Getreidegasse

Getreidegasse (also known as Grain Lane) offers upmarket boutiques set amongst medieval streets and picturesque courtyards, musicians and performers. This is a great outing whether you’re a serious buyer or just window shopping for a few hours. During the late 1500s and early 1600s, this area was a main thoroughfare leading to Bavaria. It was popular with wealthy merchants and was one of the city’s most desired neighbourhoods. Today, the stylish fashion and jewellery boutiques help to preserve the exclusive aura — but everyone is welcome.

Narrow, tall row houses along Getreidegasse epitomize Salzburg’s medieval architecture. Historians and architecture buffs will admire the wrought iron signs and portal windows from this long-ago era. Fashionistas will enjoy browsing the high-end stores. Music lovers will be kept busy shopping for Mozart souvenirs and The Sound of Music memorabilia. Mozart’s Birthplace and Museum is situated at Getreidsgasse 9. Learn about the childhood of the composer on a guided one-hour tour. Book ahead on the website or by phone.

The flat streets of Getreidegasse are ideal for walking, and the intimate courtyards provide a quiet respite from the crowds in summer. Each courtyard has its own individual style, including murals, arches and flower arrangements. Walk from Schatz Haus to Universitätsplatz, and look for a painting of Madonna with Child and a plaque dedicated to German politician August Bebel.

Miracle’s Wax Museum is a good family attraction for those interested in seeing a recreation of Salzburg at the end of the 18th century.

Getreidegasse is situated in the heart of Salzburg’s Old Town, which you can reach by bus from Salzburg’s main train station. From Getreidegasse you can walk to many other attractions, including the Residenz palace and Salzburg Cathedral. From the eastern end of the street you can walk to the lift that takes you up the mountain of Mönchsberg where there’s a branch of Salzburg’s Museum of Modern Art. Getreidegasse is quietest in the early morning, before the shops open. It’s especially pretty at night when the shops and houses turn on their lights.