5 Things That Will Surprise You About Salzburg

5 Things That Will Surprise You About Salzburg

I visited Salzburg, Austria for the first time in September 2019. To say this city is not spoken about enough is a huge understatement - it is hands down the nicest city break I have ever been on in Europe by a long way!

There is lots going on in this beautiful city and you'll not waste anytime on being bored in Salzburg. The city has quite a long history, but, there are a few surprising facts about Salzburg too - which I will share with you in this post.

Let me know in the comments if you already knew these things or if you too are surprised as I was!

1) Red Bull HQ is based in Salzburg

Who knew? I certainly didn't.

Red Bull, the famous energy drink that divides the nations, is manufactured in sleepy Salzburg. Situated in an impressive location towards Salzburg's lake district, Red Bull HQ is home to the largest bronze statue in Europe. That's right - it's a bull. Nine bull's, actually.

Add a Red Bull Tour onto your "What To Do in Salzburg" list for sure!

2) There Are Many Salt Mines

The name "Salzburg" kind of gives this one away, but, the average traveller (like me) may not know this. There are 7,000 year old salt mines that you can visit in Salzburg, making the average city break far from the reality here. Some of the tours you can take give you the opportunity to enjoy a train ride in traditional miner's dress (optional!) and learn all about the salt trade of this wonderful city.

3) There Are Also Many Lakes

300 in total and 185 safe to bathe in. Salzburg lake district is hands down, one of the most scenic places I have ever seen in Europe. I actually had a little tear in my eyes when I stepped of the bus on to the side of a mountain to see the first lake.

We stopped in a cute little village called Monsee which is in the middle of the lake district and is surrounded by beautiful mountains, gorgeous still lakes and traditional German/ Austrian lodgings. It is truly an area of Austria that feels like it is straight from a film.

Salzburg lake district is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and must be explored by all - for real. Add Salzburg lake district on to your bucket list for sure!

4) Salzburg is one of The Safest Cities to Visit in Europe

Based on fact and opinion.

The facts show that Salzburg has been rated 'low' and 'very low' on the official Global crime rate scale with only drug dealing being the most frequent crime - but on a extremely tiny scale compared to most cities worldwide.

When I visited Salzburg, I felt super safe. Those who know me personally know that I am a very safety-conscious person especially when travelling, and for me to feel safe anywhere outside of my own home is a huge success. There were many people in Salzburg city, more tourists than locals, but it never felt overcrowded or busy. Everyone I encountered was friendly and helpful and even though my hotel was about a 10 minute walk out of town, I never felt like I was looking over my shoulders or checking up on my safety. I only used public transport to and from the airport and otherwise toured on foot. I would be completely shocked if I heard of any serious crimes taking place in Salzburg.

5) Local People Do Not Know The Sound Of Music Story

One of the main reasons tourists visit Salzburg is to take the 'Official Sound Of Music Tour'. In fact, Salzburg brings 10Million visitors a year with the Sound Of Music being the second biggest attraction aside from the City's most famous musician Mozart.

I was really shocked to learn that the residents of Salzburg have no idea whatsoever of what the Sound of Music film is about. They only know of it because of the huge bright red buses signed up with the logo and pictures all around the city. How funny.

I have visited many European cities (you can see more on my instagram page www.instagram.com/leabellablogs ) but Salzburg, for me, has to be one of the best. It wasn't overally expensive, it was absolutely beautiful and I would return in a heartbeat.

Have you visited Salzburg before? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this wonderful city from you!

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

-Lea Bella x