Salzburg in fast forward

I have a tendency to want to get the most out of my travel time budget. This often results in somewhat bizarre travel ideas, which pose challenges for my fellow travelers and usually also for me. After three sun-drenched days in Vienna, we took the train back to Switzerland. On the way back, I wanted to do two things – Firstly, to drive across Austria and look at the landscape (which is a lot of fun for me) and secondly: to visit the highlights of Salzburg in two hours.

The first task took care of itself. A train journey across Austria through the day is a lot of fun (and no, it’s not a waste of time). The second task, on the other hand, was not so easy. The Railjet runs from Vienna via Salzburg and Innsbruck directly to Zurich. There would actually be no need to change trains. But I planned our return trip in such a way that we tackled the first stage from Vienna to Salzburg early in the morning and got off in Salzburg. Since the train ride takes a total of eight hours, a short stop was absolutely welcome. Because we didn’t want to be back in Zurich late in the evening, we allowed ourselves exactly two hours to stay until we boarded the next Railjet. So there was no time for a warm-up phase, but we had to start the sightseeing program at full throttle.

As soon as we arrived in Salzburg, we looked for lockers and took the first bus in the direction of the old town. By the way, tickets can be bought on the bus (there was no time left to understand the ticket machine logic). But the view of the picturesque old town made my eyes light up after just a few minutes.

We drove to Ferdinand Hanusch Platz and then hurried on foot through the beautiful alleys of the old town (if you have enough time, please slow down from “hurry” to “stroll”). We allowed ourselves a quick look into the mighty cathedral and then took the funicular to get high up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Wow, what a view over Salzburg you can enjoy from this imposing facility – unbelievable! A view to fall in love with. There are countless great corners to discover in the fortress, for which unfortunately there was not much time left. Fortunately, a short tour around the fortress and into the prince’s room was within the acceptable time frame.

Afterwards we took the train back to the old town and from there on foot over the Makartsteg to the Mirabell Gardens, the gardens of Mirabell Palace. This magnificent flower-filled site is full of surprises. Imaginative statues, beautifully shaped fountains and carefully designed flower beds make for a sumptuous ensemble. In my opinion, this garden is a must on a visit to Salzburg. Really great!

From here it was only a stone’s throw back to the train station and on we went towards Zurich. I was pleasantly surprised how much you can see of a city in two hours. Only the planned coffee break at Tomaselli fell victim to time. It’s a pity, but I’ll definitely come back to Salzburg. This fast-forward has awakened in me the desire for “more” Salzburg and my travel program for the coming months clearly shows that Austria likes me (or vice versa).

What is your previous record time (;-)) for a city tour?