A practical first-week checklist for arriving in Salzburg.
First-week paperwork
- Anmeldung (3 days) — Meldeamt, Saint-Julien-Straße 20, 5020 Salzburg, with Meldezettel + landlord signature. Free.
- Bank account — Salzburger Sparkasse (Erste Group), Raiffeisen Salzburg, BAWAG, or N26 online.
- ÖGK student insurance — Engelbert-Weiß-Weg 10, 5020 Salzburg. €78.84/month.
- SIM card — HoT, yesss!, A1, Magenta. Same nationwide rates as Vienna.
- Internet at home — Salzburg AG also offers fibre packages from €30/month.
Why Salzburg
- 156 000 people — small enough that you'll bump into classmates daily
- Bavarian Alps 20 min away — 12 winter resorts within an hour
- Mozart's birthplace — Salzburger Festspiele in summer brings the world's classical-music elite
- Rent ≈ 10 % lower than Vienna, daily life similar
- Munich 1:30 by train, Vienna 2:22, Italian Lakes 2 h drive
Coffee, classics, culture
- Café Tomaselli — 1700, Mozart's hangout
- Café Bazar — Bavarian-elegant, Mirabell view
- 220 Grad (Chiemseegasse) — third-wave coffee
- Republic (Anton-Neumayr-Platz) — student bar + brunch
Free things to do
- Festung Hohensalzburg — the fortress above the old town; the walk up is free, entry needs a ticket
- Mirabell gardens — Sound of Music backdrop, free
- Salzach river path — 60 km flat cycle to Hallein and back
- Mönchsberg — the city hill, with walking paths and views over the old town
Quiet rules
Same as Vienna: Sundays closed, 22:00–06:00 quiet, and waste is sorted — follow the labels on the bins.
Tip
Sign up to the Akademikerhilfe and ÖJAB dorm waitlists in March for the autumn semester — Salzburg's dorm capacity is small, demand is steady.