When to go · Salzburg, Austria
Best time to visit Salzburg
The sweet spot is July, September and August — averages 20°C, 15 rainy days, peak-season crowds and peak prices.
May–June and September for walking weather; late July–August for the Salzburg Festival (book months ahead); late November–December for the Advent markets.
Cool and wet on the northern edge of the Alps: summers average 18–20°C with frequent thunderstorms, June to August are the wettest months, and winters hover around freezing, with snow.
The short answer
20°C · 15 rainy days · high season
15°C · 10 rainy days · mid season
19°C · 14 rainy days · high season
Hardest months: January and December. averages a raw 0°C, 11 rainy days, few other visitors.
Month by month
| Month | Avg temp | Rain days | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C | 11d | low | Cold |
| February | 2°C | 10d | low | Cold |
| March | 6°C | 11d | low | Cold |
| April | 10°C | 12d | mid | Wet |
| May | 14°C | 13d | mid | Wet |
| June | 18°C | 15d | high | Wet |
| July | 20°C | 15d | high | Wet |
| August | 19°C | 14d | high | Wet |
| September | 15°C | 10d | mid | Mild |
| October | 10°C | 9d | mid | Chilly |
| November | 5°C | 10d | low | Cold |
| December | 1°C | 12d | high | Wet |
Verdicts are read off the three columns to their left — temperature distance from 21°C first, then rainfall, with crowds breaking ties. Averages, so any given week can differ.
If you'd rather go cheap than perfect
January, February, March and November are low season in Salzburg — thinner crowds, and the months where accommodation is easiest to book late. Budget travellers already work to about $55–90 a day here; low season is where the accommodation share of that goes furthest.
Book the month you picked
Fares move with the same seasons as the crowds — the quiet months above are usually the cheap ones to fly.