Timeless elegance meets luxury at this stunning hotel in the heart of Salzburg, a perfect base for exploring the city during the Christmas season.
Salzburg is a beautiful and picturesque city in Austria that transforms into something right from a storybook around Christmastime. The city seems to have this wonderful warm glow against the chilly air and the smell of Gluhwein and freshly baked pastries just won’t go away. And, nestled across the river from the Altstadt (the historic part of town) stands the Hotel Sacher, one of the most prominent hotels in town.
The Hotel Sacher Salzburg occupies prime real estate as it’s centrally located and right on the banks of the gorgeous Salzach River. The building from the outside is impressive, with a distinctly European feel of course, but the inside with its elegant and stunning details throughout really made us feel like we’d entered a fairytale.
My favorite part of the hotel is the skylight that allows natural light to spill in and illuminate every floor. It gives the hotel a bright and open feel while showcasing details like marble pillars and ornate bronze handrails. There’s so much to admire before we even got to our room. We knew we were in good hands too as the Hotel Sacher Salzburg prides itself on exceptional service, saying all guests should be treated like royalty, but feel like family.
About Our Room
All 110 of the hotel’s rooms and suites have been personally decorated by Elisabeth Gürtler, the hotel’s owner. This attention to detail doesn’t go unnoticed from the silk wallpapers to the original paintings adorning the walls. Each room is unique and luxurious with a 19th Century charm, but with contemporary comfort.
We stayed in the Mozart Suite which had a separate bedroom, a walk-in closet and even a large living room. It was cozy but in an elegant way. The suites in this hotel are where members of state, celebrities and even royalty have stayed for over 100 years and it’s easy to see why. It felt like our own little slice of European luxury.
The rooms all have large windows with views of the historic old town, the river and Hohensalzburg Fortress. One of my favorite moments in the room was changing into the soft bathrobe found in each room, ordering some incredible pasta and just relaxing and enjoying the incredible scenery and atmosphere here.
About the Petit Sacher Program
The Hotel Sacher Salzburg also takes amazing care of the littlest guests at the hotel! The Petit Sacher Program focuses on making the stay for kids as unforgettable as it is for adults. The moment you arrive, every child gets a welcome gift, an activity book and their own check-in form.
What amazed us most, was that the details didn’t stop there, but carried on to our room. The team sets up the room for what your child might need, so in our case, there was a crib for Axel with beautiful cozy linens and toys. Then there was a special cookie decorating kit – a kid’s dream! Older kids get activities like board games, DVDs and a special Sachet Suitepad to play games on.
Breakfast is also made extra special for little ones with the Petit Sacher Breakfast Trolley that arrives with lots of options for a yummy meal. Axel was absolutely fascinated by this cart and loved choosing his own meal.
The staff really go out of their way to make kids happy here. Everywhere we went in the hotel, the team offered our little guy books or crayons and different little things to keep him busy. There was also a sweet little area in the café for him to play with his very own tea setup. We didn’t tell Axel, but all the kids also get unlimited free ice cream – next time we come, that will be his favorite part I’m sure!
Dining at Hotel Sacher
The Sacher experience doesn’t disappoint when it comes to food. There’s a full range of sweet or savory dishes and everything in-between at four different cafés, restaurants and bars. The restaurant Zirbelzimmer has unique wooden paneling and an elaborately carved ceiling and serves upscale cuisine. It overlooks the river, so the view with dinner simply can’t be beat.
We loved grabbing a bite to eat at Sacher Grill after a busy day of sightseeing around the city. The Executive Chef, Michael Gahleitner, effortlessly blends traditional recipes with creativity. The popular SalzBurger or Wiener Schnitzel are favorite dishes here among locals and tourists alike.
Of course, the highlight is the famous Café Sacher Salzburg that serves the original Sacher-Torte. This delectable chocolate cake was first created for the Prince of Austria in 1832 as a special dessert. Today, the same recipe as is used as the Sacher-Torte is handmade in the café and served with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream. It’s a royal dessert that tastes as good as it looks!
What to do in Salzburg
Salzburg is a beautiful and historic city that absolutely comes alive during Christmas. It’s very easy to be in the holiday spirit here. We came especially for the Salzburg Christkindlmarkt – one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world. It takes place right in the middle of the old city with 100 traditional market stands selling everything from Christmas tree decorations, yummy treats, mulled wine and lots of little décor items. I know we picked up a few great things to take home! There are also parades, concerts, Christmas story readings for kids and lots of music. Visit at night to see the gorgeous lighting stretched above the market stands like bright stars in the night sky.
I highly recommend a visit to the Fortress Hohensalzburg – an 11th Century fortress that looks like a castle in the Salzburg skyline. It really completed our fairytale visit to Salzburg! You can walk up to the fortress and wander through to admire the European architecture and look down on the beautiful view of the city below.
The hotel is also very close to the birthplace of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It’s now a museum of the composer’s life including his own violin and original letters and certificates.
There’s also a Sound of Music tour where a guide takes you through sites in the city that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer made famous in the film. One of the highlights is the Mirabell Garden and Pegasus Fountain where Maria and the children sang the famous “Do-Re-Mi” song.
We love the Sacher brand for how they deliver 5-star comfort and service. It’s no wonder they are among the world’s leading luxury hotels and this one in Salzburg is no different. From the moment we arrived, we were enveloped by the charm of the hotel’s surroundings and the elegant rooms.
The timelessness of Hotel Sacher Salzburg made it easy to feel like we had stepped into another world full of European charm and elegance. Topped off with exploring the historic city and incredible Christmas markets, this was a trip to remember.
