Why I built this Salzburg guide.
WHO RUNS THIS
The site is the file
I have been a licensed Salzburg guide since 2018. I founded Free Walking Tours Salzburg back in 2012, and I have personally led thousands of tours through this city. I have also walked it tens of thousands of times on my own. There are not many people here who have spent more hours on the ground with visitors asking practical questions.
Most pages on this site began as something I told a guest in front of the Cathedral, pointed out from the Festungsberg, or argued about over a beer somewhere the tour groups do not go. Introducing Salzburg is where those notes become useful for people who are planning without me standing next to them.
HOW I RECOMMEND
Three rules, no exceptions
In person, always
A place gets a page because I have actually been there, eaten there, walked it, or checked it closely enough to say something useful. Where the page says I have not been, it means exactly that.
Honest counter-takes
If something is overpriced, I say so. If the stairs beat the lift, I say so. If a famous spot is worth the crowds anyway, I say that too. The job is to serve the reader, not the attraction.
Disclosed bias
My walking-tour company is my own. Some ticket links may earn a small commission. Whenever that could affect what you read, the disclosure belongs in the body copy, not in an eight-point footer. Disclosure is part of the recommendation.
EDITORIAL PROCESS
How a place earns a page
The filter is simple: go there, check the details, photograph what is real, then write the useful version. If the page cannot pass that, it stays out of the public flow.
01 · Visit
I go, or someone I trust goes. I look at the real approach, the prices, the menu, the staff, the line, the street around it, and whether a visitor would still care after the first photograph.
02 · Cross-check
Operating details get checked against the venue, a recent visit, or a reliable public source. If I cannot confirm something, I would rather leave it blank than pretend certainty.
03 · Photograph
Original photography only. No stock. No press kits. If I do not have a usable photo, the page launches without one rather than borrowing.
04 · Write
First draft from notes. Editorial pass for voice. Honesty pass for usefulness. If the page does not tell you when something is not worth your time, it is not finished.
DISCLOSURES
What could bias what you read here
You should know who profits from a recommendation before you trust it. Here is the list.
My walking-tour company
I run a walking-tour company in Salzburg. When this site recommends a walking tour here, that is mine. I tell you upfront because if I were reading this, I would want to know. The recommendation still stands on its own merits.
Affiliate links
Some ticket and booking links earn a small commission at no cost to you. I only use them when the option is genuinely worth recommending, and the page says so when it does.
No paid placements
Nobody can pay to be listed here. No sponsored content, no paid reviews. Restaurants, hotels, and attractions cannot buy a spot or move up the page. If someone offers, the answer is no.
Comps and samples
Occasionally a place offers a comp when I review it: a museum pass, a tour seat, a tasting. When that happens, it is disclosed on the page. A comp does not buy positive coverage.
What the site covers
Four ways to use it
Places I know, experiences worth your time, regional food, and longer stories with enough context to help you choose.
WHAT ELSE I RUN
The ecosystem is visible on purpose
I run several ventures beyond Introducing Salzburg. If one of them appears in a recommendation, the connection is disclosed where you need it, not hidden away.
Free Walking Tours Salzburg
Pay-what-you-want walking tours through the Altstadt. The original. Run by a team I trained personally.
Rikschatours
Bicycle-rickshaw rides for anyone who can't walk the Altstadt. Same team, gentler logistics.
Exclusive Explorations
Custom private tours for groups who want a guide for a day, two days, or a week. Higher tier, all me.
Sitio
Sitio is my personal venture outside travel. Listed here for full disclosure. Not Salzburg-bound.
Koreanischkurs
Koreanischkurs: online Korean lessons. Nothing to do with Salzburg; included for transparency.
NoCostNomad
NoCostNomad: budget-travel notes from the road. Not Salzburg-bound; listed for disclosure.
WHO THIS IS NOT FOR
Skip this site if you want a funnel
If you want a one-stop booking funnel, this is not it. If you want a list of 47 things, this is not it. If you came looking for trust badges, awards, or a Top 10, you will be disappointed. If you want to know which of three places actually serves the dish you came for, or which way into the fortress is worth your knees, you are in the right place.
GET IN TOUCH
Tip a place. Flag a fact. Send a link.
I read everything that comes in. The form routes editorial questions straight to my inbox: no autoresponder, no ticketing system.
Write to Gerhard