Have you heard about the Salzburg Card? If not, allow me to introduce it: this handy little card gives travelers free access to all of the main attractions in this beautiful city. But is it really worth it? Read on to find out.
Why buy the Salzburg Card?
The main advantages of the Salzburg Card are clear:
- Free admission to over 30 popular attractions
- Free public transport (including the cable car to the Hohensalzburg fortress, the funicular on Untersberg Mountain, the ski lift to Mönchsberg Mountain, and the river tram)
- Tempting discounts on entrance to cultural events and concerts
- Additional discounts for trips around the city
- A free guidebook and map of Salzburg
- In some cases, rapid passage without a queue at the cash register
As always with this kind of pass, whether it’s worth buying depends on what you’re going to do and where you want to go. In any case, the Salzburg Card gives you a chance to easily and comfortably get acquainted with the city of Mozart. Free access to attractions and museums, free public transport and a variety of additional discounts will make your vacation in Salzburg an unforgettable experience.
There’s certainly enough to do in Salzburg, especially if you take a cruise, go to the mountain, or ride the cable car. And if you have this card, you’ll want to do as much as possible. The Salzburg Card is reasonably priced and offers good value for money. If you spend three or more days in the city, buying this card will give you more flexibility.
Where to buy the Salzburg Card
The Salzburg Card can be purchased at the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (Salzburg’s main train station), which is located at Südtiroler Platz 1. You can also buy it at the tourist information point in the city center, to the left of the Mozart monument.
In addition, you’ll be given a brochure with a list of all the attractions and a map of bus lines that are valid with the Salzburg Card.
Salzburg Card variations
There are three types of Salzburg Card, each with a different duration. The card comes in denominations of 24, 36, and 72 hours. However, you should know that it’s impossible to see all the sights available with the Salzburg Card in just 24 hours. You’ll need two or three days for everything.
The Salzburg Card is not validated at the time of purchase, but at the time of your first visit to any attraction. The date and time of activation should be indicated on the card. You should also sign your name on the card. The best time to validate it is after lunch. Why? For example, if you buy a card that’s valid for 24 hours, by validating it at 3 pm, you can visit museums for two days: the first day from 3 pm and the second from the morning until 2:59 pm.
Unfortunately, almost all of the attractions included on the card close at 5 pm, and some at 7 pm. However, if you start your pass at midday and see as much as you can before closing time, you’ll still be able to visit more attractions the following morning. That way you can visit three attractions each day. However, if you want to visit more than six attractions in total, it’s worth considering the 48-hour card.
What’s included?
The Salzburg Card includes free admission to the following attractions and museums:
- The Untersberg Cable Car
- The St. Peter Catacombs
- The Cathedral Excavations
- The Cathedral Museum
- The Festival Halls
- The Folklore Museum
- The Georg Trakl Memorial
- Hellbrunn: The Palace and Trick Fountains
- Hohensalzburg Fortress, including The Cable Railway & The World of Marionettes
- The Michael Haydn Museum
- Mozart’s Birthplace
- Mozart’s Residence
- The Monchsberglift
- The Museum of Natural History
- The Museum of Modern Art, Monchsberg
- The Museum of Modern Art, Rupertinum
- The Panorama Museum, New Residenz
- The Residenz Gallery
- The Residenz State Rooms
- The Salzach Cruise
- The Salzburg Museum
- The Salzburg Zoo
- Stiegl-Brauwelt, The World of Beer
- The Toy Museum
- Public Transport (Obus Bus Lines 1-14; Albus Bus Lines A, 20-35, 151; Postbus Lines 32, 170 to Rif, 180).
Surprisingly, there are some additional bonuses in the form of a free cruise on the river, a tour of the Stiegl brewery with three 200 ml beer tastings, and others. It’s worth noting that the journey to Untersberg Mountain, which is located outside the city, is completely within the validity of the card.
Salzburg Card Prices
The Salzburg Card varies in price depending on the season and its duration. It is about 13% more expensive in summer.
Here are the current prices for the Salzburg Card at the time of publication (prices are valid for a summertime 24-hour Salzburg Card as of April 2020. Winter prices are a few Euros lower):
Age | Price per person |
Adult (Age 16 – 99) | 29 euro |
Child (Age 6 – 15) | 14.50 euro |
Infant (Age 0 – 5) | free |
If you are already planning a visit to the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which includes the Cable Railway, you’ll spend over €26, and buying a pass will allow you to visit much more than just this fortress.
Moreover, the fee for the Salzburg river cruise varies from €15 to €29 (for more details, please check www.salzburg.info). But it’s free with the Salzburg Card. And there are many more examples of real savings. In short, I highly recommend buying the Salzburg Card next time you visit the city!
Are you planning a trip to Salzburg? We’re Austria travel specialists. Just get in touch to plan the perfect vacation!
Nataly was one of our Central Europe Destination Managers from 2013-2018, based in Prague. Originally from Ukraine, Prague has been her home for many years. She loves exploring the Czech Republic and neighboring countries whenever the opportunity arises.