Salzburg is an Austrian city on the border of Germany, with views of the Eastern Alps. The city is divided by the Salzach River, with medieval and baroque buildings of the pedestrian Altstadt (Old City) on its left bank, facing the 19th-century Neustadt (New City) on its right. The Altstadt birthplace of famed composer Mozart is preserved as a museum displaying his childhood instruments.
Area: 65.68 km²
Elevation: 424 m
Currency
Euro is the official currency in Salzburg. The symbol of the euro is a stylized E: €.
Language
The language spoken in Salzburg is German. This German is more or less the same as the one used by the Germans. The only differences are accent and some vocabulary. English is also spoken in Salzburg.
Climate
The Köppen climate classification specifies Salzburg's climate as a humid continental climate (Dfb). However, with the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm for the coldest month, Salzburg can be classified as having a four-season oceanic climate (Cfb) with significant temperature differences between seasons. Due to the location at the northern rim of the Alps, the amount of precipitation is comparatively high, mainly in the summer months. The specific drizzle is called Schnürlregen in the local dialect. In winter and spring, pronounced foehn winds regularly occur.
Dont’s
Don’t assume everyone can speak English
Don’t dress down The Austrians are a dressy, polished nation and enjoy getting dressed up to go out in the evening.
Don’t order tap water, high-quality tap water draining straight off the Alps
Don’t get drunk in public, locals do not appreciate anybody being drunk in public.
Don’t forget the Salzburg Card
Don’t talk politics, The locals don’t appreciate jokes about the Nazi past of Germany and Austria
Don’t leave tips on the table
Getting around
Easy to use, inexpensive and punctual, Salzburg public transport network is fast and efficient, a trip from the outskirts to the centre takes half an hour. Tube, tram and buses
Salzburg Hauptbahnhof is served by comprehensive rail connections, with frequent east–west trains serving Vienna, Munich, Innsbruck, and Zürich, including daily high-speed ICE services. North–south rail connections also serve popular destinations such as Venice and Prague. The city acts as a hub for southbound trains through the Alps into Italy.
Salzburg Airport has scheduled flights to European cities such as Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Brussels, Düsseldorf, and Zürich, as well as Hamburg, Edinburgh and Dublin. In addition to these, there are numerous charter flights.
In the main city, there is the Salzburg trolleybus system and bus system with a total of more than 20 lines, and service every 10 minutes. Salzburg has an S-Bahn system with four Lines (S1, S2, S3, S11), trains depart from the main station every 30 minutes, and they are part of the ÖBB network. Suburb line number S1 reaches the world-famous Silent Night chapel in Oberndorf in about 25 minutes.
City bikes
Bike paths cover quite a large area of the city, and at 61 stations you can find city bikes to hire for any length of time, taken from and returned to any station. You’ll need a Citybike Tourist Card, available for two euros a day, which allows access to bike terminals where a bike can then be taken from the station; the first hour is free.
Emergency numbers
Police: 133
Ambulance / rescue: tel. 144
Emergency doctor: tel. 141
European emergency: tel. 112
Salzburg Med doctor’s hotline for visitors (0-24): tel. +43-1-513 95 95
Evening and weekend dental service (taped service): tel. +43-1-512 20 78
Evening and Sunday drugstores (0-24): tel. 1455