Salzburg city guide
Where to stay in Salzburg
Compare five Salzburg bases, from the cathedral-side Altstadt and Linzergasse to Mirabell, the railway station and the greener streets of Nonntal.
Plan your visit
In Salzburg, the two banks of the Salzach offer different versions of a central stay. The cathedral-side Altstadt favours historic sights and festival evenings; Linzergasse gives you another old-city setting across the river. Mirabell balances gardens with transport, the station district favours departures, and Nonntal adds green space south of the centre. The right choice depends on what you will repeat each day, not just whether a hotel calls itself central.
Choose your base
Choose the left-bank Altstadt for a short first visit, Andra/Mirabell for a balance of cafes and connections, and Linzergasse for right-bank historic lanes. Elisabeth-Vorstadt earns its place for rail-led trips; Inner Nonntal is the better starting point for greener walks without moving far into the outskirts.
Pedestrian access and hills matter more than a small difference on the map. Test the hotel's entrance against its nearest usable bus stop and the route you will take with luggage.
Left-bank Altstadt: a first visit and festival evenings
Stay around Getreidegasse, University Square and the cathedral streets when Salzburg's historic centre is the reason for the trip. Mozart's Birthplace, the DomQuartier and St Peter's sit within the same compact network of lanes, with the fortress rising behind them. Traditional cafes and restaurants around Alter Markt and the public through-house passages give you places to pause between visits. This base is especially useful when you expect to return to your room before an evening performance rather than commute across the city twice.
The compromise is arrival convenience. Many streets are pedestrianised, and a hotel's historic address does not mean a taxi can reach its door or that its rooms have a lift. For public transport, look at the Salzburg AG stops around Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz and the edges of the centre; airport bus 2 serves the station side rather than every Old Town lane. Choose Andra/Mirabell for easier transport access, or Nonntal if you want greenery outside the busiest sightseeing streets.
Plan it well: The pin marks Getreidegasse, not the entire Old Town. Ask the hotel where luggage can actually be unloaded.
Salzburg tourism: GetreidegasseAndra Quarter and Mirabell: gardens, cafes and a balanced city break
The Andra Quarter offers a useful middle ground between the railway station and Salzburg's busiest monuments. Mirabell's formal gardens are the obvious daily walk, but the streets around Andrakirche, Franz-Josef-Strasse and Wolf-Dietrich-Strasse add cafes, small shops and ordinary city activity. The Schranne market brings a particularly food-focused Thursday morning around the church. This is a better fit than the cathedral quarter when breakfast, a garden pause and a river crossing matter as much as entering every historic building.
Mirabellplatz and Kongresshaus are useful Salzburg AG stop names to test against your hotel address; the airport's published connections include bus 2 towards the main station and Mirabell side. You will still cross the Salzach for the cathedral and fortress approach, so a very short museum-heavy trip can favour the left bank. Roads around the gardens carry buses and traffic, and market-facing rooms need not be quiet early in the morning. Pick a side-street address for a gentler setting, not simply any property labelled Mirabell.
Plan it well: Mirabell Palace is the map and photo anchor on the quarter's garden edge; it does not identify a hotel.
Salzburg tourism: Andra QuarterLinzergasse and the right-bank Old Town: historic lanes with restaurants close by
Linzergasse is a distinct historic base on the right bank, not another name for the station district. Its pedestrian street runs from Platzl towards the upper end near St Sebastian's church and cemetery, with merchants' houses, shops and places to eat along the way. The route up Kapuzinerberg starts from this side, while the Staatsbrucke gives you a straightforward crossing into the left-bank centre. Choose it when you want an old-city doorstep but also expect to spend evenings in the lanes on this bank.
Check the actual entrance, especially for properties advertised with a hillside view: a room above the street can involve a climb that a map of the pedestrian artery hides. Salzburg AG's Mirabellplatz and Makartplatz stops are useful reference points outside the lanes, with an onward walk after an airport or station journey. Restaurant terraces and passing visitors can keep the lower street active into the evening. Andra's side streets suit travellers wanting less doorstep activity; the left-bank Altstadt suits a stay centred on the cathedral and festival venues.
Plan it well: The pin identifies Linzer Gasse itself. Kapuzinerberg access is uphill; it is not a level extension of the shopping street.
Salzburg tourism: LinzergasseElisabeth-Vorstadt: rail arrivals and repeated day trips
Elisabeth-Vorstadt makes sense when Salzburg is one stop in a rail itinerary or the starting point for several outings. Around Sudtiroler Platz, the main station and Rainerstrasse, everyday shops and quick meals are more prominent than cathedral squares. The Empress Elisabeth monument on the station forecourt is a small local landmark, while a walk south brings you towards the Mirabell district. This is a practical base for travellers who value getting bags into a room and catching the next train more than having a medieval lane outside.
Salzburg Hauptbahnhof combines OBB services with the city bus interchange; airport bus 2 is a particularly relevant connection. Use Salzburg AG's current stop information for the journey into the sightseeing centre, rather than assuming all station-area hotels are equally close to the platforms. The downside is the busy road-and-transport setting, and most headline sights remain to the south. Ask about room orientation if traffic or station activity would disturb you. For one compact historic weekend with few excursions, Mirabell or the Altstadt provides a more immediately rewarding doorstep.
Plan it well: The pin and photograph show Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, the district's transport anchor, not neighbourhood boundaries.
Salzburg tourism: Elisabeth-Vorstadt station monumentNonntal: green walks and a longer, less centre-bound stay
Nonntal sits south of the Old Town, with a useful distinction between the historic Inner Nonntal and the more spread-out streets beyond it. Around Erhardkirche and Nonntaler Hauptstrasse, old houses, bakeries and cafes sit near the contemporary Unipark campus. Farther out, Hans-Donnenberg-Park and the approach to Hellbrunner Allee make this a good choice for visitors who want walking time as well as museums. Stay towards Inner Nonntal for the strongest balance of local streets and access to the cathedral side of the city.
Salzburg AG's map shows Unipark Nonntal and Erzabt-Klotz-Strasse as useful transport references; check which stop serves your particular address and the onward connection from airport bus 2 or the main station. The district name covers more ground than an Old Town hotel label, so a property in Outer Nonntal can change the amount of daily walking substantially. Nonnberg Abbey is above the area, not a flat neighbourhood stroll. Choose Mirabell for frequent rail trips, or the Altstadt if evening performances and returning on foot are the priority.
Plan it well: The pin marks Erhardkirche in Inner Nonntal. The photo shows that church; Nonnberg Abbey is a separate uphill sight.
Salzburg tourism: Nonntal districtArriving and getting around
Match the airport bus to your base
Salzburg Airport lists bus 2 towards the main railway station and bus 10 towards the city centre. Confirm the operating day and the stop you need; a central stop still leaves a walk to pedestrian hotel entrances.
Salzburg Airport: public transportationUse the current diversion map
Salzburg AG links a special network map valid from 14 September 2026 for the Neutor closure. Check it and SalzburgMobil traffic notices before relying on an older through-centre route, particularly around the left-bank approaches.
Salzburg AG: September 2026 special network mapSeparate station access from Old Town access
A Hauptbahnhof base removes one luggage transfer on a rail arrival, but it does not put the cathedral at the station door. Salzburg AG supplies city network maps and service updates for the onward trip.
Salzburg AG: Obus network and service informationCompare hotels in Salzburg
Compare Salzburg hotels around the area that matches your plans. Check the entrance, luggage drop-off and room orientation alongside location, especially for a historic building, a station-facing room or a stay during festival dates.
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