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Salzburger Altstadt

Landmarks ·Salzburg
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#1Landmarks in Austria#1Landmarks in SalzburgTravelers' Choice 2026
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About

Salzburger Altstadt: the old town of Salzburg, split by the Salzach; its left bank, with the Mönchsberg to the west, is a UNESCO heritage site.

More photos 11

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Salzburger Altstadt — Hohensalzburg Fortress above the old town’s church towers Leonhard Lenz · CC0 · edited
Salzburger Altstadt — Hohensalzburg Fortress above the old town’s church towersSalzburger Altstadt — Old town rooftops and cathedral domes framed by autumn foliageSalzburger Altstadt — Dense historic rooftops and church domes beneath the fortressSalzburger Altstadt — Wide view over the old town from the rocky hillsideSalzburger Altstadt — Historic rooftops and fortress in warm evening lightSalzburger Altstadt — Old town rooftops below the distant mountain and steep hillsideSalzburger Altstadt — Church towers and historic rooftops at sunset beneath the mountainSalzburger Altstadt — Old town rooftops and river at dusk with the sun settingSalzburger Altstadt — Cathedral towers and historic rooftops in low evening sunlightSalzburger Altstadt — River bend and old town buildings beneath wooded hillsSalzburger Altstadt — Salzburg’s river and old town seen from above

Why go

  • The Heilige Stiege beside the church, a copy of the Scala Santa built in 1712.
  • Jedermann by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, staged each year on the cathedral square since 1920.
  • The Felsenreitschule, fitted out in 1693, with three-storey arcades cut into smooth rock walls left by quarrying.
  • A violin concerto by Mozart, premiered in the former archbishops' palace in 1775.

Know before you go

  • The 49 steps of the Heilige Stiege may only be climbed on the knees, up to a cross altar.
  • Wall remains from the first city fortification are built into old houses and are not open to visitors.

Tips for your visit

  • The cathedral square is bounded by the old residence to the west, the new residence with its chime to the east, and the cathedral to the south.
  • Plan time for the palace: it has over 180 rooms and halls, 15 of them state rooms.
  • The new residence houses the Salzburg Museum. The Haus der Natur has mostly been in the former convent rooms since 1959.
  • The Sacellum, built alongside the university, is dedicated to Borromäus.
  • The town hall's colonnade hall is mainly a gallery and exhibition space, with flat cross-vaults.

Interesting facts7

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  1. The Mönchsberg lies west of the old town, and the Festungsberg with Nonnberg lies south of it.

    Salzburger Altstadt (links) - Wikipedia

  2. The tower clock's mechanism is probably the oldest surviving clockwork in Land Salzburg.

    Salzburger Altstadt (links) - Wikipedia

  3. Walls from the 12th century and a 17th-century coin hoard were found in the town hall's cellar.

    Salzburger Altstadt (links) - Wikipedia

  4. The oldest pavement found here is made of large river pebbles, from the 12th century.

    Salzburger Altstadt (links) - Wikipedia

  5. The physician Paracelsus worked at the Raplbad bath here.

    Salzburger Altstadt (links) - Wikipedia

  6. Josef Anton Pfaffinger carved a sea god with trident and crown, riding a water-spouting sea horse.

    Salzburger Altstadt (links) - Wikipedia
  7. 1732

    The Kapitelschwemme is a marble horse trough, first laid out in the 17th century and rebuilt in 1732.

    Salzburger Altstadt (links) - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

The left bank of the Salzach is the oldest core of the city.

  1. 1150A church and a hospital are documented on this site.
  2. 1407The town council buys a former patrician house, which is now the Rathaus.
  3. 1588Demolition of older houses begins for the new residence built by Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau.
  4. 1616–1618The Rathaus is fully rebuilt under archbishop Markus Sittikus.
  5. 1684Archbishop Max Gandolf Kuenburg founds a seminary here.
Show all
  1. 1685–1697The church and seminary are built under Giovanni Gaspare Zugalli.
  2. 1920Jedermann by Hugo von Hofmannsthal starts its yearly stagings on the cathedral square.
  3. 1925The former court stables are converted into a festival house by architect Eduard Hütter.

Sources: Salzburger Altstadt (links) - Wikipedia · checked 18 Oct 2026

Where
Altstadt, Salzburg

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

Where is the Salzburger Altstadt in Salzburg?

The river Salzach divides the old town in two. Its left bank holds the oldest core of the city.

Is the Salzburger Altstadt a UNESCO World Heritage site?

Yes. The left-bank old town, including Kaiviertel, Festungsberg and Mönchsberg, is a UNESCO heritage site.

How many rooms does the former archbishops' palace in Salzburg have?

The palace has over 180 rooms and halls, and 15 of them are state rooms.

How do you climb the Heilige Stiege in Salzburg's old town?

Its 49 steps may only be climbed on the knees, up to a cross altar. The staircase stands beside the church.

When is Jedermann staged on the cathedral square in Salzburg?

The play has been staged there every year since 1920.

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