Salzburg Sightseeing near Salzburg
With these Salzburg insider tips you make your city trip Salzburg an experience that not everyone has. The city of Mozart on the Salzach tells stories. These are varied. Exciting. Entertaining. Exciting. Relaxing. Fascinating. Interesting. I could continue the list indefinitely. But Salzburg can actually be described in a short sentence. There is everyone Austria Visit something new to discover. The Salzburg country is worth many trips.
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We know this from our own experience, because it always draws us back to the city on the northern edge of the Alps. Every time we discover something surprising. It was the same with this trip. This time we explored this:
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The Salzburg Living History Museum
You probably don't consider a trip to the region near Salzburg, when visiting the city for the first time. But this is one of our Salzburg insider tips. After our visit to the Loferer Stone Mountains in spring we wanted to find out more about the region. We therefore decided to take half a day to visit the Salzburg Living History Museum. Signs along the highway had made us curious and we finally wanted to see, what they were about. The Salzburg Freilichtmuseum in Großgmain near Salzburg provides an insight into how mountain farmers lived. You can see that on a leisurely walk through the museum grounds.

Next to farms from the 16. - 19. There is a mill in the 19th century, Stadel with an elaborate fret, a smoke house, a blacksmith's house and even a brewery. At Dorfkramer you can buy sweets and candy canes. It was only decades ago, there was this even in Salzburg. In Salettl we take a break at one snack. The "cut farmer" that is on the snack menu makes me curious. So far, I have not encountered this during our Buschenschanken and inn visits in Austria. It turns out to be a sliced sausage with a salad.

You can walk through villages that show the architectural styles of the valleys in the Salzburger Land. So you hike from Flachgau in the Tennengau. Continue up to the Pongau and the Lungau, before you go over the Pinzgau back to the entrance (Map). We spend a whole afternoon for the museum. On the way, the small museum railway crosses our way again and again. Your friendly platoon driver gets to know us very well on this day because we film him and his train from different perspectives. He waves us laughing from his driver's cab each time. Like some of his passengers. In Pongauer village we finally get on the train and drive back to the entrance. The museum is so sprawling that we have to cancel the visit to Lungau and Pinzgau village for another visit if we want to reach the exit before the museum closes.
Salzburg Open Air Museum
Hasenweg 1
5084 Großgmain
Austria
The museum is open from mid-March to early November and from Dec. 26.12th - Jan 6.1th. The current opening times and prices can be found on the museum's website via the link provided.
Handy for the hike
- You can hike well in and around the Salzburg Open-Air Museum. We recommend comfortable walking shoes for the hike.
- Practically for traveling is one backpackin which you drink, snack, a Jacket and store odds and ends. One lunch box and other practical utensils for hiking can be found here.
- You are well equipped for hikes in the Salzburg area with this one Hiking map*. If you are planning more hikes in the area, you can find it here Hiking guide *.
- Do you have everything? With our hiking checklist you can easily check that.
- You can find practical accessories for hikers here
- A city walk that not everyone knows is this Tour through Salzburg's underworld through the Almkanal. You can find details on this in the “Schönste Zeit Magazin”.

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Sleep at the Hotel Himmelreich in Wals
We spend the night in Wals, which is conveniently located for a visit to the Freilichtmuseum, but also for a visit to downtown Salzburg the next day. The Hotel Himmelreich in Wals * is perfect for that. It offers cozy accommodation with friendly rooms, a well-tended garden and views of the mountains around Salzburg. The hosts provide generous help and travel tips for Salzburg and the surrounding area.
However, the best part is breakfast. I have seldom seen such a rich selection of dishes on a breakfast buffet. The rolls come fresh from the bakery and taste delicious. There are also homemade jams and spreads. The sausage and ham selection is good. There are also homemade cakes and other surprises that we have seldom discovered at breakfast buffets. Although the hotel is not far from the airport, we don't mind the aircraft noise. Hangar 7 is less than 2 km from the hotel. The outlet center is just a few steps away on foot.
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A Salzburg Lookout not to be missed
We use our Salzburg Card and travel for free with the Elevator on the Mönchsberg, Above is the worth seeing Museum of ModernityHowever, this is not our goal on this hot summer day. It's just too hot that day. We prefer to sit in the Restaurant M32 with its panoramic terrace, With a carafe of homemade lemonade we enjoy the magnificent view of the old town of Salzburg, the Salzach and the fortress Hohensalzburg. From here you can get a good overview of the city. It is easy to see how many churches Salzburg's old town has. Therefore, we are already looking for our way to the cathedral square from our viewing point, where we have an interview appointment in the afternoon with a specialist for Dirndl.

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Salzburg's Churches - Salzburg Tips for hot Summer Days
After enjoying the view, we take the lift down from the Mönchsberg. Instead of walking through the crowded Getreidegasse, we choose the quieter way via university square and its farmers market. This time the Austrian specialties don't tempt us, but the Kollegienkirche does. Snow white, she is not to be missed. We take our time to cool off in the church from the heat of this summer's day and continue on to the Franciscan Church.

The Franciscan Church again lures us into the cool church interior. The baroque high altar and its side altars fit harmoniously into the Gothic choir. We are lucky and see the church without any scaffolding. The tower of the Franziskanerkirche is shrouded since August 2018 because of renovation work. Only a few steps further we stand on Cathedral Square, on which the stages for the performances of Jedermann are built. This play is shown from the end of July to the end of August every year. The Residenzplatz is just around the corner, where Fiakers (horsedrawn coaches) wait for customers.

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Fancy a Dirndl?
A special one of our Salzburg insider tips. We have long wanted to find out how dirndls actually came about. This is the reason why we meet with Hans Köhl from the Salzburg Heimatwerk. He has written a book about it and, as managing director of the Salzburg Heimatwerk, is very familiar with the subject. In the Middle Ages, dress codes determined who had to wear which robe or which “costume”. That was exactly what was prescribed. The appearance of a person should already show what status they belonged to.

How Bloomers turn into Leather Pants
The term "fashion" only appears in modern times. There are trends in the European rulers. There it always happens that worn clothes are distributed to servants or the poor. These mimick these clothes over time with simpler materials and shapes. In this way, the men's trousers with their inflated legs become the comfortable Gsass trousers of the men in the country. Around 1800 these developed into fashionable lederhosen. Suede trousers, which the noble society wore for hunting in the 18th century, become knee-breeches in the Alpine region.
From the Costume to the Dirndl
In the courtly ladies' world, fashions alternate. Around 1800, the Hofschneider's models were inspired by rural clothing and created the “shepherd's fashion à la tyrolienne”. In the first half of the 19th century, the old dress codes fell victim to the Enlightenment period. Freedom, equality and fraternity also play an increasingly important role in fashion. A new clothing code is emerging across Europe.

The wearers of the clothes no longer differ according to social status. Differences by city and country, by fashion and the new understanding of traditional clothes are much more important. Cotton dresses with printed floral patterns and club sleeves are popular. The traditional “traditional costume” becomes folk and regional costumes. In the mid-19th century, townspeople liked to decorate themselves with rural clothing. The “Dirndl” is entering urban fashion. In rural areas, on the other hand, the rural population likes to adopt the fashion that comes from the cities.

Regional Costumes emerge
Regional costumes only emerge in the 20th century. In the second half of the 19th century social and economic contexts in society change. Industrial workers eke out their lives in backyards. Farmers lead a poor life in the countryside. Societies of traditional costume compete for the preservation of the Alpine costumes. Dirndls and lederhosen are intended to provide economic incentives to the uprooted urbanites and the poor rural population. Regional costumes play a role only after the First and Second World War. They should convey a sense of home. On the other hand, it is considered chic to show oneself in dirndls among the rich and famous .

Under the National Socialist rule, one wants to counteract this double-tracked development. Costume becomes an exclusion symbol between real and unreal. This goes so far as to prohibit Jews from wearing national costumes. At the same time, Baron von Trapp with his family , who is a supporter of the emperor, spreads the image of a yodeling Salzburg population wearing Dirndls in America. In the 1950s, a post-war costume boom sets in with a more liberal orientation. Dirndl fashions come and go in the coming decades. The 50's Austrian look is followed by the mini wave of the 60s. In the 70s people like to wear peasant skirts. Country fashion is popular in the 90s. Currently, the dirndl is combined with cheap imitations from the Far East in often adventurous fashion. Let's hope that quality will regain importance soon.
Salzburg Insider Tips - Are you also interested in Salzburg Dirndl? Then check it out in the
Salzburg Heimatwerk
Residenzplatz 9
5010 Salzburg
You can find more Salzburg Tips here:
- Salzburg specialties that (not) everyone knows
- Do you like to go on a shopping spree? Then have a look at these traditional Salzburg shops .
- You've heard a lot about the Trapp family, but you want to know more about them? Here you will find out the true story of the legendary Salzburg family.
- Do you like Austrian coffee? then you should know this.
- Want to know where to eat well in Salzburg? Here we recommend restaurants.
- Are you in Salzburg at Christmas time? These Christmas markets are a must.
- Krampus run in Gnigl near Salzburg
- Find all our Salzburg tips can be found here.
Conclusion: Salzburg tips for your visit near Salzburg and in town
A visit to Salzburg and near Salzburg can be very interesting. Take your time and explore the city and its surroundings. A Freilichtmuseum near Salzburg, a scenic mountain, a walk to the churches in the city center and an insight into Salzburg's traditional costumes. Let us know, if you enjoyed seeing these Salzburg suggestions.
Travel Arrangements:
Arrival by plane, train and bus
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Accommodation in Salzburg
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Find more Slow Travel Recommendations here. Discover more Salzburg Tips off the beaten paths can be found here.
Quelle Salzburg Insider Tips: own research on site. We would like to thank Salzburg Tourism for the friendly invitation to this trip. The article contains Affiliate Links.
Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
The article shows again that you do not have to drive far to have it nice.
Thanks for the impressions!
Hi Carsten,
We agree with you. Also in our area there are beautiful places that are worth a visit. Thanks for the nice comment.