn’t realize their significance until afterwards.

To be honest, the gardens were quite busy, so we didn’t stay long. Don’t let the crowds there put you off like they did me, though. I realized after that if we’d ventured beyond the crowded steps, we would have found a Dwarf garden, with its unusual marble dwarf statues, a vine-covered tunnel and a playground that make the gardens much more interesting for kids. My boys would have loved posing with the statues!

12. See Salzburg From Above

One of our favourite views of Salzburg was one we found completely by accident. We took a wrong turn off a side street in the Old Town, climbed up some steps and ended up at a great viewpoint above the city.

From there, we could see across the rooftops of the Old Town, with the Salzach River below and Hohensalzburg Fortress rising above it. It’s still one of my favourite photos from our day in Salzburg.

More Things to Do in Salzburg With Kids

We only had one day in Salzburg, so there were several family attractions we didn’t get to. These are the ones I’d consider adding if we went back, especially if we had more than a day or the weather wasn’t quite as nice.

13. Visit Haus der Natur

Of everything we missed in Salzburg, Haus der Natur is the one I most wish we had visited. I spotted a pamphlet for it while we were there, and it looked exactly like the kind of place my boys would enjoy.

The museum combines natural history with a hands-on science centre, along with dinosaurs, space exhibits, an aquarium and a reptile zoo. It’s also right in the centre of Salzburg, so it would be easy to add without changing your entire itinerary. I’d make time for it on a return trip, especially on a rainy day or if your kids need a break from historic buildings.

14. See a Show at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre

We considered seeing a performance at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, but the weather was gorgeous and we wanted to spend the day outside. I also wasn’t convinced my boys would be excited about sitting through a full two-hour performance.

That said, seeing one of Salzburg’s elaborate marionette shows would be a pretty unique experience. The theatre also offers a 35-minute highlights show featuring The Magic Flute and The Sound of Music, recommended for children six and older. That shorter version would be much easier to fit into a family itinerary. Performance times vary, so check the calendar before your visit. This is something I’d be much more likely to add during a winter trip or on a rainy day. 

15. Visit the Salzburg Toy Museum

The Salzburg Toy Museum is another good indoor option, particularly for younger children. It isn’t just a collection of old toys behind glass: there are toys children can use, large play areas, a children’s library, a slide and even a Carrera racing track.

The museum is designed mainly for children up to age ten, and it’s also in the Old Town, making it easy to add while exploring the centre.

16. Get Wet at Hellbrunn’s Trick Fountains

Hellbrunn’s Trick Fountains are outside Salzburg’s historic centre, so you’ll need extra time to reach them. With only one day, we chose to stay in the Old Town, but this is probably the first attraction I’d add with a second day.

The fountains were created more than 400 years ago to surprise the prince-archbishop’s guests, with hidden jets of water spraying from unexpected places. Getting a little wet is part of the fun, which sounds as though it would have been right up my boys’ alley. The fountains operate seasonally, generally from spring through autumn, so check the dates before visiting.

17. Consider Salzburg Zoo

I’m always a little hesitant about recommending zoos. I’m not opposed to visiting one, but I prefer places that put real thought into animal welfare, education and conservation rather than simply keeping animals on display.

Salzburg Zoo is said to be a good one, with natural-looking habitats built into the landscape near Hellbrunn Mountain. It also supports conservation projects and breeding programs for threatened species, which makes me more comfortable including it as an option. Since the zoo is beside Hellbrunn, it would be easy to combine with the Trick Fountains if you have more than one day in Salzburg.

How Many Days Do You Need in Salzburg With Kids?

You can see many of Salzburg’s highlights in one day, especially since the historic centre is small and easy to walk around. We spent one day in Salzburg and had enough time to wander through the Old Town, walk up to the fortress, cross the river and visit Mirabell Gardens.

That said, I wish we had stayed longer. Two days would give you time to explore at a slower pace and add places such as Haus der Natur or Hellbrunn’s Trick Fountains without trying to squeeze too much into one day. With three days (or more), you could also use the city as a base for some day trips to explore the surrounding area.

Getting Around Salzburg With Kids

We parked outside Salzburg’s historic centre and spent the rest of the day walking through the town. Most of the places we visited were close to one another, although we definitely covered a fair bit of ground by the end of the day.

There is a funicular up to Hohensalzburg Fortress, but we decided to walk up, and walking through the old gates made the climb more interesting. If you’re visiting with younger children or everyone’s legs are tired after exploring the Old Town, the funicular is an easy alternative.

You probably won’t need public transportation for the historic centre, but Salzburg’s buses are useful for attractions farther out, including Hellbrunn’s Trick Fountains and Salzburg Zoo.

Parking in Salzburg

We parked outside the centre and walked into Salzburg, which worked well until we returned to find a parking ticket on the car. I’m still not completely sure what I misunderstood, but it was a good reminder to check the signs and time limits carefully. 

If you’re visiting Salzburg as a day trip, it’s worth looking into the city’s Park & Ride lots. The combination ticket includes parking and public transportation into the city for everyone travelling together, which saves you from searching for limited parking around the centre. 

Where to Stay in Salzburg With Kids

We visited Salzburg as a day trip, so we didn’t stay overnight. I did look for accommodation, but because we were road-tripping and booking at the last minute, there weren’t many family-friendly options left. If I had known our route earlier, these are the hotels I would have considered.

Hotel IMLAUER & Bräu

Hotel IMLAUER & Bräu would be one of my first choices for a family stay. It’s a short walk from Mirabell Gardens and offers family rooms for up to four people, including some with two separate sleeping areas. There is also parking behind the hotel, which is useful if you’re arriving as part of a road trip.

IMLAUER Hotel Pitter Salzburg

Also near Mirabell Gardens, IMLAUER Hotel Pitter has family rooms and several larger suites that sleep up to four. The extra space would make it a good option for families who don’t want everyone squeezed into a standard hotel room.

Austria Trend Hotel Europa Salzburg

Austria Trend Hotel Europa Salzburg is directly across from the main train station, making it especially convenient if you’re arriving by train or planning day trips from Salzburg. Its family rooms sleep up to three, so this one works better for smaller families.

NH Collection Salzburg City

NH Collection Salzburg City is within walking distance of Mirabell Gardens, Linzergasse and the Old Town. It offers family rooms, connecting rooms and junior suites, giving families a few different options depending on how much space they need.

Whichever one you choose, book earlier than I tried to, as family rooms can disappear quickly, particularly during the busier summer months.

Best Day Trips From Salzburg With Kids

Salzburg also makes a great base for exploring the surrounding lakes, mountains and smaller towns. Some of the best day trips include Hallstatt, the Salzkammergut lakes, Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave near Werfen, the Hallein Salt Mine, and our favourite, Berchtesgaden and Königssee. We visited some of these places as part of our road trip, but they could easily be done as day trips from Salzburg.

Practical Tips for Visiting Salzburg as a Family

Wear Comfortable Shoes

We walked almost everywhere, including up to the fortress and the accidental viewpoint above the Old Town. Salzburg is very walkable, but you’ll cover more ground, and climb more steps, than you may expect.

Let the Kids Cool Off in the Fountains

The fountains spraying from the pavement were an unexpected highlight for my boys. If it’s warm, let the kids run through them—they’ll probably dry quickly as you continue exploring.

Check Whether the Salzburg Card Will Save You Money

The Salzburg Card includes admission to many attractions and use of public transportation, but it only makes sense if you’ll use enough of what’s included. We often find it’s not worth it with one adult and two kids, but if you’re planning to stay a few days and visit most of the attractions, it might be worth looking into. You can find prices and details here. 

Don’t Worry If Your Kids Don’t Know The Sound of Music

My boys hadn’t seen the movie, and we skipped most of the sights associated with it. They still enjoyed the fortress, fountains, river and simply exploring the Old Town.

Include Something That Isn’t Sightseeing

Balance the historic buildings with time beside the river, a playground or a hands-on attraction such as Haus der Natur. Kids will love the break, and be more willing to keep sightseeing after.

Leave Time to Wander

Like many places we explore, some of our favourite moments weren’t the ones I had on our itinerary, like playing beside the river and taking a wrong turn that led to a fantastic viewpoint. Have a few places you want to see, but don’t schedule every minute.

Our Take: Is Salzburg Worth Visiting With Kids?

Salzburg ended up being one of those places we liked more than we expected to. My boys weren’t interested in Mozart or The Sound of Music, but that didn’t matter. Between the fortress, fountains, river and exploring the streets of the Old Town, there was still plenty to keep them interested.

We only visited for the day, and although we saw quite a bit, I wish we had stayed longer. With another day, we could have visited Haus der Natur or Hellbrunn’s Trick Fountains and explored the city at a slower pace.

Maybe it was the sunshine, the mountain views or simply the atmosphere, but Salzburg had a really good feel to it. It’s somewhere I can’t wait return to, and next time, I’m booking accommodations way earlier…

Looking to explore more of Austria? If you’re not sure where to visit, these are some of the best places to see in Austria with kids. And you won’t want to miss Vienna, where there’s plenty of things to do with kids, including a few museums that kids will love. And if you’re still planning, here’s some of the best places to stay in Vienna, and how to spend 4 days in the winter. And check out this scavenger hunt for kids with things to find while exploring Vienna.