Gurken in the Furtwänglerpark in Salzburg | © Tourismus Salzburg GmbH

Picnic with Gherkins

What do gherkins, students and the Salzburg Festival have in common? Probably one of the most beautiful experiences in Salzburg's culture. While elsewhere you sit in a café watching people, we immerse ourselves in the "true Salzburg" with a delicacy-picnic.

Among church towers and pickled gherkins

Back to the question of what gherkins and students have to do with the Salzburg Festival. The answer is simple: the Furtwänglerpark in Salzburg's old town. We choose this park for our picnic because it's probably rare to be able to snack in the midst of so much flair. On one side we have the beautiful University Church, on the other the Festival Halls. Oh, the stories these buildings could tell. They would tell of prince archbishops and celebrities on the red carpet. The gaze wanders on to the auditorium of the university. And in front of it are five life-size gherkins. What sounds strange is a work of art by the Styrian artist Erwin Wurm and testimony to the fact that Salzburg also knows how to deal with contemporary art. This installation is part of the "Walk of Modern Art" and if you look closely, you will find 13 other works of art in the middle of the baroque town centre. But to be honest: no other sculpture makes you as hungry as these gherkins. The rest of the buildings surrounding the park are the university, which also explains the youthful chatter coming from the groups of people around us, occasionally mixed with the ringing of bells from the surrounding churches.

Salzburg delicacies to go

Salzburg has a lot to offer when it comes to food – including takeaways for our picnic. Connoisseurs (and lazy people) can order ready-made picnic baskets from Salzburg's restaurants and hotels. For our picnic, however, we leave the fine restaurants and trendy cafés behind and venture into the market. The Grünmarkt, just a few metres from the town's best picnic spots, is open every day except Sunday. We pick up some fresh bread, cheese and delicious sausages. There's also a variety of fruit and Salzburg pretzels on offer. Many Salzburgers also get a Bosna at the Balkan Grill and simply sit down on the bank of the Salzach river. When the sun sets behind the Mönchsberg and the movements of the seagulls and ducks become almost meditative, you can easily lose track of time.

The best places in the town centre

In terms of cuisine, you are spoilt for choice – a dilemma you could also encounter when it comes to location. The picture-postcard quality of Salzburg's beauty makes every spot look like a work of art. In addition to the Furtwängler Park with its urban flair and the banks of the Salzach river with its picturesque view of the Old Town, it's also worth climbing the city's mountains. The Mönchsberg in particular is simply ideal for a picnic. Those who prefer something more rustic can take their food to the Augustiner Bräu beer garden and tap their beer in a clay jug. It seems that once you've made the plan to eat outdoors and get to know the most beautiful parts of Salzburg at the same time, you'll realise how many options there are.

By bike to Hellbrunn

The advantage of a picnic in town is, of course, that everything you need is within walking distance. You can, however, also pack the goodies into a rucksack and go on an excursion by bike. It doesn't have to be far at all: the gardens of Hellbrunn Palace are leisurely half-hour bike ride away and offer plenty of space to spread out a picnic blanket and play with a frisbee or ball. The site is also ideal because there are public toilets. Kids will find one of the biggest and coolest playgrounds in town. If you run out of food or have a craving for ice cream, a café in Hellbrunn just a few steps away offer the solution.

Let's take a seat in the Furtwängler Park, enjoy a pretzel from the market and have a smile at the people having their photographs taken with Erwin Wurm's gherkins. Salzburg is a fantastic town – with leisure, pleasure and culture, all within easy reach.

Out of respect for nature and its inhabitants – please don't litter.