Dog-Friendly Attractions in Salzburg

The Hohensalzburg Fortress — one of the largest and best-preserved medieval castles in Europe — dominates the Salzburg skyline from its Festungsberg perch. Founded in 1077, the fortress has never been taken by force. Dogs are welcome in the outer courtyard and on the rampart walkways, which give stunning 360-degree views over the Altstadt rooftops, the Salzach valley, and the Berchtesgaden Alps. The indoor museum spaces require a paid ticket and do not admit dogs. The free outdoor terrace is worth the funicular ride alone.

The Altstadt core — the UNESCO-listed baroque city between the Salzach and the Mönchsberg — is one of Europe's most beautifully preserved historic city centres. The pedestrianised Getreidegasse (the main shopping street, also Mozart's birthplace street) leads through a series of arched passageways (Durchhäuser) to the Mozartplatz, the Dom (cathedral) square, and the Residenzplatz fountain square. Dogs on leads are welcome on all public streets and squares. The baroque architecture, the painted guild signs on the Getreidegasse, and the views up to the fortress make this one of the great dog walks in Central Europe.

The Hellbrunn Palace (1619) is a hunting and pleasure palace 4 km south of the Altstadt, famous for its extraordinary baroque trick fountains (Wasserspiele) — mechanical water-powered theatre figures and hidden jets that spray unsuspecting visitors. The palace park is extensive and entirely free to enter; dogs on leads are welcome in the park and grounds. The trick fountain tour itself (ticketed, guided, approx. 35 min) does not permit dogs — arrange to alternate with your travel companion if you want to do the tour.

The Untersberg (1,853 m) is the mountain that looms over Salzburg to the south — visible from almost every point in the city. The Untersbergbahn cable car lifts you from the valley floor at Gartenau (15 km from Salzburg) to the summit plateau in 10 minutes, delivering a landscape of Alpine meadows, limestone karst, and panoramic views over Salzburg, the Salzkammergut, and the Bavarian foothills. Dogs are accepted on the cable car. The summit plateau has extensive walking trails; the terrain is more rugged than the Gaisberg and requires dogs to be fit and leashed on exposed sections.