Which area of Salzburg is best for families?

Families do best from a central, walkable base in Salzburg, close to the main sights, transit, and amenities so the daily logistics stay simple.

Where should you stay in Salzburg for a quieter trip?

Right bank (Linzergasse & Kapuzinerberg) is the calmest pick: travellers who want old-town access and charm without old-town prices.

How many nights do you need in Salzburg?

We'd plan for 1–2 nights, long enough to settle in, do the signature excursions without rushing, and keep an easy pace.

Do you need a car in Salzburg?

No, Salzburg is train-friendly and walkable, so most visitors base themselves centrally and travel by rail and lift.

Where to Stay

Where to stay in Salzburg

Salzburg's baroque old town is split by the Salzach river: the UNESCO left bank holds the headline sights, the Getreidegasse, the cathedral, and the fortress, while the right bank around the Linzergasse and below the Kapuzinerberg often delivers the same walkable charm for noticeably less. Almost everything is on foot, so the choice is really atmosphere versus value, with the streets near the Hauptbahnhof the budget-and-transport option. You will not need a car.

🇦🇹 Austrian AlpsSalzburgCar-free OK

Price level

$$$

Getting there

Train-friendly

Ideal stay

1–2 nights

Best months

April, May, June

Advent in Salzburg

Where to stay for Salzburg's Christmas markets

The Salzburg Christkindlmarkt fills Domplatz, Residenzplatz and part of Kapitelplatz from 19 November 2026 to 1 January 2027. Three of these four hotels are in the old town itself and the fourth faces it across the Salzach; each card gives the location and directions as the hotel itself states them.

The Salzburg Christkindlmarkt at dusk, market stalls lit up below a domed Baroque building in the old town, Austria — Our own photo from walking the Christkindlmarkt at dusk in December 2024. We have not stayed at the hotels below; their details come from their own websites.

Hotel Goldgasse
Location and arrival: Goldgasse 10, a lane in the centre of the old town, about 3 minutes (240 m) on foot to Domplatz. The hotel's own directions from the Hauptbahnhof: O-bus 3, 5 or 25 to Rathaus, then five minutes on foot.
Trade-off: Drivers park at the Mönchsberg garage (Altstadtgarage B), five minutes' walk away, or drive in via Rudolfskai to the bollard at Mozartplatz.
Check rates
Hotel Wolf
Location and arrival: Kaigasse 7, in the old town's pedestrian zone, about 6 minutes (400 m) on foot to Domplatz. From the Hauptbahnhof, O-bus 3, 5 or 6 to Mozartsteg, then about 150 m on foot.
Trade-off: Cars enter Kaigasse only through a retractable bollard, with a code from reception; navigate to Kajetanerplatz 1, not the hotel address.
Check rates
artHotel Blaue Gans
Location and arrival: Getreidegasse 41-43, on the quieter end of the lane opposite the Festival Hall, about 7 minutes (500 m) on foot to Domplatz. Overnight rates include a Guest Mobility Ticket for public transport.
Trade-off: The Neutor is closed to motor traffic until about March 2027, so drivers use Altstadtgarage A at Hildmannplatz.
Check rates
Hotel Sacher Salzburg
Location and arrival: Schwarzstrasse 5-7, on the Salzach bank with views of the old town and fortress, about 9 minutes (650 m) on foot to Domplatz. Buses 1, 3, 5 and 6 stop at nearby Makartplatz.
Trade-off: The five-star splurge, and the only pick on the right bank, across the Salzach from the old town, so every market evening includes a bridge crossing.
Check rates

Arriving by train: O-bus 3, 5 or 6 from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof to the Rathaus stop leaves you a few steps from the market, says the organiser.
There is no car access to the market; the organiser points drivers to the city-centre garages, the Mönchsberg garage, or Park and Ride on Alpenstrasse from the Salzburg-Süd exit.
Regular hours end at 20:30 Monday to Thursday and on Sundays, 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, with exceptions on 7 and 8 December and over the holidays; on 24 December the market shuts at 15:00.
Hellbrunner Adventzauber, at Fürstenweg 37, is a separate market with its own dates: 19 November to 24 December 2026.

Checked 2 October 2026 on christkindlmarkt.co.at, hellbrunneradventzauber.at and each hotel's own website. Walking times are approximate, from a mapped pedestrian route from each hotel's address to Domplatz (Google Maps walking directions, 2 October 2026).

The lay of the land

Best areas to stay in Salzburg

Where to base yourself, and who each area suits best.

First-timersAltstadtCouples & calmRight bankBest valueRight bank

Altstadt (left bank, old town)

The UNESCO core beneath the Hohensalzburg fortress, the Getreidegasse, Mozart's birthplace, the cathedral squares, and the Festival halls, gorgeous, pedestrian, and the most expensive address in town.

Best for: First-timers who want to walk out into the heart of baroque Salzburg and will pay a premium for it.

Right bank (Linzergasse & Kapuzinerberg)

Across the river around the Linzergasse shopping street, the Mirabell gardens, and the wooded Kapuzinerberg, just as walkable to the old-town bridges but calmer and better value.

Best for: Travellers who want old-town access and charm without old-town prices.

Near the Hauptbahnhof

The practical district around the main station, roughly a fifteen-minute walk or a short bus from the old town, with more chain hotels and the lowest rates.

Best for: Rail travellers, day-trippers to the lakes and Berchtesgaden, and budget stays.

By budget

What each price tier buys you

A quick sense of what to expect, and what to spend, across the range in Salzburg.

Budget

Hostels, budget chains, and apartments cluster around the Hauptbahnhof and out on the right bank beyond the Linzergasse. The walkable, bus-served centre means a cheaper bed a little out costs you almost nothing in convenience.

Our picks

Hotel Wolf A family-run house from 1429 in the quietest corner of the old town, steps from Mozartplatz.Check rates
Boutiquehotel Amadeus A snug 500-year-old townhouse on Linzer Gasse, five minutes from the Altstadt across the bridge.Check rates

Mid-range

Characterful three- and four-star hotels sit on both banks; the right bank around the Linzergasse is the value sweet spot, the same short walk to the sights for less than an Altstadt address.

Our picks

artHotel Blaue Gans Salzburg's oldest inn reborn as a serene art hotel on Getreidegasse, by the festival halls.Check rates
Hotel Goldgasse Sixteen individually styled rooms above a beloved Gasthof in a cobbled medieval lane.Check rates

Luxury

Grand five-star and four-star-superior hotels in and around the old town, several in historic townhouses with river or fortress views. Festival summer is when these are priciest and book furthest out.

Our picks

Hotel Sacher Salzburg The 1866 grande dame of the Salzach, river-view rooms framing the fortress and the original Sacher-Torte downstairs.Check rates
Hotel Goldener Hirsch An inn since 1407 and the festival crowd's clubhouse, freshly restored with its antique salons intact.Check rates

Compare hotels in Salzburg

Live prices and availability for your dates.

Booking tips for Salzburg

The right bank around the Linzergasse gives you old-town walkability and charm for meaningfully less than a left-bank address; the river crossings are a two-minute walk.
The Salzburg Festival in summer and the Christmas markets in December spike rates and sell out the central hotels, so book those windows months ahead.
Sights and squares are all on foot and the lakes and Berchtesgaden are quick day trips by train or bus, so you will not need a car here.

Good to know

Where to stay in Salzburg, your questions

The practical questions travelers ask most when choosing a base here.

Where is the best area to stay in Salzburg?: Altstadt (left bank, old town) is the easiest first base: it suits first-timers who want to walk out into the heart of baroque Salzburg and will pay a premium for it. Right bank (Linzergasse & Kapuzinerberg) is the main alternative if you want something different.
Which area of Salzburg is best for families?: Families do best from a central, walkable base in Salzburg, close to the main sights, transit, and amenities so the daily logistics stay simple.
Where should you stay in Salzburg for a quieter trip?: Right bank (Linzergasse & Kapuzinerberg) is the calmest pick: travellers who want old-town access and charm without old-town prices.
How many nights do you need in Salzburg?: We'd plan for 1–2 nights, long enough to settle in, do the signature excursions without rushing, and keep an easy pace.
Is Salzburg expensive to stay in?: Salzburg is mid-range compared with other Alpine bases. Characterful three- and four-star hotels sit on both banks; the right bank around the Linzergasse is the value sweet spot, the same short walk to the sights for less than an Altstadt address.
Do you need a car in Salzburg?: No, Salzburg is train-friendly and walkable, so most visitors base themselves centrally and travel by rail and lift.

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Read the full Salzburg guide Where to Stay in the Salzkammergut: Hallstatt, St. Wolfgang, Bad Ischl or a Quieter Lake The Austrian Alps All Alps base towns

Researched & written by

Jon Miksis

Jon Miksis is the founder of Alps by Design and an award-winning travel writer whose work has been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, Yahoo Travel, and The Boston Globe. He travels to all six Alpine countries at least twice a year and has been trusted by national tourism boards across Europe.

Salzburg was vetted in person, and every hotel pick here is individually verified.

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