How the Salzburg scavenger hunt plays
The Salzburg scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. It takes about 2 hours, with around 31 minutes of actual walking over 2.5 km and 10 stops, and you start whenever you like.
Highlights include St Andrew's Church, both Mozart houses, the Marko-Feingold-Steg footbridge over the Salzach, Residenzplatz with its Baroque fountain, Salzburg Cathedral, St Peter's Abbey and Hohensalzburg Fortress. The old town is compact, with narrow lanes, passageways and squares packed between the Salzach and the Mönchsberg, so short walks lead from one sight to the next.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 31 min · 2.5 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese
Riddles on both banks of the Salzach
Clues in stone, bronze and paint
Ten stops, ten riddles, and each answer is in plain sight: a figure on a fountain, a date on a cathedral door, a word painted across a yellow façade. Careful looking and a little logic get you there, and you do not need to know a note of Mozart.
A turnip, a Triton and a baptismal font
Every solved riddle opens a story: the turnip in the coat of arms of Leonhard von Keutschach on the fortress walls, the Triton spouting water on top of the Residenzbrunnen, and the bronze font in the cathedral where Mozart was baptised in 1756. Prefer to listen? The audio narration reads each story to you.
Short hops, one climb
Only 31 minutes of the game are spent walking, 2.5 km in all, because Salzburg packs its squares and lanes tightly between the Salzach and the Mönchsberg. Google Maps steers you across the river on the Marko-Feingold-Steg, and the one real climb is saved for the end, up to Hohensalzburg.
Coffee first, riddles later
Nothing in the game runs against a clock, so a coffee break or a detour along Getreidegasse is fine, and you can resume on another day. Staying in the old town? Choose Residenzplatz or any other stop as your start in the app.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who the Salzburg hunt is made for
Mozart, the cathedral and the fortress in a day
Both Mozart houses, the cathedral, St Peter's and the fortress fit into a 2.5 km game of about two hours, which leaves the rest of the day for a concert or a museum. The riddles make you stop at each place rather than drift past it.
Children who like horses and giants
Kids enjoy the horse tamer at the Pferdeschwemme, the giants and horses of the Residenzbrunnen, Neptune at the Kapitelschwemme and the golden ball with a man standing on top. An adult plays along, and the stops are close together.
Groups who split up and meet at the top
A team has up to 5 players, each following the game on their own phone, so a group can split up and meet again up at the fortress. The game is played entirely on public ground and needs no venue of any kind.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The route: from St Andrew's Church across the Salzach to Hohensalzburg
10 stops · about 31 min walking · start: St Andrew's Church (Andräkirche) · finish: Hohensalzburg Fortress
The hunt starts at St Andrew's Church on the right bank of the Salzach and passes the Mozart Residence on Makartplatz before crossing the river into the old town on the Marko-Feingold-Steg. There you visit the Pferdeschwemme, Mozart's Birthplace on Getreidegasse, Residenzplatz, Salzburg Cathedral, St Peter's Abbey and the Kapitelschwemme, and finish high above the city at Hohensalzburg Fortress. If Mozart's Birthplace or the cathedral makes a better first stop for you, the app will start you there and reorder the rest, and since every answer is read off fountains, façades and squares, no riddle between the Andräkirche and the fortress asks you for an entry ticket.
Open the route map ↗
1St Andrew's Church (Andräkirche)Start
St Andrew's Church on Mirabellplatz was built in neo-Gothic style at the end of the 19th century for the growing new town on the right bank of the Salzach. It was badly damaged by bombs in the Second World War and rebuilt afterwards in a simpler form.
2Mozart Residence (Mozart-Wohnhaus)
In 1773 the Mozart family moved from Getreidegasse into this roomier house on Makartplatz, known as the Tanzmeisterhaus after the dancing masters who once taught here, and Wolfgang lived here until he left for Vienna in 1781. The house was hit by a bomb in 1944 and rebuilt, and today it is a museum about the Mozart family.
3Marko-Feingold-Steg
This footbridge over the Salzach links Makartplatz with the old town and was long known as the Makartsteg. It now bears the name of Marko Feingold, who survived several Nazi concentration camps and later led Salzburg's Jewish community for decades; he died in 2019 at the age of 106. Its railings are covered in love locks left by couples.
Read the full story →
4Pferdeschwemme (Horse Pond)
This Baroque horse pond from the late 17th century was used to wash and water the horses of the prince-archbishop's court stables, whose buildings now house the Festival halls. In the middle a horse tamer by Michael Bernhard Mandl holds a rearing horse, and the wall behind is painted with pictures of horses.
Read the full story →
5Mozart's Birthplace
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756 on the third floor of this house at Getreidegasse 9, where his family rented an apartment. It has been a museum since 1880, and the words Mozarts Geburtshaus are written in large letters on its yellow façade.
6Residenzplatz
Residenzplatz is framed by the Residenz, the palace of the prince-archbishops, and the Neue Residenz, whose tower holds the Salzburg Glockenspiel. In the middle stands the Residenzbrunnen from the mid-17th century, one of the largest Baroque fountains north of the Alps, with horses, giants and a Triton spouting water at the top.
7Salzburg Cathedral
Salzburg Cathedral was rebuilt in early Baroque style to designs by Santino Solari and consecrated in 1628. Mozart was baptised in its bronze font in 1756, and the three bronze doors at the entrance carry the years 774, 1628 and 1959: the first cathedral, the consecration and the reconsecration after war damage.
8St Peter's Abbey
St Peter's Abbey was founded by St Rupert around 696 and is one of the oldest monasteries in the German-speaking world still in use. Its cemetery at the foot of the Mönchsberg has wrought-iron grave crosses, catacombs cut into the rock and the grave of Mozart's sister Nannerl.
Read the full story →
9Kapitelschwemme
The Kapitelschwemme on Kapitelplatz was built in 1732 under Prince-Archbishop Leopold Anton von Firmian as a horse pond for the cathedral chapter. In the middle Neptune with his trident rides a sea horse, and on the same square stands Sphaera, Stephan Balkenhol's large golden ball with a man standing on top.
Read the full story →
10Hohensalzburg FortressFinish
Archbishop Gebhard began Hohensalzburg Fortress in 1077, and it was enlarged over the centuries, above all under Leonhard von Keutschach around 1500, whose turnip coat of arms appears on its walls. It is one of the largest fully preserved medieval castles in Europe, and the Festungsbahn funicular has run up to it since 1892.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Tracey Graney (verified owner) –
It didn’t take us the the song of music places which I feel it should
Anonymous (verified owner) –
Very nice activity!
Victoria (verified owner) –
Das war schon das zweite und nicht das letzte Mal, dass wir diese wirklich tollen Rätsel gemacht haben. In Salzburg nur bei der letzten geplanten Attraktion aufpassen – in den Karten sieht es so aus als müsse man den Berg hoch – muss man aber nicht. Des Rätsels Lösung befindet sich unten am Eingang zu der Bahn, die hoch fährt.
Anonymous (verified owner) –
What a beautiful way to learn new things and solve puzzles while walking!
Claudia– Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Julia– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Denmark –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Lebreton– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Tatiana– Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
super activité elle nous a permis de découvrir la ville et de passer par tous les endroits clés
Kathrin– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Katy– United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Really fun activity to get to know Salzburg. Salzburg is much bigger than I realised and this is a great way to explore. We did it over two days and took our time pausing it to wonder off or stop for lunch. We ended at the foot of the castle and then got the funicular up to the top. The puzzles got harder as they went along but were a lot of fun.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Norway –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Katrin– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Es war eine sehr sch?ne F?hrung in Form einer Schnitzeljagd durch Salzburg. Wir wurden zu den wesentlichen Sehensw?rdigkeiten der Stadt gef?hrt. Frage 8 fanden wir keine L?sung, hier ist evtl noch etwas Anpassung hilfreich.
Austria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Perfect for a solo traveller who is there for the day. Takes away the stress of having to research what to do and see. Highly recommend.
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Permet de visiter la ville tout en suivant un parcours.
Rianne– Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Een informatieve mooie stadstour, de puzzels echte nadenkers niet heel simpel Was een fijne middag
Natalie– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
It was simple but gave us a good way to see the important spots in the city. The activity at St. Peter’s could be improved. It was not clear that we needed Roman numerals instead of numbers, and the astrological symbols did not seem to match up well.
Julia– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Wir haben die Tour gemacht, als wir das erste Mal dieses Jahr in Salzburg waren. Es ist wirklich sehr zu empfehlen. Die Wege sind nicht zu lang, und so sieht man viel von der Stadt. Die R?tsel sind cool gemacht und man erh?lt an jeder Station noch Infos wie bei einer “richtigen” Stadtf?hrung.
United States –
Collected on GetYourGuide
The scavenger hunt was a great way to see all the attractions while keeping everyone engaged and interested. Great for the whole family!
Patricia– Austria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Super werden wir in anderen St?dten wieder machen.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Texte waren interessant, jedoch teils mit zu vielen nichtssagenden Pers?nlichkeiten gespickt und eher oberfl?chlich. Au?erdem gab es einige Wiederholungen und kleine ?bersetzungsfehler. Die Einbindung in Google Maps war gut, die App selbst funktioniert tadellos. Die R?tsel waren ganz nett, eines war allerdings zu schwer und eines sogar fehlerhaft, sodass man nicht auf die L?sung kam. Man lernt die Stadt zwar kennen und kommt an die wichtigsten Pl?tze, es bleiben aber nicht ganz so viele Fakten h?ngen. Beim n?chsten Mal entscheiden wir uns wieder f?r eine Stadtf?hrung.
Petra– Austria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
R?tsel passender zum Inhalt! Wir haben f?r 2 Personen bezahlt, aber nur 1 Person anmelden m?ssen, weil wir gemeinsam gegangen sind. Daf?r war es recht teuer!
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Tour war sehr gut, wir haben alle R?tsel gel?st und alle Stellen der Stadt gesehen. Die R?tsel waren (f?r Erwachsene) teilweise sehr einfach. Manche waren aber auch schwerer. Die Schwierigkeit kam aber vor allem durch uneindeutig gestellte Fragen. Die sind f?r R?tseleinsteiger wahrscheinlich viel zu schwer. Sch?n war, dass man sich die Punkte frei aussuchen konnte, es aber trotzdem eine “optimale” vom Bahnhof aus gab. Teilweise waren die Infotexte etwas schlecht geschrieben. Vielleicht war es die Sonne, aber die S?tze waren sehr kompliziert und ab und zu hat auch mal ein Verb gefehlt. F?r den Preis kann man sich aber nicht beschweren.