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  #1

  Fortress Hohensalzburg

  Kaiviertel and Mönchsberg edge · 2 h

  This hilltop fortress is Salzburg’s defining skyline sight and the best place to get oriented over the Old Town and toward the Alps. Take the funicular up to save your energy for the ramparts, views, and compact museum displays; the walk down is more rewarding than the walk up.

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  #2

  Salzburg Cathedral

  Altstadt (Getreidegasse, Domplatz and the left-bank Old Town) · 45 min

  The cathedral is the essential Baroque interior in the Old Town and anchors the cluster of squares below the fortress. Pair the church with the excavation museum if you want historical context, then continue on foot through the surrounding lanes.

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  #3

  Mozart's Birthplace

  Kaiviertel and Mönchsberg edge · 45 min

  This is the most direct Mozart stop: the house where the family lived from 1747 to 1773 and where Mozart was born. It is a compact, worthwhile museum for first-timers, but do not expect it to fill half a day; combine it with Getreidegasse and the Old Town.

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  #4

  Mirabell Gardens

  Andräviertel · 40 min

  These formal gardens supply Salzburg’s classic fortress-facing view and are an easy, high-payoff pause between the station-side city and the Old Town. See the rose and dwarf gardens, then walk across the river rather than making this a destination in isolation.
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  #5

  Getreidegasse

  Kaiviertel and Mönchsberg edge · 45 min

  This narrow Old Town street is the essential Salzburg stroll, known for its high facades, old-style guild signs, and Mozart connection. Walk it early or after shops close to appreciate the street itself rather than treating it as a shopping errand.
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  #6

  Salzburg Altstadt

  Altstadt (Getreidegasse, Domplatz and the left-bank Old Town) · 2.5 h

  The compact Old Town is the attraction that makes Salzburg work: Baroque squares, river views, narrow lanes, and the fortress constantly in view. Give it unstructured walking time between the named sights, especially around Mozartplatz and Residenzplatz, rather than trying to see it only through museum visits.

It is Salzburg’s best all-round first base: Mirabell is on the doorstep, the Old Town is a straightforward 10–15-minute walk across the Salzach, and the main station is usually 15–20 minutes on foot. You get a fuller choice of small hotels, cafés and useful buses than in the medieval core, without sacrificing the ability to wander home from the big sights. Choose Altstadt instead only if sleeping inside the UNESCO postcard is worth more to you than easier logistics and a less tourist-saturated evening.

• Walk the Altstadt properly: start at Getreidegasse, duck through its passageways, then link Alter Markt, Mozartplatz, Residenzplatz and the Cathedral exterior. It is touristy, but the Baroque fabric is the point; go before 09:00 or after dinner to avoid being carried along in a tour-group current.
• Mirabell Gardens and the palace grounds are free. The formal views toward Hohensalzburg are excellent, and the dwarf garden is more memorable than it sounds. The palace’s Marble Hall has limited public-access hours, so treat the gardens—not the interior—as the reliable free stop.
• Climb Mönchsberg on foot rather than paying for a viewpoint. The paths behind the Old Town give you the fortress, church spires and Alps in one frame; the terrace around Museum der Moderne is a particularly good sunset stop. It is a real uphill walk, not a flat promenade.
• Walk the Salzach embankments on both banks. Use Makartsteg to cross between the Old Town and Neustadt, then continue north or south on the riverside cycle-and-foot paths. This is the best way to see Salzburg as a lived-in river city rather than a compact set of Mozart sights.
• Visit St Peter’s Cemetery for free; the graves, arcades and cliff backdrop are atmospheric without paying for the catacombs. The catacombs themselves charge admission, so do not confuse the two.
• Take the free climb up Kapuzinerberg from the right bank for a quieter, woodier alternative to Mönchsberg. The viewpoint near Franziskischlössl looks back across the river to the fortress; it is better for a breather than for ticking off landmarks.
• Browse the Grünmarkt at Universitätsplatz on weekday mornings. It is a working produce-and-flower market rather than a destination market, which is exactly why it is worth a pass; go to look and snack, not expecting a free meal.