Best Time to Visit Salzburg

Spring: slow to start, then green

March is still grey and chilly, and the data rates it Poor. Snow can linger, and the Hohensalzburg Fortress above the old town often sits in cloud. April is the turning point. Days reach about 15°C, the rain eases, and you can walk the Mönchsberg (the wooded hill over the old town) without getting soaked.

May looks nicer than it is. It's green and pretty, but it rains on 19 days. Keep an umbrella handy and plan museum time for the wet hours. Easter brings a Easter market on Domplatz and a small bump in visitors.

Summer: warm, busy and wet

June, July and August are the warmest months, and July is the warmest at 24°C. They're also some of the wettest. June and August each get around 160 mm, with August just ahead of June and July close behind. Expect sunny mornings and showers in the afternoon.

This is high season. The Salzburg Festival runs from late July through August, with opera and theatre in venues like the Felsenreitschule. Tickets are the hard part, and hotel rooms get pricey. Getreidegasse, Mozart's birthplace street, is shoulder to shoulder by midday. Travelling with kids? School holidays push the crowds up, but a day trip to the Hellbrunn trick fountains is easy in dry spells.

Autumn: the sweet spot

September and October are our top picks. September is mild at 20°C, with fewer rainy days than summer. October cools to about 15°C and has the least rain of the Good months. The crowds thin out after the festival, so you can get a table at a Augustiner Bräu beer hall without a wait.

On a clear day, the Untersberg cable car gives you big views of the Alps. Autumn light on the Salzach river is lovely too. Hate crowds? Go in early October. Rupertikirtag, a folk fair around the cathedral in late September, adds a lively weekend.

Winter: cold, cosy and dim

December to February is cold and dark, with only two or three hours of sun a day. January is the coldest month, at 3°C by day and -4°C at night. Fog and drizzle are common, so don't expect crisp views.

Still, December has its charm. The Christkindlmarkt on Residenzplatz smells of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine, and it's the busiest time outside summer. Late January brings Mozart Week, which suits classical music fans. If you want quiet streets and cheaper rooms, February is your month, as long as you like indoor cafés and coffee with Sachertorte.