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Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg

Where to stay in Salzburg

Base in the Altstadt for the Mozart sights on foot, hop the Makartsteg to the cheaper Neustadt, or pick the Hauptbahnhof for lakes day trips.

Written by the Departly editorial team Reviewed against GOV.UK on 10 Jun 2026
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In short

Where to stay in Salzburg

For a first Salzburg trip, base yourself in the Altstadt (left bank) unless price pushes you off it — the Mozart sights, the cathedral squares and the FestungsBahn funicular up to the Hohensalzburg are all within a few minutes' walk. Choose the Neustadt across the Makartsteg footbridge for better value and livelier restaurants, Mülln for a quiet ridge-side stay with a beer-garden view, and the Hauptbahnhof district only if you're stringing together rail day trips to Hallstatt and the lakes.

The short version

  • Best all-rounder: the Altstadt (left bank).
  • Best value: the Neustadt around the Mirabell Gardens and Linzer Gasse.
  • Best atmosphere: the streets behind Getreidegasse, a few doors back from the postcard fronts.
  • Best for lakes day trips: the Hauptbahnhof district for direct trains to Hallstatt and the Wolfgangsee.
  • Avoid filtering only for a Getreidegasse- or river-front room; you pay for the view, not for a better location.

Best areas to book

Altstadt (left bank)

£££ premium

The UNESCO old town under the fortress: Getreidegasse, Mozart's Birthplace, the cathedral squares and the FestungsBahn base station all on foot. The most atmospheric first-timer base, but the Getreidegasse-facing and Salzach river-front rooms charge a clear premium for the postcard — book a street or two back and you keep the location for less. Quieter at night than the daytime crowds suggest.

Best for: First-timers, short stays, walkable sightseeing

Browse hotels Old town core

Neustadt (right bank, around Mirabell)

££ mid-range

Across the Salzach around the Mirabell Gardens and Linzer Gasse — five minutes over the Makartsteg footbridge from the old town but noticeably better value, with more independent restaurants, bars and the Augustiner-leaning evening crowd. The practical pick if you want old-town access without old-town room rates, and handy for the station too.

Best for: Value, food-led trips, lakes day trips

Browse hotels 5 min walk across the Makartsteg

Mülln

££ mid-range

The quiet ridge district northwest of the old town, home to the Augustiner Bräustübl beer garden and a steep walk up to the Mönchsberg lift. Calmer and greener than the centre, with views back over the rooftops, but you trade a few minutes of walking (or the Mönchsberg lift) for the peace. Good for a second trip or anyone who wants the city without the crowds on the doorstep.

Best for: Quiet stays, beer-garden evenings, return visitors

Browse hotels 10-15 min walk to Getreidegasse

Nonntal

££ mid-range

The residential pocket tucked behind the fortress on the south side of the old town, below the Nonnberg Convent. Leafy and local, with the fortress on one side and a short walk to the cathedral squares, but fewer restaurants and less buzz — you'll wander back into the Altstadt for dinner most nights. Suits families and anyone who wants a calm room close to, but not on top of, the sights.

Best for: Families, quiet bases near the old town

Browse hotels 8-10 min walk to the cathedral

Around the Hauptbahnhof

£ value

The station district, a 15-minute walk or one short trolleybus ride north of the old town. Plainer and cheaper, with the chain and business hotels, but the real reason to stay here is rail logistics — direct trains to Hallstatt, the Salzkammergut and onward to Vienna leave from your doorstep. Not where you come for the evening atmosphere, so factor in the walk back after dinner.

Best for: Budget stays, rail day-trippers to the lakes

Browse hotels 15 min walk to the Altstadt

The simple choice

If you're booking in a hurry, filter for the Altstadt first, then compare the Neustadt across the Makartsteg if the old-town prices look steep — that single rule keeps most first-timers out of the two common traps: overpaying for a Getreidegasse- or river-front room you're barely in, or saving a little by booking out near the airport and then commuting in. The two banks are joined by footbridges and the whole centre is flat and walkable, so a right-bank room near Linzer Gasse is barely further from the cathedral than a left-bank one — and usually cheaper for the same night.

Both banks are five minutes apart on foot over the Makartsteg, so 'left bank or right bank' is really a price question, not a distance one.

Safety and noise

Austria is generally very safe and GOV.UK says crime levels are low, though pickpocketing happens in busy city-centre spots after dark — for accommodation that mostly means choosing for noise rather than risk. The Altstadt is lively by day but surprisingly quiet at night once the day-trippers leave; the louder rooms are the ones over the Getreidegasse bars and the Steingasse on the right bank. One Salzburg-specific trap from the country review: validate every public-transport ticket before you ride the ObusSalzburg trolleybus, or you risk a €100-€500 on-the-spot fine.

Budget vs splurge

The splurge in Salzburg is a fortress-view or Salzach river-front room in the Altstadt — beautiful, and dear, especially in the July-August Salzburg Festival window when the old town books out months ahead. The smart-value play is the Neustadt or Mülln: the same walkable access to the cathedral and Mirabell, but at mid-range rates, and you cross the footbridge into the Neustadt for the same meal at a fairer price than the cathedral-square terraces. If you're treating the city as a lakes base for a third night, the Hauptbahnhof district trades atmosphere for the cheapest beds and the best train links.

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Where to stay in Salzburg FAQs

Should I stay in the Altstadt or the Neustadt in Salzburg?
The Altstadt (left bank) is the most atmospheric base, with the Mozart sights, cathedral squares and the FestungsBahn funicular on your doorstep, but the Getreidegasse- and river-front rooms charge a premium. The Neustadt across the Makartsteg footbridge is five minutes away on foot, noticeably better value and stronger for restaurants and the station. For a first trip pick the Altstadt if the price is right and the Neustadt if it isn't.
Is it worth paying for a room with a fortress or river view?
Usually not, unless the view is the point of the trip. A Getreidegasse-facing or Salzach river-front room in the Altstadt costs more for the postcard, not for a better location — a room a street or two back is the same few minutes from every sight for less. Save the premium for a Hohensalzburg ticket or a Mozart concert instead.
Where should I stay if I want to do the lakes from Salzburg?
The Hauptbahnhof district. Direct trains to Hallstatt, the Wolfgangsee and the wider Salzkammergut leave from the station, so a plain, cheaper bed near it saves you the cross-town walk on an early start. If you'd rather keep the old-town evenings, the Neustadt is the compromise — better value than the Altstadt and still a short walk or trolleybus to the station.

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