Photo Essay: Salzburg Old Town

One of the downsides of traveling to Europe in autumn is that the weather can be unpredictable.

It was gloomy the whole time I was in Vienna as well as when I arrived in Salzburg.

My dorm mates said it rained the whole time the previous day, so I fervently wished that the skies would clear up the next day.

I guess Lady Luck was on my side because the sun was out the day I went to Salzburg‘s Old Town (Altstadt).

Autumn showing off

My hostel was just a few hundred meters from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, so I decided to just walk to Salzburg Old Town. Actually, when I was in Europe, I would walk to get to my destination whenever I can.

Hohensalzburg Castle in the distance as seen from Mirabell Gardens

Before heading to the Old Town, I spent some time at Mirabell Gardens admiring the fall foliage.

Just a few minutes walk from Mirabell Gardens, I reached the Salzach River.

Love locks on the Makartsteg Bridge

Several bridges connect the city to Salzburg Old Town, but I chose to cross the Makartsteg Bridge mainly because of the love locks.

Close-up shot of the love locks on Makartsteg Bridge

There were buskers playing classical music on the opposite end of the bridge which added to its romantic ambiance.

The Salzach River Cruise also starts at Makartsteg Bridge

Being Mozart’s birthplace, one can expect plenty of souvenir shops selling wares plastered with the composer’s face.

If you want to learn more about the history of both the New and Old Town, it might be worth taking a guided Salzburg walking tour.

Mozart everything

The famous shopping street of Getreidegasse was uncharacteristically quiet when I went.

Getreidegasse

Other than the trendy shops that line this street, probably its most notable feature are the shops’ elaborate wrought-iron guild signs. Yep, even McDonald’s has one.

Pastel-colored buildings at Alter Markt

On the leftmost side of this picture is Cafe Tomaselli, a family-owned cafe that has been around for 300 years.

Although barely noticeable, there is a gap between the yellow and white buildings. If you zoom in, you’ll see there’s a slanted tiled roof. This is the tiniest house in Salzburg Old Town. It was built to close a narrow alley in the 1830s.

Residenzplatz or Residence Square

It’s unfortunate that the fountain was closed when I went. It’s supposedly the most beautiful fountain in Salzburg!

I tried going up Hohensalzburg Fortress (operative word: tried). But me being me, I gave up not even halfway through the climb. LOL I could have taken the funicular, but having seen Schönbrunn and Prague Castle within the same week, I felt like I reached my quota of stately compounds. Besides, it was already past noon and I need to make my way back to Mirabellplatz where I would be joining a day tour to Hallstatt – the reason I went to Salzburg in the first place.