Where to Stay in Salzburg: Best Areas and Hotels

Altstadt, or Old Town, is, as the name implies, the heart of the historic city of Salzburg and one of its most important sites in Austria, declared World Heritage by UNESCO.

This picturesque neighbourhood of narrow streets is considered one of the architectural jewels of Europe, thanks to its large number of medieval and baroque historical buildings in perfect condition.

Located on both banks of the river, the district is divided into Rechte Altstadt on the right (north) shore of Salzach, and Linke Altstadt on the left or south bank.

Altstadt Salzburg also includes the Kapuzinerberg and Mönchsberg hills, considered the green lungs of the city.

Here, you will find most of Salzburg’s main attractions, including its cathedral, the Mozart museum, the Hohensalzburg fortress or the Residenz palace.

For shopping fans, Getreidegasse and Linzergasse streets offer clothing stores, art galleries, artisanal chocolate shops and typical Austrian food restaurants.

Getting around the Old Town of Salzburg is easy if you like to walk since a good part of the streets are totally or partially pedestrianized. To move to other places in the city, there are several trolleybus stops along the avenues that border the Salzach.

The hotel offer in the area is very varied and, although accommodation costs tend to be higher than those in the most peripheral areas, it is well worth investing a little more budget to be close to the attractions of the city.

Given all these factors, we can say that Altstadt is the best area to stay in Salzburg if you are looking for comfort, good connections and budget is not a problem.

The central train station or Salzburg Hauptbahnhof is the main transport hub of the city and the Austrian northwest.

Located 3 kilometres north of the historic centre, in the district of Elisabeth-Vorstadt, this station marked an important milestone for the city.

Salzburg Hauptbahnhof has numerous railway connections with neighbouring Germany (especially Munich and Bavaria) and with all corners of Austria such as Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck or Linz. In addition to long-distance trains to visit other areas of Austria or Bavaria, Salzburg has a 35km network of commuter trains that reach many of the surrounding villages.

The area around the station is probably the cheapest area to stay in Salzburg and has a variety of budget hotels, tourist apartments and simple pensions, in addition to the occasional business-type accommodation.

In Südtiroler Platz, you will find the trolleybus stop, which reaches the city centre in 10 minutes. If you decide to walk to Altstadt, Mozart’s House is about 25 minutes away on foot.

The main station area lacks the charm of Altstadt. That said, it is an excellent area to stay in Salzburg thanks to its transportation options, shopping centres and cheap rates. Additionally, it is the best area to stay in Salzburg if you access the city by car since here it is easier to find parking here than in the historic centre.

Elisabeth-Vorstadt and neighbouring Neustadt are important business areas and host much of Salzburg’s modern buildings and skyscrapers, so it could also be considered an excellent area to stay in Salzburg for business travellers.

The Neustadt (New Town) of Salzburg is located in the area between the historic centre and the city’s central train station.

This district of Salzburg was created after the demolition of the great walls that defended the city, in the area around the Andräkirche (St. Andrew’s Church).

It is a mostly residential district. However, being between two of the most dynamic areas of the city, Neustadt is one of the best areas to stay in Salzburg to be equidistant from attractions and the central train station.

In addition to being a great option to stay in Salzburg for tourists, Neustadt is probably the best area for business travellers and congresses, as it hosts the Salzburg Congress, one of Austria’s main convention centres.

Other unmissable attractions in this area are the Mirabell Palace or the Salzburg synagogue.

Although those who decide to stay in this area can walk to virtually the entire city, Neustadt has several bus stops and trolleybuses that connect it to the centre and the Hauptbahnhof.

Mülln and Maxglan are two districts of Salzburg located to the left of the Salzach River and north of the historic centre.

Mülln is, probably, the oldest suburb of the medieval fortified city of Salzburg and the area known as Inneres Mülln is nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This charming medieval area can be considered one of the best-kept secrets of Salzburg, as there are not many tourists who venture here.

The Augustiner Bräu Kloster brewery is probably the most important attraction in the area. This historic monastery and its adjacent biergarten are considered the most important in Austria.

The adjacent Maxglan district is one of the largest in the city, and hosts the Salzburg International Airport.

Maxglan is a more casual and youthful district than the central areas of the city.

It should be noted that, although Maxglan is not the most central area to stay in Salzburg, its small family pensions and hotels are, usually, much cheaper than those of Altstadt or Neustadt.