The Most Beautiful Places in Salzburg for Photos and Instagramming
Grossglockner High Alpine Road - Wilhelm Swarovski observatory
If you Google “Salzburg”, the most photographed motifs are probably the fortress, the old town panorama, the Salzach river and the Mirabell Gardens. It is precisely these pictures that the city is famous for all over the world. The province of Salzburg has, in addition to those typical motifs, a few insider tips in stock, which should absolutely be in the lens of every ambitious holiday photographer.
If you want to put Salzburg in the right light and capture it from the perfect angle, there are plenty of beautiful photo opportunities. But they don’t always have to be the same ones you see in all the tourist photos anyway. The following locations are suitable for Salzburg motifs that will be remembered – by the photographer as well as by the viewers and your Instagram followers.
KRIMML WORLDS OF WATER
A special natural spectacle takes place in the Krimml Worlds of Water. In the multimedia-designed area, an underwater adventure world, exhibitions, aqua park and aqua games as well as the famous Krimml waterfalls await to be visited and photographed. The falls are certainly the most thrilling photo opportunity, but it’s not that easy to take a snapshot. Exposure, the right equipment, reflection and much more are just a few factors that make up a good waterfall photo. There are tips and tricks on waterfall photography HERE. Another beautiful motif in the Krimml Worlds of Water is the unique panorama, which can be admired from the terrace of the WasserWunderBar.
Krimmler WasserWelten - Visitors in front of the impressive Krimml Waterfalls, the largest in Europe
HOHENSALZBURG FORTRESS
It is probably the most photographed motif in Salzburg: The Hohensalzburg Fortress. Nevertheless, a photo of the landmark belongs to a visit to Salzburg. Our tip: try photographing it from a different angle. From the Linzergasse you can reach the Kapuzinerberg in about 30 minutes, from which you have the most beautiful view of the old town and the fortress. Another tip is the opposite city mountain, the Mönchsberg. You can either get there comfortably via a lift or via one of the various ascent possibilities. Once you’re at the top, follow the signs to Richterhöhe, where you are almost eye level with the fortress – another cool motif.
Fortress Hohensalzburg - view over the old town of Salzburg to the Mönchsberg with fortress
KAPRUN HIGH MOUNTAIN RESERVOIRS
An absolute dream motif for photographers and Instagrammers are the high mountain reservoirs in Kaprun. They originated in the post-war period and were already ahead of their time. Today, they house an adventure trail with game stations, the Lärchwand inclined lift, the Electricity Adventure World, a via ferrata and a mountain restaurant – and all that in the middle of the high alpine world of the Tauern mountains at over 2,000 meters above sea level. The reservoirs look like fjords and shine in dazzling turquoise. That there are also plenty of great photo opportunities almost goes without saying. You should definitely walk up the Höhenburg. There you’ll have a view across a kitschy alpine panorama, lakes and dam. Don’t forget your wide-angle lens!
Kaprun high mountain reservoirs - group of visitors in the Lärchwand inclined elevator on the way to the high mountain reservoirs
GROSSGLOCKNER HIGH ALPINE ROAD
The Grossglockner is the highest mountain in Austria – and thus a breathtaking panorama awaits you on the spectacular Grossglockner High Alpine Road. At 48 kilometers, the panoramic road leads right into the heart of the High Tauern National Park. The highlight of the tour is the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe. From there you can enjoy a particularly breathtaking view of the highest mountain in Austria. In the Gamsgrube, which can be reached on a hiking trail, you can, with a bit of luck, observe rare alpine animals such as ibex and chamois. A good telephoto lens is certainly a good companion here.
Info
Großglockner Hochalpenstraße Taxenbacher Fusch 96 A-5672 Fusch a.d. Großglocknerstraße www.grossglockner.at
Grossglockner high alpine road - mountain panorama with view of the Edelweiss peak and the mountain inn "Edelweisshütte"
HOHENWERFEN FORTRESS
High above the Salzach Valley on a 155-meter-high rocky prominence towers the over 900 years old Hohenwerfen Fortress. Here the middle ages greet you. On a castle tour, many rooms of the fortification can be visited, such as the castle chapel, the pitch kitchen, the armory or the bell tower. The courtyard and the rooms are beautiful photo motifs, which, due to their great attention to detail, will make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time to the Middle Ages. Other (photo) highlights include the birds of prey shows, where the majestic animals come in close proximity to the lens. A special challenge is to catch them at the right moment of their approach. The motto here: be fast!
Hohenwerfen Adventure Castle - view of the castle from the outside
SALZBURG OPEN AIR MUSEUM
Unique architectural styles and construction methods can be photographically captured in the Salzburg Open Air Museum. In the countryside near the city of Salzburg, 100 original buildings from 600 years of history are exhibited. In focus are buildings from the fields of agriculture, crafts, rural trades and agrarian industry whose interiors and exteriors can be examined. The old houses are situated in blossoming nature and surrounded by lush greenery. An unforgettable journey into earlier days awaits visitors in the wonderful Untersberg Nature Park!
Salzburger Freilichtmuseum - view of the museum railroad that covers the area for 1,7 km
SALZWELTEN SALZBURG & CELTIC MOUNTAIN
One thing is for certain: In the subterranean galleries of the salt mine inside the Dürrnberg, you will need a steady finger on your camera release. But that simply means that the subjects awaiting discovery here are even more impressive than you might imagine. The spectacular rock formations and the play of light and darkness don’t only fascinate hobby photographers. And those facial expressions after an exhilarating ride down the miners’ slide? Priceless! Though even out in the open air, the material for successful snapshots isn’t in short supply either. For example, at true-to-the-original Salina Celtic Village on the Kelten.Erlebnis.Berg. Here, you even have the opportunity to bring an ancient miner to life as you take a selfie with him using AR technology. The free Salzwelten app makes it possible.
Info
Salzwelten Salzburg Ramsaustraße 3, A-5422 Bad Dürrnberg www.salzwelten.at
Salzwelten Salzburg - visitors on the raft ride across the salt lake in the mine
HELLBRUNN PALACE & THE TRICK FOUNTAINS
Magnificent palace gardens, centuries-old trick fountains and a majestic pleasure palace: In Hellbrunn there are plenty of nooks and crannies waiting to be photographed. The Hellbrunn Palace was built in the early 17th century under the patronage of Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus von Hohenems and was intended to be a place for celebration, enjoyment and relaxation. Today, the castle has a music room, an interactive swivel sofa, the Room of Transience, a larger than life unicorn and much more to experience and of course also to photograph. In the palace park, the famous trick fountains provide plenty of refreshing fun. When the sun is shining, the fountains and the spray of water sparkle and glitter – which makes for perfect photo motifs.
Info
Schloss Hellbrunn Fürstenweg 37, A-5020 Salzburg www.hellbrunn.at
Hellbrunn Palace & Water Games - View over the water parterre to the Crown Grotto
DOMQUARTIER SALZBURG
There are historical motifs and a lot to discover in the Salzburg DomQuartier. Once the previously closed passages and doors of the former archbishop’s residence and cathedral complex were reopened in 2014, the spectacular Baroque complex was able to offer unique insights into the Baroque splendor of the Salzburg archbishops. There are very special motifs here waiting to be photographed. In the rooms, church- and art history as well as architecture are impressively presented. Visitors pass through a total of 15 state rooms of the Residenz palace and discover, among other things, opulent ceiling stucco work and valuable interiors. Further highlights in the DomQuartier are the state rooms of the Residenz, the Residenz gallery, a visit to the Cathedral Archway Terrace and the Cathedral museum as well as the Cabinet of Art and Curiosities.
