Visiting Salzburg, Austria – Summer in Salzburg + Things to Do

Visiting Salzburg, Austria is like stepping into a fairytale. As you wander through the old town, you’ll pass beautiful palaces, magnificent churches, and pastel-painted shops selling everything from lederhosen to chocolate. Nestled between the lakes and mountains of SalzburgerLand, this little city offers visitors an astounding variety of activities. Fans of classical music will love tracing Mozart’s footsteps and enjoy various musical events that occur in Salzburg throughout the year. If you’re looking for an active holiday, Salzburg offers a number of exciting outdoor activities thanks to its alpine location. Music and outdoor activities are just the beginning of what you can find in Salzburg. The city is also home to several famous breweries, modern art museums, and impressive palaces, so there’s truly something for everyone. You can even take a tour of Sound of Music filming locations to recreate scenes from the famous musical movie.

Visit SalzburgerLand invited me on this press trip to cover all their exciting summer offerings, including the Electric Love Music Festival.

I first visited Salzburg about 8 years ago when I was just 14 years old during a road trip through Europe with my family. I remember being enchanted by the city’s musical history and its charming old town, and I’ve wanted to return ever since that quick visit. Last week, I revisited SalzburgerLand and fell in love with this beautiful and culturally rich destination all over again. In this post, I’ll tell you all about summer in Salzburg, including music festivals and outdoor activities in the SalzburgerLand region!

Summer in Salzburg – Things to Do + More!

As I said before, there is so much to do in Salzburg and the surrounding area, so here are some of the top things to do in Salzburg + some summer travel tips! We stayed in Motel One Salzburg-Sud during the first part of our trip (it was lovely), and it was just a short bus ride to the city center! Pro Tip: Many of these attractions are included on the Salzburg Card, which gives you free admission to tons of attractions and museums + free public transportation in the city! Most attractions in the city center are within walking distance to each other.

Mozart’s Birthplace– Mozart is everywhere in Salzburg, and there are several attractions that pay homage to the legendary composer. I visited Mozart’s birthplace the first time I went to Salzburg, and I enjoyed learning about his early life and how it led him to become such an important musical icon.

Salzburg Cathedral– The Salzburg Cathedral is a beautiful, domed cathedral, and it is well worth a visit while wandering through the old town! It’s painted ceilings are especially impressive.

Mirabell Palace and Gardens- The beautiful Mirabell Palace and gardens are located in the center of Salzburg. I loved walking around the gardens while exploring the city! Fun fact: the “Do, Re, Mi” number from The Sound of Music was filmed here!

Fortress Hohensalzburg- This 11th-century fortress towers over Salzburg. I didn’t go inside the fortress, but I did take the funicular up to it for great views of the city below!

Hellbrunn Palace– This yellow, Baroque palace was the Price-Archbishop’s summer day residence in the 1600’s, and it is best known for its trick fountains. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the trick fountains when I walked into the gardens, but as we started the tour, this quickly become one of my favorite attractions in Salzburg. The Prince-Archbishop had a number of grottos and statues built throughout his gardens with hidden water fountains that would spray unsuspecting guests! I thought the trick fountains were hilarious, and they’re even more impressive considering they were created over 400 years ago! Hellbrunn Palace is open from April-November, so you should definitely visit if you come to Salzburg during the summer.

Untersberg Cable Car- For amazing views of Salzburg and the surrounding mountains, you can go up the Untersberg Mountain via cable car! I didn’t have time to do this activity during my recent trip, but a friend showed me the photos he took from the top and they looked amazing!

Hangar-7– If you love cars or airplanes, you’ll want to check out Hangar-7, an airplane hangar near the Salzburg Airport that houses several Formula one cars and airplanes that belong to Red Bull!

Augustiner Brau- This historic brewery is home to Austria’s biggest biergarten! While this may not be a “tourist attraction” per se, I think visiting this brewery gives a great insight into Austrian food and beer culture, and the biergarten is a perfect place to hang out on a summer afternoon!

Exploring SalzburgerLand

Summertime is a great time to get out and explore SalzburgerLand, the region that encompasses Salzburg and the surrounding area, including lakes and mountains! During our trip, we ventured outside the city to Fuschl, a quiet little town located on a beautiful lake! We spent one night in Fuschl at Hotel Mohrenwirt, and it was lovely. The lake district surrounding Salzburg is a great place to go for a relaxing night or weekend away, and it’s perfect for activities like mountain biking, hiking, and canyoning if you’re looking for an active holiday. During the summer, you can swim in the lake and lounge on its shore with views of the pristine blue water and mountains in the distance. If you visit SalzburgerLand during the winter, you can even go skiing!

Summer Festivals in SalzburgerLand

SalzburgerLand hosts some incredible festivals throughout the year! Every summer, Salzburg celebrates the renowned Salzburg Festival, an art festival that features almost 200 music and theater performances over 43 days in July and August! This year, I attended the Electric Music Festival, an electronic music festival located just outside Salzburg. This was my first ever music festival, and I had the BEST time dancing to the likes of Afrojack, Tiesto, and more! You can find a full list of all the festivals on the official Salzburg Website.

Beautiful SalzburgerLand – A Perfect Destination at Any Time of Year

Whether you visit Salzburg during the winter for its Christmas markets and skiing or during the summer for its festivals and sports, you’re bound to have a great time exploring this charming little city! I really enjoyed visiting Salzburg last week and rediscovering the city that I loved so much as a kid. I would love to go back during the next holiday season to see the Christmas markets for myself!

What would you want to do in SalzburgerLand?