Salzburg in 48 Hours

OK, you only have 48 hours in Salzburg, here are the highlights (get ready for a lot of German words).

We had gotten into Salzburg around dinner time, so we walked across the river to a restaurant we had heard amazing things about: Bärenwirt. The restaurant was cute and cozy, and there was something about drinking a beer inside the wooden walls on a cold rainy night that felt very Austrian.

Between the schnitzel, pretzels, sauerkraut and sausage, you can't go wrong with ordering anything on the menu - though I highly recommend the schnitzel. We paired our meal with the Salzburg-famous beer, Augustiner bräu, and we ended the meal with apple strudel.

After dinner, we were still feeling adventurous so we walked across the street to the brewery itself: Augustiner bräu - Kloster Mülln. It's the largest beer restaurant in Austria, and it's been brewing + serving since 1621, so I definitely recommend paying a visit!

We started the next day with one of my favorite coffee shops in the world. Kaffee-Alchemie not only has a beautiful view of the river but also serves some of the best coffee I've ever had (and I am very picky). I got a cappuccino, but I can't imagine anything tastes bad there.

We also stopped by the bakery next door before heading in: Bäckerei-Café Resch & Frisch. Though the bakery was a chain, I had what seemed to be a spinach filled pastry (but I'm honestly not sure as I can't read German at all), which made for an excellent breakfast.

The rest of the day was truly spent exploring.

There are lots of little markets + churches near Mozartplatz (the square dedicated to Mozart), but Stift St. Peter Salzburg / Erzabtei Sankt Peter was probably one of the most beautiful we visited there. However, the true gem was Stiftsbäckerei St Peter, the bakery right next to the church that's been tossing dough since 1160. Even if you're not hungry, you have to stop in to at least grab a roll.

Another "must-see" is the Mirabell Palace and, of course, the surrounding gardens. You can't miss out on an opportunity to embrace your inner Julie Andrews.

Also note that there's a beer house on just about every block, so just pick one, and order a pretzel to go with your beer. You won't be upset about it.

We started the next day at Café Tomaselli. The inside is beautiful, but if it's a nice day, go to the second floor balcony—they have waiters, but they also bring pastries around on a cart! Plus, the view of all the lightly colored buildings in the square is beautiful - not to mention a great place for people watching.

After breakfast, we made our way to the Stift Nonnberg (Nonnberg Abbey), which was also featured in the Sound of Music film. The church was just as stunning as the view photographed above. It was particularly cloudy and snowy throughout our whole time in Salzburg, but even so, the views are indescribable.

Afterward, we took the local bus to Untersberg, a small town + large mountain on the border of Austria and Germany. Once you get into the town (no more than a 30-minute bus ride), you can take the cable car up. Our ride happened to be particularly interesting as the first half looked like a beautiful summer day and the second half looked like a winter storm (see the videos for reference).

There's not much to do on the mountain top (especially when it's snowing), but it is an amazing experience, and the view is much more than I could ever show in a picture. We went in the middle of May, however, it was unusually cold that year for that time. Either way, sit back, enjoy the view and sip on a cup of hot chocolate while you're up in the clouds!

God created such a beautiful world, it would be a shame not to explore, preserve + appreciate it.

Explore: God's truly breath-taking creations like Untersberg.

Preserve: the gardens. Take a minute to notice how beautiful & clean the Mirabell Gardens are, and, if you see something that's making it less beautiful, pick it up and throw it away.

Appreciate: The history + beauty behind the Nonneberg Abbey. The dedication of the nuns that live here and flood the towns with gorgeous singing is enough to inspire anyone.

Have you been to Salzburg? Share your favorites below!