Mozart's birthplace and Sound of Music country: Hohensalzburg Fortress above the city, baroque churches and Getreidegasse — the old town is UNESCO-listed. Alpine wonders lie a day trip away: Hallstatt village and salt mine, Wolfgangsee lake, the Schafberg cog railway, the ice cave and Germany's Berchtesgaden. Small, safe and walkable — good for families too. No direct flights: fly via Istanbul or Frankfurt, or take the train from Munich or Vienna. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 13h☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
#Mozart#Alpine lakes#Hallstatt#Sound of Music#Christmas markets#Schengen visa
One of the largest fully preserved castles in Central Europe (11th century), towering over the city. The 1892 Festungsbahn funicular gets you up in minutes. See the Prince's Chambers and the marionette museum, and look over the city and the Alps from the walls. Kids love the bastions and cannons.
Culture€18 (ages 6–14 €6, family €32); with Mozart's Residence €25 / €8 / €50
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goAustrian visa decisions are made in Beijing, so apply as early as possible. Hotels fill fast during the summer festival.+
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Schengen visa: VFS Austria centre (UB)
Mongolian citizens need a Schengen short-stay (C) visa. Austria has no embassy in Mongolia: VFS Global's Austria visa application centre in Ulaanbaatar (Embassy One building, 13th floor) takes the application and the Austrian Embassy in Beijing decides. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus the VFS service fee. Apply between 6 months and 15 days before travel; decisions usually take 15 days and can take up to 45.
Tip: Even if you fly into Munich, apply through the Austrian centre when Austria is your main destination — the same visa covers a day trip to Berchtesgaden.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states, including repatriation, with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Attach flight and hotel reservations, bank statements and an employment letter. Your passport must be valid for more than 3 months after the visa ends and have 2 blank pages.
The 2026 Salzburg Festival ran from 17 July to 30 August; check next year's dates on the official site. The Christkindlmarkt runs from 19 Nov 2026 to 1 Jan 2027. Book flights and hotels months ahead for these periods.
🛬Landing and getting to the citySalzburg Airport is very close to the centre; trolleybuses get you there in minutes.+
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Trolleybuses 10 and 2
Line 10 (Mon–Sat) runs from the airport to the city centre and old town in ~15 minutes; line 2 runs daily to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (main station) in ~23 minutes, every 15–20 minutes. A single ticket is €2.50 — since 1 Oct 2025 drivers no longer sell tickets, so buy one in advance from the stop machine or the app.
Landing in Munich, take the S-Bahn to München Hauptbahnhof, then the railjet to Salzburg in ~1 h 30 min. From Vienna, railjets run twice an hour, the fastest in 2 h 22 min. Both arrive at Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, a short walk or bus ride from the old town.
Connecting via Frankfurt, you enter Schengen there and register fingerprints and face in EES; you then arrive in Salzburg as on a domestic flight. Arriving from Istanbul, passport control happens at Salzburg Airport. Leave enough time for the connection.
📶Phone and internet+
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eSIM — the easiest
If your phone supports eSIM, install a Europe-wide travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave: it works as soon as you land in Frankfurt or Munich and equally in Austria and Germany (Berchtesgaden).
Tip: Signal drops in mountain valleys and caves — download Google Maps offline.
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Austrian prepaid SIM
Austrian law requires A1, Magenta and Drei prepaid SIMs to be registered with your passport — in store or by online video verification. For a short trip an eSIM is enough.
🚇Getting around the city and regionThe old town is small and walkable. Trolleybuses, regional buses and trains reach everything further out.+
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City bus tickets
Since 1 Jan 2026 a single ticket is €2.50 and a 24-hour ticket €5.20 (discounts for under-19s). Drivers don't sell tickets — buy from stop machines, tobacconists or the app. Riding without a ticket means a fine.
One free entry to all city museums, the fortress, Hellbrunn, the Untersberg cable car and boat trips, plus free public transport. April–October 2026: 24 h €38, 48 h €45, 72 h €49 (ages 6–15 half price); a little cheaper November–March. Worth it if you see more than 3 sights a day.
Reach Hallstatt by train (changing at Attnang-Puchheim) plus the ferry across the lake, or by bus via Bad Ischl; leave early and check the return timetable. The village limits coach tours to time slots and aims to cut daily visitor numbers — avoid peak hours, and drones are banned.
💳Money and taxes+
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Card or cash
Most places take cards, but cash is still common in Austria: mountain huts, sausage stands, the beer hall and markets may take cash only. Withdraw euros from bank ATMs; tourist ATMs charge high fees.
Tip: If an ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
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City accommodation tax
In the city of Salzburg a per-person, per-night accommodation tax (Nächtigungsabgabe) and a mobility contribution are added to the room price. If they are not included in your booking, the hotel adds them at check-out.
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VAT refund (Tax Free)
Non-EU visitors who spend more than €75.01 on one receipt can reclaim part of Austria's 20% VAT. Ask the shop for a Tax Free form, get it stamped by customs at the airport where you leave the EU, then collect the refund.
🍜FoodSalzburg food is hearty — just right after a day in the mountains.+
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What to eat
Salzburger Nockerl — a soufflé shaped like the city's three hills; Wiener Schnitzel; Kasnocken — cheese dumplings; Brettljause — a board of cold meats and cheese. Grilled lake fish (char, whitefish) by the lakes. Sweet: Mozartkugel chocolates.
Tip: In restaurants, round the bill up by 5–10% as a tip and say the total when paying.
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Beer hall and cafés
At Augustiner Bräu, fill your own mug from wooden barrels and pick food at the corridor stalls. Have cake in traditional coffee houses such as Café Tomaselli and Café Mozart. Buy cheap groceries at Billa, Spar and Hofer.
The Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz plus markets at Hellbrunn, the fortress and Mirabellplatz: hot punch, roasted almonds, gingerbread and crafts. Crowds are big, so mind your pockets.
Police 133, ambulance 144, fire 122, mountain rescue 140, EU-wide number 112 — free, 24 hours; 112 answers in English. For non-emergency illness call the out-of-hours doctor on 141.
Alpine weather changes quickly, with sudden storms and rain. Take sturdy shoes, a rain jacket and water, stay on marked trails, and check the last descent of cable cars and railways. Warm clothes are a must in the ice cave.
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Hospitals and pharmacies
Salzburg University Hospital (Uniklinikum, LKH) has a 24-hour emergency department. A pharmacy is an 'Apotheke'; a duty pharmacy opens at night. If you lose your passport, report it to the police and contact the Embassy of Mongolia in Vienna.
Say 'Grüß Gott' entering a shop or restaurant and 'Auf Wiedersehen' or 'Servus' when leaving. Austrians are polite but value formality: use the formal 'Sie'.
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In Hallstatt and villages
Hallstatt is a village where people live: stay out of gardens and private boat landings, don't photograph into windows, don't fly drones, and keep quiet. Take your rubbish with you.
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Churches and concerts
Don't sightsee in churches during services, and cover your shoulders. Dress neatly for the festival and concerts and switch off your phone. Most shops close on Sundays — only station shops stay open.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport
Salzburg Verkehr — timetables and tickets for city trolleybuses, regional buses (Wolfgangsee, Hellbrunn) and trains. ÖBB — trains to Vienna, Munich, Werfen and Hallstatt. Google Maps works well in the city.
Buy timed tickets for the ice cave, the Hallstatt salt mine and Mozart's Birthplace in advance on their official sites. salzburg.info covers events and the Salzburg Card. Google Translate's camera translates German menus.
Trolleybus 10 from the centre takes ~15 minutes, or trolleybus 2 from Hauptbahnhof ~23 minutes; buy your ticket in advance from a machine or the app. If you connect to MIAT via Frankfurt, your Schengen EES exit check happens in Frankfurt — leave enough time for the connection.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically. Carry Tax Free goods unopened in your hand luggage and show them to customs at your EU departure airport before check-in.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
Daily 9:00–17:30
The yellow house where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756: his childhood violin, clavichord and letters. It stands on narrow Getreidegasse with its wrought-iron shop signs — Salzburg's most famous shopping street. Mozart's Residence (Wohnhaus) is across the river.
CityGardens and Marble Hall freeGardens daily from morning until dusk; Marble Hall on weekdays
Baroque gardens, fountains and the classic view to the fortress — where 'Do-Re-Mi' was filmed for The Sound of Music (Pegasus fountain, dwarf garden). Mozart played in the palace's Marble Hall, now used for weddings and concerts.
CultureMaintenance contribution €7 (ages 14–18 €3.50, under 14 free)Mon–Sat from 9:00, Sun from 13:00; closes 17:00–19:00 depending on season
The baroque cathedral where Mozart was baptised, with a huge dome and five organs. The Domplatz and Residenzplatz squares beside it host the Christkindlmarkt and the festival's 'Jedermann'. The DomQuartier museum route leads through the Prince-Archbishops' Residence and the cathedral galleries.
Kids€16.50 (ages 4–18 €6.50, family €36.50)Daily from late March to early November from 9:30; until 18:00 in summer
A summer palace built in 1615 by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus, whose trick fountains suddenly spray from chairs, tables and walls during the guided tour — children shriek with laughter. The Sound of Music glass pavilion is in the park. Bus 25 from the centre.
CityFrom €70 (guided coach tour)Daily at 9:15 and 14:00; ~4 hours
A coach tour from Mirabellplatz: Leopoldskron Palace, the Hellbrunn pavilion, the wedding church in Mondsee and the Salzkammergut lakes, singing along to the film songs. Whether to bring the kids depends on whether they have seen the film.
NatureReturn €34 (ages 6–14 €17)Daily (closed a few weeks in spring and autumn for maintenance)
From the city's edge up to 1,853 m Untersberg in about 10 minutes. The summit looks over Salzburg, the Berchtesgaden Alps and the lakes; walk the mountain trails and eat at the hut. It is at the end of bus line 25.
NatureMine + funicular €49 (ages 4–15 €23); funicular only (Skywalk) €29 / €14Mine reopened 29 Aug 2026: until 1 Nov 9:30–16:30, winter 9:30–15:00
A UNESCO lakeside village — the Alps' most famous photo. Ride the funicular up to the Skywalk viewing platform and slide down wooden miners' slides in the world's oldest salt mine (reopened in August 2026 after renovation). Because of overtourism, coach tours enter only in limited time slots, and drones are banned. Go early or late, and stay out of residents' gardens.
NatureReturn to the summit €61 (children €18.40); children free on Fridays May–OctoberLate April to late October (steam and cog trains)
From St. Wolfgang a cog railway climbs to 1,783 m Schafberg summit in ~35 minutes — 13 lakes in view at once. Back down, cruise the lake by boat to St. Gilgen and swim in summer. Bus 150 from Salzburg.
NatureCave + cable car €45 at the desk / €41 online (ages 5–14 €24 / €22)Daily 1 May–1 Nov; cave tours 9:30–15:45
The world's largest ice cave: below freezing, walk over an hour through ice halls by lantern light (about 700 steps). Warm clothes and sturdy shoes are a must; book a time slot online. The bird-of-prey show at nearby Hohenwerfen Castle is great for kids. About 40 minutes by train from Salzburg.
NatureSpecial bus + golden lift ~€30 (return)Mid-May to late October
Across the border in Germany's Berchtesgaden: the Kehlsteinhaus on a 1,834 m summit is reached only by special bus and the golden lift — superb Alpine views. Below are the Obersalzberg Documentation Centre (Nazi history), electric boats on Königssee and the Berchtesgaden salt mine. The Schengen visa covers it; carry your passport.
FoodFree entry; beer about €5, food €5–15Mon–Fri 15:00–23:00, Sat–Sun 14:30–23:00
Brewing monastery beer since 1621, Austria's largest beer hall: fill your own stoneware mug from wooden barrels, then buy sausages, roast pork and pretzels at the corridor stalls. Families come too, and there is a big beer garden. Cheap, hearty food Mongolians will enjoy.
