Food & Beer Culture

Among Salzburg's specialties are the Salzburger Nockerl, a warm soufflé made from whipped egg whites, shaped to evoke the hills surrounding the city. It's a dessert, and it pairs well with a malty Märzen, since both share a caramel-like sweetness.

Things get heartier with Brettljause (a cold cured-meat platter), roast pork, and Kasnocken (cheese dumplings). Salzburg pilsner cuts through fat and cheese, as its carbonation and bitterness refresh the palate. Sausage lovers should try the Salzburger Bosna, a roll filled with grilled sausage, onions, mustard, and curry.

At the Augustiner Bräustübl, culture and food go hand in hand. According to the house, the beer garden seats more than 1,000 guests, the halls more than 900, and there are over 240 regulars' tables. Around 600,000 visitors a year are said to pass through—a spot embraced by locals and travelers alike.

Beer here comes with pretzels and radishes, plus cold snacks from the stalls inside. Pretzels go with the beer the way salt goes with the pretzel itself. The idea echoes the old monastery tavern: you eat what's on hand, and wash it down with the monks' beer.

First-time beer drinkers in Salzburg often find themselves noticing the wood, the stone, and the atmosphere of the place as much as the beer itself. The beer stays modestly in the background, as befits a monastery brew. After all, the monks of Mülln weren't brewing for connoisseurs—they were brewing for the communal table where everyone sat together.