Activities in Salzburg

The Salzburger Marionettentheater is the world's oldest marionette theatre, founded in 1913 by Anton Aicher. Its elaborate puppet productions of operas — Mozart, Rossini, Tchaikovsky — are performed with such artistry that UNESCO has inscribed its practice as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Untersberg Cable Car climbs from the valley station at St. Leonhard (450 m) to the summit plateau at 1,776 m in about eight minutes. At the top, a network of hiking trails leads to the true summit (1,853 m) and rewards with 360° panoramas from the Alps to the Bavarian plain.

Salzburg Zoo (Tiergarten Hellbrunn) is uniquely set against the dramatic cliff face of the Hellbrunn mountain, with natural rock walls forming the backdrop for many enclosures. The zoo houses over 1,200 animals from 140 species, with an emphasis on Alpine and Eurasian wildlife.

The Festungsbahn is Austria's oldest operating funicular railway, climbing 198 meters from Festungsgasse to the Hohensalzburg Fortress in about one minute. The steep gradient (62%) makes for a dramatic ascent through the Mönchsberg rock.

Stiegl-Brauwelt is the visitor centre of Stiegl, Austria's largest private brewery and Salzburg's hometown beer since 1492. The museum traces 500+ years of brewing history through interactive exhibits, historic brewery equipment, and guided tastings.

The Augustiner Bräustübl is Salzburg's most beloved beer hall, operated by Augustinian monks since 1621 in the Mülln monastery complex. Beer is drawn from wooden barrels directly into stone mugs, and visitors bring their own food or buy from stalls in the entrance corridor.