Salzburg Christmas Market 2026: Dates, Hotels and Weekend Guide

Last updated 22.10.2026

The Salzburg Christmas market has a backdrop no other city can build: the baroque cathedral, the arcades of the Prince-Archbishops’ Residenz, the rock with Hohensalzburg Fortress above it all and snow-covered Alps on the horizon. What can we say? It is simply stunning. The main Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz has run in its current form since 1974, but its roots go back to the late 15th century. Around it, several smaller markets pop up every Advent: outside Mirabell Palace, in the Sternbräu arcades, in the fortress courtyard and, on the southern edge of town, in front of Hellbrunn Palace, whose façade turns into a giant Advent calendar. In 2026 the main market opens on Thursday 19 November and runs until 1 January 2027. With Salzburg Airport just 15 minutes from the Old Town and Munich less than two hours away by train, getting here is easy, and the city is small enough to explore on foot. It is at its best as a long weekend with two nights in the Old Town. Below you will find hotels within walking distance of the stalls, a three-day itinerary, dates and opening times of every market, how to get here from the airport and ten tips for things to do in Salzburg in winter.

Salzburg Christmas market at a glance

• Dates 2026: Salzburger Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz 19 November 2026 – 1 January 2027, Mirabellplatz market 19 November – 31 December 2026, Sternadvent 19 November 2026 – 6 January 2027, Hellbrunner Adventzauber 19 November – 24 December 2026, Advent market at the fortress on weekends 27 November – 20 December 2026.
• Location: the main market, Sternadvent and the ice rink are in the Old Town on the left bank of the Salzach; Mirabellplatz is five minutes away across the river. Hellbrunn lies on the southern edge of the city, about twenty minutes by bus.
• Main market opening times: Mon–Thu 10:00–20:30, Fri 10:00–21:00, Sat 9:00–21:00, Sun and public holidays 9:00–20:30. Special hours over the holidays (see below).
• Opening ceremony and tree lighting: Thursday 19 November 2026; the stalls open at 10:00 and the opening ceremony with the lighting of the Christmas tree on Residenzplatz starts at 18:00.
• Admission: free at all the markets in the city. At Hellbrunn, adults pay €8 (about £7) until 19:00, including a voucher for one hot drink; entry is free after 19:00 and for children under 6.
• Ice rink: yes, Eiszauber on Mozartplatz right next to the main market, 12 November 2026 – 31 January 2027, daily 10:00–22:00.
• Best for: a Friday–Sunday long weekend. A day trip works from Munich or Linz; from further afield, stay at least one night (itinerary below).
• Where to stay: in the Old Town between the cathedral and Getreidegasse; cheaper on the right bank around Linzer Gasse or in Nonntal below the fortress (our hotel picks).
• Currency: euro. Bring cash, as many stalls do not take cards.

Where to stay for the Salzburg Christmas markets

In December the sun sets in Salzburg at around quarter past four, and the markets only really come alive after that, when the “starry sky” of lights switches on above Domplatz and a brass band starts playing from the tower. On a day trip, that is exactly when you would be heading back to the station or the car. That is why we recommend turning the markets into a long weekend and staying in town. You can enjoy the punch without worrying about driving, on Friday evening you get round the stalls before the Saturday coach groups arrive, and on Sunday morning you have Domplatz and Getreidegasse almost to yourself. From the Old Town you can walk everywhere.

We have picked six hotels in different price ranges, all within walking distance of the markets:

• Hotel Goldener Hirsch, A Luxury Collection Hotel (Getreidegasse 37): a luxury hotel in a 15th-century building right on Getreidegasse, opposite the Festival halls. For anyone who wants Advent with all the trimmings. Plus: rooms furnished with antiques and an in-house restaurant serving Salzburg cuisine, so you do not have to go anywhere for dinner. Guests rate it 9.5 on Booking.
• Hotel Stein – Adults Only (Giselakai 3–5): an adults-only design hotel on the Salzach embankment; cross the Staatsbrücke and you are at the markets in a few minutes. Best for couples. Plus: a rooftop terrace and restaurant on the seventh floor with a view over the whole Old Town and the fortress. Rated 8.8.
• Hotel Wolf (Kaigasse 7): a small family-run hotel in a house dating from 1429 in the pedestrian zone, about 70 metres from Mozartplatz and the ice rink. You can hardly get closer to the markets. Plus: guests on Booking especially praise the breakfast, and the hotel has an overall score of 9.2.
• Hotel Elefant (Sigmund-Haffner-Gasse 4): a renovated 13th-century townhouse just off Getreidegasse, a few steps from Domplatz. For anyone who wants to stay in the heart of the Old Town for less than the five-star hotels charge. Plus: air-conditioned rooms and a 24-hour reception. Rated 8.5.
• Altstadt Hotel Hofwirt (Schallmooser Hauptstraße 1): a hotel dating from 1878 on the right bank near Linzer Gasse, ten minutes from Mirabell Palace and about twenty from Domplatz. Good if you are driving or have a hire car. Plus: private parking, so you do not have to hunt for a garage in the Old Town. Rated 8.5 from more than ten thousand reviews.
• JUFA Hotel Salzburg City (Josef-Preis-Allee 18): a more affordable hotel in the Nonntal district below the fortress, a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town. For families with children and smaller budgets. Plus: on-site parking and family rooms, some with a view of the fortress. Rated 8.3.

Which area is best? The Old Town on the left bank (Altstadt) is closest to the markets, but parking is difficult and prices shoot up on Advent weekends. The right bank around Linzer Gasse and Mirabell is a little further out and usually cheaper, and it is also the side closest to the main station. Nonntal below the fortress is quiet, and from there you are on Kapitelplatz in a few minutes. You will find other hotels, guesthouses and apartments in our list of accommodation in Salzburg.

Tip: book early. During Advent Salzburg is one of the most visited places in Austria, the organisers say almost a million people walk through the Christkindlmarkt each season, and Old Town hotels are often full weeks ahead for Advent weekends. The best value is usually on weeknights and on the weekend straight after the markets open (20–22 November).

Salzburg Christmas markets as a long weekend

Let us be honest: Salzburg can be done as a day trip from Munich, which is about an hour and a half by train, or from Linz. But if you are flying in, or coming from Vienna (just over three hours by road) or Prague (four to four and a half hours by car), a single day leaves you with a few hours at the stalls and a long journey back in the dark. We would give it three days, because besides the markets Salzburg has the fortress, Hellbrunn and the lakes nearby. This is what our weekend would look like:

• Friday: arrive around midday (by plane, by train via Munich or Vienna, or by car) and check in. Once it is dark, take your first stroll through the Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz, have a punch by the ice rink on Mozartplatz and then walk along Getreidegasse to Sternadvent. Dinner at the Augustiner Bräu beer hall in Mülln, where the beer is poured from wooden barrels into stoneware mugs.
• Saturday: in the morning take the funicular up to Hohensalzburg Fortress, where a small market runs in the courtyard from 11:00 on Advent weekends. After lunch take bus 25 to the Hellbrunner Adventzauber and the palace with the Advent calendar on its façade. Back in town at 18:30 for the traditional Turmblasen, brass music played from the tower above Residenzplatz, and then the market at Mirabell Palace.
• Sunday: in the morning walk down an empty Getreidegasse and go up the Mönchsberg for a view over the whole city, or, if it is raining, head to the Haus der Natur. If you have a car or a late flight, add a detour to Wolfgangsee, where Advent boats sail between the villages, or north to Oberndorf and the Silent Night Chapel.

If you only have one night, save the fortress and Hellbrunn for Saturday and spend Friday just on the Old Town markets. And watch out for Mondays: Hellbrunn is closed on Mondays (the exception is 21 December).

Is the Salzburg Christmas market worth visiting?

Central Europe is full of Christmas markets, but this one wins on scale. The UNESCO-listed Old Town is compact, the markets are a few minutes’ walk from each other and between them stands the cathedral, where there is singing and music throughout Advent. The stalls are wooden, the goods stick mostly to traditional crafts (wooden toys, decorations, nativity scenes, gingerbread, glass) and the canopy of lights above Domplatz was designed specifically for this market. What we like most is the mix of Christmas market and mountain scenery: from Residenzplatz you look up at the floodlit fortress, and when it snows the whole city looks like a postcard. Add Alpine Advent customs you will not find in many other places, especially the Krampus and Perchten parades, brass bands playing from the towers and the famous Adventsingen.

How to get to the Salzburg Christmas markets

• By plane to Salzburg (SZG): W. A. Mozart Airport is only about 7 km from the Old Town, roughly a quarter of an hour by taxi. Bus 2 runs to the main station every 15–20 minutes (about 23 minutes), and bus 10 goes into the city centre every 15 minutes from Monday to Saturday (about 15 minutes). Tickets are sold at the machine by the stop. Direct flights from the UK and other European cities vary from season to season, so check what is flying in winter.
• Via Munich (MUC) or Vienna (VIE): both have far more flights. From Munich Airport take the train into Munich and change for Salzburg; Munich Hauptbahnhof to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof is about an hour and a half. From Vienna, ÖBB Railjet and Westbahn trains reach Salzburg in about two and a half hours from the city; allow extra time from the airport. Check current timetables on oebb.at or bahn.com. By car it is about 185 km from Munich Airport (around two hours) and 325 km from Vienna Airport (around three and a half hours).
• Motorway vignette: Austrian motorways and expressways are tolled, so if you hire a car outside Austria, check that it has a vignette. You can buy a digital one on the ASFINAG website; a 10-day vignette costs €12.80 (about £11) and a 1-day vignette €9.60. Neither has a waiting period, they are valid immediately. Salzburg has no low-emission zone for cars.
• From Prague: if you are combining Salzburg with the Czech Christmas markets, it is about 380 km by car via České Budějovice, the Dolní Dvořiště border crossing and Linz (S10, A7 and A1 motorways), four to four and a half hours. By train there are direct services from Prague to Linz, where you change for Salzburg, roughly five and a half to six hours in total; long-distance coaches via České Budějovice and Linz take around six hours.
• From the station to the Old Town: from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof it is about twenty minutes on foot or a few stops by trolleybus.

Where to park in Salzburg

You cannot drive into the Old Town, it is a pedestrian zone. The closest car park to the markets is the Altstadtgaragen, an underground garage carved straight into the Mönchsberg rock, entered from Neutorstraße. It costs €3.60 an hour, with a daily maximum of €25.90 (about £22). If you get your ticket stamped in one of more than 250 participating shops and businesses in the Old Town, you pay €4.70 for three hours and €7 for six. On Advent Saturdays, though, the garage fills up fast in the afternoon. A hotel with its own parking is more convenient (see our picks above), or use the Park & Ride car parks on the edge of town with a bus into the centre. Street parking is paid.

Salzburg Christmas market 2026 dates and locations

The main Salzburger Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz (it also spills onto part of Kapitelplatz) runs from Thursday 19 November 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027. The Mirabellplatz market, Sternadvent and Hellbrunner Adventzauber open on the same day, and the ice rink on Mozartplatz starts a week earlier, on 12 November. Overview:

Salzburg Christmas market opening times

The main Christkindlmarkt is open every day, including Christmas Eve. Regular hours are 10:00–20:30 Monday to Thursday, 10:00–21:00 on Friday, 9:00–21:00 on Saturday and 9:00–20:30 on Sundays and public holidays. Over the holidays the times change:

• Monday 7 December: 10:00–21:00
• Tuesday 8 December (Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a public holiday in Austria): 9:00–20:30
• Thursday 24 December: 9:00–15:00
• 25 and 26 December: 11:00–18:00
• 27–30 December: regular hours
• 31 December: craft and gift stalls 10:00–18:00, selected food and drink stalls until 1:00
• 1 January 2027: 11:00–18:00

Over the holidays the Mirabellplatz market opens 10:00–15:00 on 24 December, 11:00–18:00 on 25 and 26 December and until 19:00 between Christmas and New Year. Sternadvent is open 10:00–15:00 on 24 and 31 December and 11:00–18:00 daily in January until the 6th, which makes it the only market you can still visit after New Year.

When does the Salzburg Christmas market start? Opening and tree lighting

The Christkindlmarkt opens on Thursday 19 November 2026. The stalls open at 10:00, the Volksliedchor Eugendorf sings in front of the cathedral at 16:00, and at 18:00 the opening ceremony begins on Residenzplatz, when the big Christmas tree is lit for the first time. You will find the full Advent programme on the organisers’ website. The first Advent weekend (28–29 November) is a good time to go if you want the markets in full swing but without the December crowds.

Salzburg Christmas market 2026: what’s on

Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz

The heart of Advent in Salzburg. The stalls stretch from Domplatz in front of the baroque cathedral, through the arcades and onto Residenzplatz with its fountain and Christmas tree. Residenzplatz has more food and drink, Domplatz more crafts, decorations and toys. There is singing every day: choirs perform in front of the cathedral (Singen vor dem Dom), and every so often there is an open sing-along that anyone can join. For children, the organisers put on story readings (Kinderlesung).

Turmblasen is a Salzburg tradition not to miss: a brass ensemble plays Advent tunes from the tower above Residenzplatz. In 2026 it is always at 18:30 on Thursdays 19 and 26 November, 3, 10 and 17 December and on Saturdays 21 and 28 November, 5, 12 and 19 December. On Wednesdays (25 November, 2, 9, 16 and 23 December) young trumpeters from the Salzburg music school Musikum play on Domplatz.

Krampus run, St Nicholas and Perchten

Austrian Advent has a dark side too. Krampuses are devils in hand-carved wooden masks, with furs and huge cowbells, and their parades are a big event here. The 2026 programme at the Christkindlmarkt:

• Saturday 5 December, around 19:00: Krampuslauf, the Krampus run across Domplatz.
• Sunday 6 December, 15:30: St Nicholas (Nikolo) with children’s Krampuses; at 16:00 he meets the Christ Child (Christkind) and the two walk through the market together.
• Monday 21 December, around 19:00: Perchtenlauf on the first “Raunacht”, a parade of Perchten who, according to tradition, drive out winter and evil spirits.
• Sunday 29 November, 15:00: Stefani-Perchten parade in the courtyard of Hohensalzburg Fortress.

The masks are genuinely scary and the parade can be loud. With small children, stand towards the back where it is easy to leave. We would not miss the Krampuslauf, it is the most “Salzburg” experience of the whole Advent season.

Mirabellplatz Christmas market

A smaller market in front of Mirabell Palace on the right bank of the Salzach, from 19 November to 31 December 2026. More locals come here, it is calmer, and the Mirabell Gardens around it stay open and free in winter. On Wednesdays and at weekends brass ensembles play in front of the palace at 17:15. If you are staying on the right bank, this is your “local” market for an evening punch.

Sternadvent in the Sternbräu arcades

An intimate market in the Sternarkaden arcades between Getreidegasse and Griesgasse (entrances at Getreidegasse 34 and Griesgasse 23), next to the well-known Sternbräu beer hall. More crafts and artists, fewer crowds. It runs from 19 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, so it outlasts every other market in town. It makes a good stop as you walk along Getreidegasse from Mozart’s birthplace.

Advent market at Hohensalzburg Fortress

During Advent a small market sets up in the fortress courtyard, with a view no other market in Salzburg can match. In 2026 it is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 27 November to 20 December, plus 7 and 8 December, always 11:00–19:00. In the afternoon there is a children’s programme (14:00–17:00) and brass bands play in the courtyard (15:30–18:30). The market itself is free, but you either walk up from Festungsgasse or buy a ticket that includes the funicular (prices in the tips below). It is more a stop on a fortress visit than a destination in its own right.

Hellbrunn Christmas market (Hellbrunner Adventzauber)

The best market for families with children, and in 2026 it celebrates its 25th year. The façade of Hellbrunn Palace with its 24 windows becomes a giant Advent calendar, and in front of the palace a forest of more than 700 conifers decorated with 10,000 red baubles grows up, with craft stalls between them. Children get their own Christmas world with a little train, a post office for letters to the Christ Child, animals and a scouts’ campfire where they can toast sausages or twist bread on a stick. You can also walk through the trick fountains (Wasserspiele) in their winter version.

• Dates: 19 November – 24 December 2026.
• Opening times: Tue–Fri 13:00–20:00, Sat, Sun and public holidays 10:00–20:00, 24 December 10:00–14:00. Closed on Mondays, except Monday 21 December (13:00–20:00).
• Tickets: €8 (about £7), including a voucher for one hot drink (mulled wine, punch or children’s punch). Entry is free from 19:00, for children under 6 and for everyone on 24 December.
• Getting there: bus 25 from the main station through the centre (Rathaus stop) to the Schloss Hellbrunn stop, every ten minutes between 13:00 and 18:00 on Advent weekends. Parking at the palace costs €3 for the first two hours and €1 for each additional hour, up to €10 a day. When it is full, park at the zoo and walk to the palace through the lit-up park.

Adventsingen, concerts and New Year’s Eve

The Salzburger Adventsingen in the Großes Festspielhaus (Great Festival Hall) celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2026. From 27 November to 13 December 2026 there are 13 performances of “Das große Geheimnis” (“The Great Mystery”): folk songs, shepherds’ scenes and the story of Mary and Joseph. Tickets are sold on the Salzburger Adventsingen website and weekend performances sell out fast. Advent concerts also take place throughout December in the cathedral and other Old Town churches.

On New Year’s Eve the same organisers run Altstadtsilvester on Kapitelplatz (31 December 2026 – 1 January 2027); food and drink stalls stay open until 1:00 and the ice rink on Mozartplatz runs until 20:00. The organisers have not yet published the programme for the celebration; we will add it here.

Salzburg Christmas market food and prices

In Austria Punsch rules: punch in dozens of varieties from orange to forest berry, usually stronger than mulled wine. Alongside it you will find Glühwein (mulled wine), Jagatee (black tea with rum and spices) and, for drivers and children, alcohol-free Kinderpunsch. A mug of punch costs roughly €4.50–5.50 (about £4–5), plus a mug deposit of around €4–5. Austrians do not call it Pfand like the Germans do, but “Einsatz”. Every market has its own mug design, so if you keep yours, you have the cheapest souvenir in Salzburg.

To eat: roast chestnuts (Maroni), Bratwurst with bread and mustard, baked apples (Bratapfel), stuffed potatoes, Kasnocken cheese dumplings and above all Bosna, a Salzburg speciality: a sausage in a small baguette with onions, mustard and curry spice. For something sweet, gingerbread (Lebkuchen), vanilla crescents and of course Mozartkugeln. The original was created around 1890 by confectioner Paul Fürst, and his family’s patisserie still stands on Alter Markt. We convert prices to pounds at roughly €1 ≈ £0.85.

A little history: from the Tandlmarkt to the starry sky above Domplatz

Salzburg’s market is one of the oldest in the German-speaking world. A song from the late 15th century already describes the so-called Tandlmarkt in front of the cathedral, where all kinds of goods were sold. In the 17th century it was known as the Nikolaimarkt: the stalls stood for a fortnight before and a fortnight after St Nicholas’ Day, selling dolls, sweets and second-hand goods. In 1903 the Nikolaimarkt was written into the city’s market regulations and confined to the arcades by the cathedral, and in 1932 it disappeared. The revived Christkindlmarkt in its current form has been held since 1974, with matching wooden stalls and the “Sternenhimmel”, a starry sky of lights above the square designed specifically for this market.

The Salzburg region is linked to Christmas in one more way. The carol Silent Night (Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht) was first sung on Christmas Eve 1818 in St Nicholas’ Church in Oberndorf, about twenty kilometres north of the city. The words were written by the priest Joseph Mohr and the music by the teacher and organist Franz Xaver Gruber. The Silent Night Chapel now stands on the site of the original church (day-trip tip below).

Where to warm up after the markets

• Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln: a huge monastery beer hall below the Mönchsberg, about fifteen minutes’ walk from Getreidegasse. The beer is poured from wooden barrels into stoneware mugs, and there are food stalls right inside the hall. Open Mon–Fri 15:00–23:00, Sat, Sun and public holidays 14:30–23:00, closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. This is where we would spend Friday evening.
• Café Tomaselli (Alter Markt 9): a classic Salzburg coffee house with Viennese charm, a few minutes from Residenzplatz. Coffee and cake for when your fingers freeze outside.
• Café-Konditorei Fürst (Brodgasse 13, with a shop on Alter Markt too): the family patisserie where the original Mozartkugeln were created. The ones in blue and silver foil are only sold here.
• St. Peter Stiftskulinarium (by St Peter’s Abbey): a restaurant that claims the title of the oldest restaurant in Europe. Pricier, but the historic dining rooms are worth it in Advent. In the evening it also hosts a Mozart Dinner with a concert.
• Zwettler’s (Kaigasse 3): a pub a short walk from Mozartplatz serving Austrian classics, schnitzel and dumplings. Ideal after skating at Eiszauber.
• Bärenwirt (Müllner Hauptstraße 8): a traditional inn close to the Augustiner, famous for its fried chicken and schnitzel.
• Sternbräu (Griesgasse 23): a big brewery inn right by the Sternadvent market, for when you want to swap punch for beer and a hot meal.

Salzburg Christmas market tips: what to watch out for

• Weekend crowds. On Saturday afternoon and evening Domplatz and Getreidegasse can be almost impassable in places. Go shopping in the morning; on Saturdays the market opens at 9:00.
• Cash. Many stalls only take cash. Bring some euros, and when you withdraw from an ATM, decline the currency conversion the machine offers you and pay in euros.
• Pickpockets. In the crush at the markets and on Getreidegasse, keep your wallet and phone in a zipped inside pocket.
• Mug deposits. Return your mug to a stall at the same market it came from. Elsewhere they may not refund the deposit.
• Cold and dark. December highs hover around five degrees Celsius, it freezes at night and gets dark soon after four. Bring warm boots: after an hour standing on the stone paving, your feet feel the cold most.
• Mondays at Hellbrunn. The Adventzauber is closed on Mondays (except 21 December) and on weekdays only opens at 13:00.
• Hotels and parking. Book your hotel well ahead for Advent weekends, ideally with parking if you are driving.

10 things to do in Salzburg in winter

The markets fill your evenings, but there is plenty more to do in Salzburg during the day. If you plan several sights, the Salzburg Card pays off: in November and December 2026 it costs €35 for 24 hours, €41 for 48 hours and €44 for 72 hours (children aged 6–15 half price). It covers public transport, the fortress funicular and admission, the Mönchsberg lift, the Untersberg cable car and the Haus der Natur.

1. Hohensalzburg Fortress and the FestungsBahn funicular

One of the largest surviving medieval castles in Europe, with more than 950 years of building history. You ride up on the FestungsBahn funicular from Festungsgasse, a short walk from Kapitelplatz. Tickets for 2026: Panorama Ticket €12.80 (viewpoints and funicular), Basic Ticket €15.50 (with the museums), All-Inclusive €19.20, children aged 6–14 €5.20–7.30. From October to December the fortress is open 9:30–17:00, until 18:00 on Advent weekends; on 24 December the interiors are only open until 14:00. On Advent weekends you can combine it with the courtyard market.

2. Salzburger Adventsingen and Turmblasen

The 80th-anniversary Adventsingen in the Great Festival Hall (27 November – 13 December 2026) is the most famous Advent performance in Austria, and tickets for Saturday evenings sell months in advance. If you cannot get tickets, you can hear the Turmblasen from the tower above Residenzplatz for free on Thursdays and Saturdays at 18:30 (dates in the programme above).

3. Ice skating at Eiszauber on Mozartplatz

An ice rink right below the Mozart statue, a few steps from Residenzplatz. Open from 12 November 2026 to 31 January 2027, daily 10:00–22:00, on 24 December until 16:00, on 31 December until 20:00 and on 1 January from 12:00. Admission is €6.50 for adults and €4.50 for children and young people up to 17; skates and helmets can be hired on site. In the evening, between the market and the punch, it is the best way to warm up.

4. Mönchsberg lift and the view over the Old Town

From Gstättengasse the MönchsbergAufzug lift takes you up onto the rock above the Old Town. At the top are the Museum der Moderne, a restaurant and, above all, a viewing terrace overlooking the cathedral, the churches, the fortress and the Alps. A ride costs just a few euros, and it is free with the Salzburg Card. If you have the energy, you can walk along the Mönchsberg ridge all the way to the fortress. We think it is best at dusk, when the city lights up below you.

5. Untersberg cable car

Just beyond Hellbrunn, the Untersbergbahn cable car climbs from the village of Grödig to the summit of the Untersberg (1,776 m), with views over Salzburg and the Alps. Watch the dates: because of its autumn maintenance it does not run from 2 November until around 13 December 2026; from 14 December it runs daily 9:00–16:00, on 24 December until 12:00. A return ticket costs €34 (about £29), children aged 6–14 €17, and it is free with the Salzburg Card. So the trip only makes sense on the last Advent weekend or between Christmas and New Year.

6. Haus der Natur on a rainy day

A large natural history museum at Museumsplatz 5 with an aquarium, reptiles, dinosaurs and a hands-on science section. Even people who do not like museums enjoy it. Open daily 9:00–17:00, on 24 December until 16:00, closed on 25 December. Admission is €16 for adults and €10.50 for children aged 4–15.

7. Hangar-7 at the airport

Red Bull’s glass hangar by the airport (Wilhelm-Spazier-Straße 7A) with The Flying Bulls collection of historic aircraft, helicopters and Formula One cars. Admission is free and it is usually open daily 9:00–22:00, though times can change during events. You can get there by bus from the centre, and if you are flying out of Salzburg it is an easy stop before your flight. A good choice for an afternoon when you have had enough of standing outside.

8. A sauna with a view at Paracelsus Bad

The city baths by the Kurgarten, a short walk from Mirabell Palace. The sauna area on the top floor has an outdoor infinity pool overlooking the Old Town and the fortress, plus a large roof terrace. Open daily 10:00–21:00. Sauna including the pool costs €25 for four hours or €28 for the whole day; the pool alone is €8 for two and a half hours. After a full day on your feet in the frost, it is exactly what you need.

9. Day trip to Oberndorf and the Silent Night Chapel

Oberndorf lies on the Salzach about twenty kilometres north of Salzburg; you can get there by car or on the S1 local railway from the main station. The Silent Night Chapel stands on the site of the church where the carol was first sung in 1818, and next to it is a small Silent Night museum. The Advent market on Stille-Nacht-Platz runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026: Thursdays 14:00–19:00, Fridays and Saturdays 10:00–20:00 and Sundays 10:00–19:00, plus 8 December (10:00–19:00), 23 December (14:00–19:00) and Christmas Eve 10:00–17:00 (details). On Christmas Eve the commemoration at the chapel starts at 16:45. In November and December the Silent Night museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00.

10. Wolfgangsee Advent and the boat between the villages

About half an hour’s drive east of Salzburg lies Lake Wolfgang (Wolfgangsee), and on its shores three villages, St. Gilgen, Strobl and St. Wolfgang, which hold their Advent markets together. In 2026 they start on Friday 20 November; Advent boats sail between the villages and the shores are full of lights, lanterns and fire bowls. Until 20 December the markets are open Wednesday to Sunday (Wednesdays 13:00–19:30, Thursdays and Fridays 11:00–19:30, weekends 10:00–19:30) and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, except 7 and 8 December, when they open 10:00–19:30. Entry is free. The Advent boats sail Wednesday to Sunday from 20 November to 20 December and then daily from 26 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 (Wolfgangseer Advent). With a car, it works well as a Sunday outing, or as a stop on the way if you are driving on towards Linz or Vienna, since it is only a short detour from the A1 motorway.

What we would do differently

On a first visit to Salzburg it is tempting to tick off all five markets, the fortress, Mozart’s house and Hellbrunn in one weekend. You can, but you do not have to. Seeing the main market on Domplatz twice is enough: once on Friday evening and once on Sunday morning, when it is empty and the stallholders have time to chat. We would leave the rest of the time for wandering. Turn off Getreidegasse into one of the narrow passageways (Durchhäuser) that lead through courtyards to Universitätsplatz or the river, and get lost in them.

Try things you do not have at home: a Bosna from a stall, Jagatee instead of mulled wine, Kasnocken in an inn you did not find on any list. And when the brass band plays from the tower above Residenzplatz at 18:30 on Saturday, keep your phone in your pocket. Five minutes of a silent crowd and trumpets overhead are worth more than a hundred photos that all look the same anyway.

Salzburg Christmas market FAQ

Where to next

Salzburg pairs perfectly with other Christmas markets along the way: the Linz Christmas markets are on the main rail line and motorway towards Vienna, and for Austrian Advent on a grand scale there are the Vienna Christmas markets. Across the border in Bavaria you can reach Regensburg and Nuremberg, and our overview of the best Christmas markets in Germany covers the rest of the country.

If you are travelling on to the Czech Republic, there are Christmas markets in Prague, Brno and Olomouc, and more ideas in our overview of the best Christmas markets in the Czech Republic. Further east, the Bratislava Christmas market is only an hour from Vienna.