Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
nature. The Mönchsberg (the cliffs to the left) and Festungsberg (the little mountain you're
on) naturally cradle the old town, with just a small gate between the ridge and the river
needed to bottle up the place. The new town across the river needed a bit of a wall arcing
fromtherivertoitshill.Backthen,onlyonebridgecrossedtheSalzachintotown,andithad
a fortified gate.
• Go back inside the fortress courtyard. Our tour is over. Either circle back to where you
entered and ride the funicular down, or go through the archway and down the stairs if you
prefer to hike back to town or along the top of the Mönchsberg (see “Mönchsberg Walk,”
below). If you take the funicular down, don't miss (at the bottom of the lift) the...
Alm River Canal Exhibit:
At the base of the funicular, below the fortress, is this fine
little exhibit on how the river was broken into five smaller streams—powering the city until
steam took up the energy-supply baton. Pretend it's the year 1200 and follow (by video) the
flow of the water from the river through the canals, into the mills, and as it's finally dumped
into the Salzach River. (The exhibit technically requires a funicular ticket—but you can see
it by slipping through the exit at the back of the amber shop, just uphill from the funicular
terminal.)
▲
Mönchsberg Walk
The paved, wooded walking path between the Mönchsberg elevator and the fortress is less
than a mile long and makes for a great 30-minute hike. The mountain is small, and frequent
signpostsdirectyoubetweenallthekeypoints,soit'shardtogetlost.TheviewsofSalzburg
are the main draw, but there's also a modern art museum, mansions to ogle, and a couple of
places to eat or enjoy a scenic drink.
You can do this walk in either direction. (To save a few euros—and the climb—visit the
fortresslast:TaketheMönchsbergelevator,walkacrosstothefortress,paythereducedentry
price at the fortress gate, see the fortress, then take the funicular down—included in your
fortress ticket.) The Mönchsberg
elevator
(Aufzug)
starts from Gstättengasse/Griesgasse on
thewestsideoftheoldtown(€2one-way,€3.20round-trip,normally Mon8:00-19:00,Tue-
Sun 8:00-24:00).
Youcanalso
climb
upanddownunderyourownpower;thissavesafewmoreeuros(no
matter which direction you go). Paths or stairs lead up from the Augustiner beer hall (see
here
),Toscaninihof(neartheSalzburgFestivalconcerthalls),andFestungsgasse(atthebase
of the fortress).
Cafés:
The elevator deposits you right at Mönchsberg 32, a sleek modern café/bar/res-
taurant adjacent to the modern art museum and a fine place for a drink or bite (they serve
breakfast until 16:00). From there, it's a five-minute walk to the rustic Gasthaus Stadtalm
