What to eat in Salzburg
The original Mozartkugel, goulash and Weisswurst with a pretzel — the city is small enough that the best dishes often share one menu.
- The original Mozartkugel
- €2.20 (each) each
- Beef goulash
- €17.90
- Weisswurst with a pretzel
- €8.40
Salzburg's kitchen is Austrian, with one sweet exception that carries the city's name. The original Mozartkugel is made to a recipe from around 1890, sold by the piece, and easily mixed up with the cheaper supermarket version. The rest of the menu is goulash, sausages and the market on the Universitätsplatz.
The original Mozartkugel — and where it isn't
The original Salzburger Mozartkugel, pistachio marzipan and nougat in dark chocolate, wrapped in silver foil with a blue portrait, is made by the Fürst family to a recipe from around 1890. A piece is €2.20 (each). It is bought at Fürst's own shops; a supermarket box with the same name belongs to a different maker.
Goulash and sausages
Beef goulash (€17.90) is thicker than the Viennese version, heavy on paprika, with onion cooked down until it falls apart. Weisswurst with a pretzel (€8.40) is a Bavarian import at home here. Traditionally eaten before noon, by the old rule that it should not hear the midday bell. Sacher sausages with mustard and horseradish (€7.90) are a third option off the same menu, for something sharper than goulash and lighter than the sausage.
The Grünmarkt — a market in the centre
An open-air market on the Universitätsplatz, in the shade of a fountain, with vegetables, cheese and bread from the stalls, open every day except Sunday. Exact hours, and when it is best for lunch, sit on the one-day plan.
Quick bites and set lunches
- Set lunch: €10–15 for a workday meal, usually weekdays only.
- Restaurant, main course: €11–17 for goulash or Weisswurst at a table, no drinks.
- Street or kiosk: €5.40–6.20, the quickest option, no sitting down.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What to try first in Salzburg?
The original Mozartkugel (€2.20 (each)) from a Fürst shop; a supermarket sells a different product under the same name. The recipe has been the same since around 1890.
When is Weisswurst eaten?
Before noon, traditionally. After lunch it gets harder to find on a menu.
Is the Grünmarkt open every day?
Not on Sundays. It runs the other days, with shorter hours on Saturdays; exact times are on the one-day plan.
Ready for Salzburg?
Where to next
The best time to visit Salzburg
→Salzburg has six weeks in the year to catch deliberately or dodge deliberately — and they are all in summer.
Hallstatt · 52 km
→A village that lived off salt for seven thousand years, and off photographs for the last ten
How well does Salzburg suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
Leave your email and we'll let you know when a new destination or story goes up.