Photography in Salzburg
Salzburg is a picturesque city in Austria which sits gracefully on the edge of the Eastern Alps, where the rolling plains of Austria meet the epic mountain ranges. I don’t want to call it a hidden gem as tourism is strong in Salzburg and it is in a convenient spot to get lots of connecting trains… but I don’t see a lot of people talking about it from a photography point of view.
This is a great city to base yourself in for a few days, lots of day trips can be done from here. This is what I’ve done when i’ve visited the Alps, using Salzburg as a great city break. Last time I visited here I was mainly geared up for Landscape Photography so I had my Nikon Z7ii and I had my Z24-120 F/4 on for 95% of the time. For the rest of the time I had a small prime the Z40mm F/2 which was perfect for night time scenes. At no point did I want anything Wider or Longer.
I would say you can easily get away with a Standard Zoom range (24-70mm). For exclusive prime shooters I would recommend bringing something wide and a longer prime. Since the city is so vertical you will be bouncing between tight streets to open areas.
When you look at Salzburg, whether it’s pictures or when you arrive there. you will see the Epic Castle in the centre. Don’t let the tourist funnel fool you, yes you should go pay and explore the castle but you should also explore the surrounding area. Up on top of the castle hill it is free, there are so many great historical buildings, natural park areas and you will be able to get full views of the whole city. The sun rises and sunsets are absolutely amazing up there.
When exploring the streets this is my kind of city, completely walkable and a great mixture of historic, modern and natural areas. Since the city has so many tight to wide areas, pretty much any time of the day is going to give you amazing photography opportunities. I would often walk past a area again after a few minutes and the lighting would change drastically.
A perfect way to unwind in Salzburg is sit by the river and watch the sunset looking at the castle. If you don’t whisper “epic” to yourself, I don’t want to know you.
