From video guides in sign language to tours with minimal or no obstructions – the top attractions in Salzburg city and province offer a broad range of experiences for visitors with disabilities and physical limitations. We have gathered several recommendations and excursion tips especially for you.
Accessible experiences at Salzburg's top attractions
Salzburg City
Fortress Hohensalzburg, the emblem of the city, looks back on a long and storied history. Accordingly, there is so much there just waiting to be discovered. The fortress funicular offers barrier-free transportation to the top. From the mountain station, you will then have access to the panoramic terrace as well as the bastion. In the bell tower, there is an elevator providing access to the castle courtyard, armory, tavern, Kuenburg Bastion, and the Marionette Museum. At the infopoint, visitors receive a tablet with a video guide to the interior rooms, though the actual rooms are unfortunately not barrier-free due to the historic architecture. Visitors with hearing impairments can likewise borrow tablets at the infopoint loaded with a video guide enhanced by sign language. On the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m., a tour leading via only a few steps is offered. For groups, senior-friendly tours that don’t involve any stairs at all are available upon request.
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Tip: Handicapped parking in the Salzburg city center can be found at Toscaninihof 1, Mozartplatz 10, Residenzplatz 9, Hofstallgasse 2, and on the Max-Reinhardt-Platz.
The DomQuartier is the absolute best address for anyone interested in paintings of the Old Masters and the splendid court lifestyle of Salzburg’s prince-archbishops. Complete information about accessibility is available on the DomQuartier website. For visitors with visual impairments, we have two insider tips for the DomQuartier: in the Museum of St. Peter’s Abbey, they have a tactile 3D model of the Early Baroque façade of Salzburg Cathedral on display. And in the Residenzgalerie, a smell & touch station brings fascinating details of a still life by Dutch painter Jan Davidsz. de Heem to life. Visitors with hearing impediments receive a sign-language-enhanced video guide at the ticket counter. Upon request, the DomQuartier’s art-education department is happy to offer special guided tours for people with hearing or visual impairments.
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On the southern outskirts of Salzburg city, Schloss Hellbrunn – including its refreshingly invigorating trick fountains – welcomes visitors from around the world. It’s hard to believe that the imaginative grottos, water-powered figures, and fountains are already 400 years old. A visit to Hellbrunn is an experience that delights people of all ages. While the interior of the palace is only accessible via a staircase, the historic park and the trick fountains can easily accessed by wheelchair. For visitors with hearing impairments, sign language video guides are available both for Schloss Hellbrunn as well as the trick fountains.
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Flachgau
You can develop a real sense of what rural life was like in earlier times at the Salzburg Open-Air Museum. Of the centuries-old buildings which have been fully preserved to the smallest detail, four are currently accessible at ground level. These include the general store, the locomotive shed, the Knotzinger House in the Flachgau area of the museum, and the Prähausen Häusel in the Tennengau area. At many of the other buildings, only small thresholds must be overcome on the ground floor. The senses of smell and touch are also engaged at many of the attractions. A ride on the museum train and a visit to Gasthaus Salettl are definite “musts” during any visit. Museum admission is free for wheelchair users as well as for blind or hearing-impaired visitors. Wheelchairs and e-scooters can be borrowed at the ticket office with prior reservation. For those wishing to discover as many exciting and surprising details as possible, we highly recommend booking a guided tour.
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Pongau
Historic Hohenwerfen Castle is enthroned majestically atop a rocky outcropping. It is no surprise at all that numerous films have been shot at this fortress. From the top, you have a beautiful view over the Salzach Valley and the surrounding mountains. An inclined lift carries visitors up to the castle in comfort. While the castle courtyard is easily accessible for visitors with limited mobility, the other areas are currently not barrier-free. At the service point in the courtyard, a video guide offering glimpses into the interior rooms is available on request. The video tour is also available in sign language. With advanced registration, a bus transfer can be arranged from the parking area to the Lindenwiese, which is where the spectacular birds-of-prey show is held.
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Pinzgau
There is much to experience along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Here, nature, culture, history, and adventure all go hand in hand. This famous scenic road runs from Fusch an der Glocknerstrasse to Heiligenblut am Grossglockner in Carinthia, passing several spectacular viewpoints along the way. The visitor center on the Franz-Josefs-Höhe has four floors, all of which are serviced by elevator. Guests can view fascinating exhibitions as well as pay a visit to the Glockner Cinema and the Glockner Panorama Room. A multimedia guide for smartphones offers visually impaired users an acoustic impression of the winding high-alpine road. Those who enjoy listening to stories (in German) are sure to appreciate the podcast “Glockner-Gipfel.” Restaurants Glocknerhaus and Gasthaus Schöneck, as well as the bistros at Haus Alpine Naturschau and the Hochtor, have been designed barrier-free.
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Krimml Waterfalls is a natural spectacle in its own right. Add to that an array of must-see attractions including Krimml Water Worlds & Waterfall Center, the exhibitions in the House of Water, along with the Water Park and Water Cinema, all of which are not to be missed. Krimml Water Worlds has been built to the very latest standards and is fully accessible. The multimedia guide can be downloaded to your smartphone in advance of your visit, allowing you to explore Water Worlds, the waterfalls, and the town of Krimml auditorily. The audio guide allows you to immerse yourself even more deeply in the stories surrounding water. In the Water Park, QR codes have been installed at 25 stations, each linked to an audio recording.
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Guests who have their sights set really high, should definitely take aim at the Kaprun High Mountain Reservoirs. The impressive natural backdrop of Hohe Tauern National Park is complemented by a wide range of insightful information about hydropower generation. Thanks to low-entry buses and a barrier-free inclined lift, the Mooserboden reservoir at 2,040 meters above sea level is also readily accessible for visitors with limited mobility. The 494-metre-long dam crown is also wheelchair-accessible. The exhibitions and the interior of the dam are not yet barrier-free. Individual guided tours can be arranged on request. The multimedia guide presents fascinating stories and information about hydropower and “Mythos Kaprun.”
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