Wedding locations in Salzburg: castles, lakes and mountains
The most beautiful places to get married in and around Salzburg, from Schloss Mirabell to the lakes of the Salzkammergut and the alms above the city.
locations, salzburg, weddings
Few places pack this much into such a small area. Within an hour of Salzburg you can marry in a baroque palace, on a lakeshore or on a mountain with the city below you. Here are some of the best wedding locations in and around Salzburg, with a few notes from behind the camera.
In the city
- Schloss Mirabell, Marble Hall: The most popular place for civil ceremonies in Salzburg, and often called one of the most beautiful wedding halls in Europe. The Mirabell Gardens outside are perfect for a few portraits straight after.
- Schloss Leopoldskron: A lakeside palace just outside the old town. Its Venetian Room was the model for the ballroom in The Sound of Music.
- Schloss Hellbrunn: Palace, park and the famous white gazebo from the film. Lots of space and greenery for portraits.
- Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Mönchsberg: For vows above the rooftops of the old town, with views across the whole city.
- The Gwandhaus: A venue with a lot of character for the celebration itself.
By the lakes
- Fuschlsee and Schloss Fuschl: Turquoise water, a castle hotel on the shore and some of the clearest light in the region.
- Wolfgangsee: Lakeside villages, and you can even get married on one of the boats, including a paddle steamer from 1873.
- Hintersee: Quiet, surrounded by mountains, and wonderful for a couple shoot.
- Langbathsee: Just over the border in the Salzkammergut. Small, calm and ideal for an outdoor ceremony by the water.
In the mountains
- Erentrudisalm: An alm above the city with views to the mountains. I photographed a wedding here where the rain only stopped just in time, and the light afterwards was worth every worried look at the sky.
- Zistelalm on the Gaisberg: One of the most popular mountain venues in the region, on the city’s own mountain.
- Maria Plain: A pilgrimage church on a hill north of the city, with a view that’s made for wedding photos.
What I’d look for in a location
- The light: Ask which way the venue faces and where the sun sets on your date. It decides how your portraits and evening photos will look.
- A plan B: Rain happens, especially in the mountains. A covered space nearby keeps everyone relaxed.
- Time between places: If the ceremony and the celebration are in different spots, allow for travel and a buffer.
- Book early: The most popular venues can be booked up to two years ahead.
Places I’ve photographed include Schloss Fuschl and Fuschlsee, Mirabellgarten and Schloss Mirabell, Hintersee, Erentrudisalm, the Gwandhaus and Langbathsee. Planning from abroad? As a bilingual local, I’m happy to help with the language side and local know-how. If you’d like to see what a day at one of them looks like, have a look at my weddings.
Got a place in mind? Tell me where you’re thinking of