Salzburg Hotels: Where to Stay in Salzburg

Best Hotels for First-Timers

The historic center on the left bank of the Salzach is the heart of UNESCO-listed Salzburg. The cathedral, Residenzplatz, Mozartplatz, Mozart's Birthplace and Getreidegasse sit within a few hundred meters, and the funicular to Hohensalzburg Fortress leaves from here.

Our recommendation for a first visit is simple: if the budget allows, stay here. We walked from Getreidegasse to Residenzplatz and on to Mozartplatz in the early evening, a few minutes between each square. Watch Getreidegasse and Residenzplatz in our video from 12:52 .

Getreidegasse is packed by day but calms down in the evening, and staying here means you see the city after the coaches have gone. The Old Town is a restricted traffic zone; if you drive, ask your hotel how access and parking work before you arrive.

Rooms are often in old buildings, compact and sometimes without an elevator.Walking distance: Getreidegasse and Mozart's Birthplace  about 2 min, Salzburg Cathedral and Residenzplatz  about 4 min, Mozartplatz  about 4 min, the fortress funicular  about 5 min, Makartsteg  about 5 min, Mozart's Residence  about 6 min.Our verdict: first visit, one or two nights and the budget allows it? This is where to stay in Salzburg.

• Cathedral, Residenzplatz, Getreidegasse and the fortress funicular a few minutes apart
• Walk home from the Christmas market in minutes
• Salzburg's priciest area; small rooms, not every building has an elevator

Best for: First-timers, short stays, Christmas market

Trade-offs: Priciest area, small rooms, restricted car access

Vibe: Historic core, pedestrian streets

To Domplatz: 0-10 min walk

Linzergasse, Mirabell and Andräviertel

The right bank, also called the Neustadt, covers Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Mozart's Residence on Makartplatz, the pedestrian Linzergasse and the Andräviertel behind it. It is less of a showcase and more of a living city, with bakeries, supermarkets and cafés on every corner.

If you want the best balance of price and location in Salzburg, this is it. We entered Salzburg over the Makartsteg footbridge and walked first to the Mirabell Gardens, then to Mozart's Residence, just a few minutes apart. Watch the Mirabell Gardens in our video from 11:38 , and Mozart's Residence at 12:30 .

Crossing back to the Old Town takes minutes, and the view of the fortress from the bridges at dusk is one of the best parts of staying on this side. Linzergasse is lively in the evening and street-facing rooms can be noisy.

The Andräviertel and the streets north of Mirabell are calmer.Walking distance: Mozart's Residence  about 4 min, Café Sacher  about 5 min, Makartsteg  about 6 min, Getreidegasse  about 7 min, Mirabell Palace and Gardens  about 8 min, Mozartplatz  about 8 min, Salzburg Cathedral  about 9 min.Our verdict: the best balance of price and location in Salzburg, and the easiest area for families; look here first if the Old Town is over budget.

• Mirabell Gardens, Mozart's Residence and Linzergasse on your doorstep
• 10-15 minutes on foot to the Old Town over Makartsteg or Staatsbrücke
• Usually better value and more choice than the Old Town

Best for: Best value for location, couples, families

Trade-offs: Street-facing rooms on Linzergasse can be noisy

Vibe: Lived-in city, shopping street

To Domplatz: 10-15 min walk

Salzburg Hauptbahnhof and the surrounding Elisabeth-Vorstadt are the city's transport hub. Trains from Vienna and Munich arrive here, trolleybus 2 reaches the airport in 19 minutes and trolleybuses 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 reach the Old Town in 10 (official info, October 2026).

Bus 150 toward Bad Ischl and Hallstatt also leaves from the station. It is a practical base if you arrive by rail, stay a night or two, or plan day trips to Hallstatt, the Salzkammergut lakes or Berchtesgaden just across the German border. We arrived on a tour from Vienna and never saw the station side, so this section is based on official transport information.

The station area has none of the Old Town's charm and is quiet at night. Because the Guest Mobility Ticket that comes with your stay covers the trolleybus, getting into town costs nothing extra.Walking distance: Mirabell Palace and Gardens  about 15 min, Mozart's Residence  about 20 min, Makartsteg  about 20 min, Getreidegasse  about 25 min, Salzburg Cathedral  about 25 min.Our verdict: right for train travelers, one-night stays and Hallstatt day trips; wrong if you want your evenings in the old city.

• Trains, the airport trolleybus and the Hallstatt bus all from one place
• About 20 minutes on foot to the center, 10 minutes by trolleybus
• Plenty of chain and budget hotels, no evening atmosphere

Best for: Train travelers, Hallstatt and Munich day trips, budget

Trade-offs: No atmosphere, quiet and dull at night

Vibe: Practical transport hub

To Domplatz: About 20 min walk to the center, 10 min by trolleybus

Tucked behind the fortress to the southeast of the Old Town, Nonntal is an old, quiet quarter. Nonnberg Abbey is here, the convent where Maria begins her story in The Sound of Music. If you want calm but still want to walk into the Old Town, it is a good fit.

We did not stay in Nonntal and it is not in our video. Choice is limited to a handful of hotels and guesthouses on quiet streets. It suits longer stays and light sleepers; for dinner you will usually walk into the Old Town. With so few hotels, it books up early in busy periods.

Check the map: some listings use the Nonntal name but sit further out.Walking distance: Hohensalzburg Fortress  about 15 min uphill, Salzburg Cathedral  about 10 min, Mozartplatz  about 10 min.Our verdict: good for light sleepers and stays of three nights or more; on a short first visit, the Old Town or the right bank makes more sense.

• A quiet quarter at the southeastern foot of Hohensalzburg Fortress
• About 10-15 minutes on foot to the Old Town
• Very few hotels, which fill up early

Best for: Light sleepers, longer stays

Trade-offs: Very few hotels, fills up early

Vibe: Quiet quarter below the fortress

To Domplatz: About 10-15 min walk

Salzburg Hotels with Parking

Riedenburg and Mülln sit on the other side of the Mönchsberg, the rocky ridge behind the Old Town. From Riedenburg you walk into the Old Town through the Neutor, a tunnel cut through the rock (closed to cars for construction, open to pedestrians; official info, October 2026); Mülln is a riverside quarter that grew up around its old monastery, home of the Augustiner Bräu beer hall, one of Salzburg's most traditional places for a beer.

There are no crowds, and prices are generally lower than in the Old Town. We did not stay here and these areas are not in our video. They make sense if you arrive by car and do not want to deal with Old Town traffic restrictions, since hotels with parking are easier to find.

The Old Town is a short walk or bus ride away. Evening dining is thinner than in the Old Town. Some hotels use these names but sit further out, so check the walking time on the map.Walking distance: Getreidegasse  about 10 min, Makartsteg  about 10 min, Hohensalzburg Fortress  about 15 min, Salzburg Cathedral  about 15 min.Our verdict: look here if you are driving and want easy parking; without a car there is no reason to stay this far out.

• Local neighborhoods on the far side of the Mönchsberg
• About 15-20 minutes on foot to the Old Town
• Easier to find hotels with parking than in the center

Best for: Drivers, travelers after calm and value

Trade-offs: Fewer restaurants, check the exact location

Vibe: Local neighborhoods behind the Mönchsberg

To Domplatz: About 15-20 min walk

Salzburg's main Christmas market, the Christkindlmarkt, fills Domplatz in front of the cathedral and the neighboring Residenzplatz, spilling into part of Kapitelplatz. It runs daily from 19 November 2026 to 1 January 2027: Monday to Thursday 10:00-20:30, Friday 10:00-21:00, Saturday 09:00-21:00, Sundays and holidays 09:00-20:30, with shorter hours on 24 December (09:00-15:00) and 25 and 26 December (11:00-18:00) (official info, October 2026).

Dates can change; check the official page  before you go. The market is at its best after dark, so stay somewhere you can walk back from. First choice is the Old Town, a few minutes from Domplatz. For better value, pick the right bank close to the Makartsteg or Staatsbrücke bridges; you cross the river and you are at the stalls in about 10 minutes.

We were not in Salzburg at Christmas, but we saw Residenzplatz in the evening, watch it in our video from 12:55 . According to momondo, December is the most expensive month for Salzburg hotels (momondo, October 2026), and weekends and the early December holidays are busiest.

Book two or three months ahead with free cancellation, and come midweek for lower prices and smaller crowds.

• Salzburger Christkindlmarkt: Domplatz and Residenzplatz, 19 November 2026 to 1 January 2027
• Best base: the Old Town or the right bank near the bridges
• December is the most expensive month, book early