Salzburg Old Town and New Town Guided Walking Tour

Mirabell Palace and gardens

Mirabell Palace was built in 1606 by a prince-archbishop for his family and rebuilt in the baroque style in the 1720s; after a fire in 1818 it was restored in the plainer form you see today. The Marble Hall inside is one of the most beautiful wedding and concert rooms in Austria, but the main attraction is the garden, laid out around 1690 with a grand parterre, the Pegasus fountain, hedge theatre and the whimsical Dwarf Garden, all framed by a view straight up to Hohensalzburg Fortress on its cliff.

The tour meets at the palace's main entrance on Mirabellplatz and spends the first 25 minutes or so in the gardens while the guide explains the archbishops who ruled Salzburg as an independent state for centuries. Mirabell Gardens are free and open daily from early morning, so you can also return at sunrise for photos without the crowds.

Makartplatz and the New Town

The New Town (Neustadt) on the right bank of the Salzach is where Salzburg grew after the old core filled up, and Makartplatz is its elegant centre. On the square stand the Holy Trinity Church, an early baroque work of the 1690s with a tall oval dome, and the Dance Master's House, where the city's most famous composer lived with his family from 1773 to 1780; it is now a museum, and entry is not included but easy to arrange after the tour.

From Makartplatz the guide leads you through the side streets to the riverbank, pointing out the townhouses and the view of the Old Town skyline across the water. This stretch takes about 20 minutes and gives you a sense of the quieter, residential Salzburg before the crowds of Getreidegasse.

The Salzach and Getreidegasse

You cross the Salzach on the Makartsteg, a pedestrian bridge covered in padlocks that offers the classic view of the domes and the fortress, and step straight into Getreidegasse, Salzburg's best-known street. It is a narrow lane of tall medieval houses whose shops still hang wrought-iron guild signs, a tradition from the days when few customers could read; even modern chains must follow the rule. Number 9, the yellow house, is the birthplace of the composer born here in 1756, and the courtyards and passageways between the houses are part of the charm.

The guide spends about 25 minutes here, explaining the signs, the passage houses that connect Getreidegasse to the parallel squares and the history of trade that made the street rich. It is the busiest part of the walk, so stay close to the group; you can come back later for shopping.

Residenzplatz, Domplatz and Salzburg Cathedral

Beyond Getreidegasse the Old Town opens into a sequence of grand squares. Residenzplatz is dominated by the Residenz fountain, the largest baroque fountain north of the Alps, and flanked by the archbishops' palace and the carillon tower. Next to it, Domplatz is enclosed by the arcades of Salzburg Cathedral, consecrated in 1628 and the first large baroque church north of the Alps, with a facade of pale marble and a dome that was rebuilt after wartime damage.

The walk continues to St Peter's, the abbey founded in 696 whose cemetery with its wrought-iron graves and catacombs cut into the Mönchsberg rock is one of the most atmospheric places in Austria, and to the market square under the Kollegienkirche. About 45 minutes cover the squares and one or two churches; the UNESCO listing of 1996 is explained along the way.

Mönchsberg panorama, the optional extension

The Mönchsberg is the wooded ridge that rises directly behind the Old Town, and its top offers the best view in Salzburg: the whole roofscape of domes and spires, the river, Mirabell on the far bank and Hohensalzburg Fortress to the east, with the Alps behind. A lift inside the rock takes you up in seconds from Gstättengasse to the terrace by the modern art museum.

At the end of the regular 2.5-hour route the guide offers an optional extra 30 minutes up here; the guide's time is free, but the lift fee is paid on the spot and is not included. It is worth it on a clear day, and the terrace café is a pleasant place to end the afternoon. If you prefer, you can skip the extension and the tour ends in the Old Town.