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.
Price level
$$$
Getting there
Train-friendly
Ideal stay
1–2 nights
Best months
April, May, June
Best areas to stay in Salzburg
Where to base yourself, and who each area suits best.
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.
What each price tier buys you
A quick sense of what to expect, and what to spend, across the range in Salzburg.
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.
- Boutiquehotel Amadeus A snug 500-year-old townhouse on Linzer Gasse, five minutes from the Altstadt across the bridge.
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.
- Hotel Goldgasse Sixteen individually styled rooms above a beloved Gasthof in a cobbled medieval lane.
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.
- Hotel Goldener Hirsch An inn since 1407 and the festival crowd's clubhouse, freshly restored with its antique salons intact.
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.
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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Other Austrian Alps bases
Weigh Salzburg against the other handpicked towns in the region.
SalzkammergutSt. Wolfgang
$$$A lakeside pilgrimage village beneath the Schafberg, the White Horse Inn made real.
SalzkammergutHallstatt
$$$$The most photographed village in the Alps, magical at dawn, mobbed by noon.
Zell am See
$$$Lake, town, and glacier, Austria's most complete mountain base.
Kitzbühel
$$$$The Alps' most glamorous medieval town.
Schladming
$$$A friendly Styrian ski town under the Dachstein glacier.
Bad Gastein
$$$A belle-époque spa town tumbling down a waterfall gorge.
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