Salzburg is perhaps most famous for being the birthplace of Mozart and for the Sound of Music, but as well as being a beautiful city full of historic charm there’s plenty of family adventure to be found too!
Salzburg is easy to get to, it’s just a 2 hour flight from the UK, and the airport is close to the city centre. Visitors can either head into the city to explore or head to the mountains, where there are enough outdoor activities to keep the whole family busy for weeks.
10 Amazing Adventures in Salzburg
1. Haus der Natur ( Museum of Natural History and Technology )
Haus der Natur is a fantastic kid friendly museum full of interactive areas, dinosaurs, a decent-sized aquarium and a large space section. We especially enjoyed the hands-on exercise area and the snakes! There’s something for every interest and age. The museum is located in the central city area, close to parking and the river.
2. Hellbrunn Palace and Trick Fountains
Hellbrunn Palace is located in a beautiful green park area with a cafe. It’s a fantastic place to let the kids run off some steam. The Trick Fountains are part of a self guided tour with hidden jets of water, statues that spray water and even a water powered mechanical theatre. It’s an enjoyable, unusual activity. Tours start at specific times, so check the website for up to date details before visiting. The tour takes about an hour, so allow plenty of time.
There’s also a Parkrun there on Saturday mornings!
3. Salzburg Zoo
Salzburg Zoo is next to Hellbrunn Palace. It’s pretty compact but home to around 150 species of animals, including arctic wolves, monkeys, penguins, lions and pelicans. There’s a lovely cafe and the setting under the Hellbrunn mountain is spectacular.
4. Untersberg Mountain
The Untersberg is a mountain area accessible by the Untersbergbahn cable car. The 9-minute cable car takes visitors 680m up to the mountain station, where there are incredible views over the city of Salzburg and the Hohe Tauern, Tennen and Hagen mountains.
5. Walk along the Salzach
The Salzach River starts in the Kitzbühel Alps and flows through the city of Salzburg. The name comes from the German word for salt – Salz and Ach ( meaning small river or stream ). Until the 19th Century, the river was a major transport route for salt mined in Austria, hence the name!
Today, there are boat tours along the river or visitors can walk along the banks, taking in the views of the old town and fortress. The love lock bridge is fun to walk across too.
6. Mirabell Gardens
Mirabell Gardens are beautiful gardens where kids can admire mythical statues, a quirky gnome garden and explore a beautiful open space linked to the Sound of Music. Kids also love the nearby Magic Flute Playground.
7. Hohensalzburg Fortress
Hohensalzburg sits above the city. Kids love the funicular ride to the top where they can explore rooms in the castle and wonder at the weapons and armour on display. The fortress is a huge, real-life playground full of history and wow moments. Watch out for special family guided tours and seasonal events.
8. Hallein Salt Mine
About 30 minutes from the city is the Salzwelten Salt Mine. Visitors can ride a mine train, slide down a wooden slide and take a boat trip underground while learning about the history of salt mining. It’s an unforgettable adventure!
9. Find a Playground
Salzburg has several great playgrounds for kids to run off steam. The Magic Flute Playground is located right in the centre, and Hellbrunn Palace Park is just a short drive away.
10. Head to a Lake
Salzburgerland is full of natural lakes to explore. One of the closest to the city is Wallersee. Visitors can swim, try watersports, or cycle or hike around a lakeside path. It’s a fantastic place for a family day out away from the city centre.
Salzburg is a great location for a short family city break, or start or end point of a longer trip to Austria exploring more of Salzburgerland.
If you’re wanting to visit lots of attractions the Salzburgerland Card is a brilliant way to save money. We used it for the zoo, Haus der Natur, Hallein Salt Mine and lots of mountains out of the city. It was definitely worth the investment.
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