Anif offers several ways to shape your stay: the Parish Church of St. Oswald stands in the town center, historic sites tell stories of religious and secular history, and the forest swimming pool offers a wide range of leisure activities. There is also a bus connection to the zoo entrance and cycling routes towards Salzburg. You can tailor your stay around culture, outdoor activities or a specific connection to the city.
Local History and Architecture
The Catholic Parish Church of St. Oswald stands on a hill in the town center and is surrounded by a cemetery. It was first mentioned in 790. Its choir is Gothic, while its tower is Late Romanesque. This striking tower remains a landmark of the town to this day. The church and its architectural features give Anif a distinct cultural and historical character, different from the leisure activities at the forest swimming pool.
The atonement cross, also known as the “murder cross,” has stood since 1953 on the path to the Anif entrance of Hellbrunn Zoo, at the end of Theodor-Gugl-Weg. Another trace of local history leads to the historic Thingstätte, later known as the Landschranne. In the Middle Ages, the Taiding was held there on the Monday after St. George’s Day, when the regional law was proclaimed and justice was administered. The stone Taiding table is a replica erected in 1937. This distinction makes it possible to separate the site’s medieval function from the table built there later.
Anif Water Castle has been documented since the 16th century. It lies in the middle of an extensive park, on an artificial lake. This adds further historical and landscape features to the area alongside its church architecture.
Forest Swimming Pool and Outdoor Activities
The Anif forest swimming pool is on the outskirts of Salzburg and stands out for its clear, fresh mountain water amid nature. Its leisure facilities include a wide range of activities, including volleyball and table tennis. This gives the forest swimming pool a different focus from the cultural and historical sites: here, leisure and outdoor activities take center stage.
The Waldbad Anif climbing park is also suitable for complete beginners. One of its specific attractions is the Speed-Flying-Fox zipline. It is approximately 300 meters long, reaches speeds of up to 60 km/h and runs the entire length of the Anif forest swimming pool. The climbing park also offers other leisure activities at the pool.
Getting to Salzburg
Bus route 25 is one option for getting to the zoo: it runs regularly from Salzburg Central Station via Salzburg city center and Hellbrunn to the “Anif Zoo Salzburg” stop. From there, it is about a three-minute walk to the zoo entrance. If you plan to use this connection, check the timetable before your trip.
From Anif, you can explore the surrounding area and the city of Salzburg by bike along the Mozart Cycle Path. Salzburg is an easy 15-minute ride along the Salzach. The bus and cycling routes serve different purposes: the bus information refers to the journey to the zoo entrance, while the cycling route is for trips to Salzburg and the surrounding area.
Choosing a Hotel in Anif
If you are looking for a hotel in Anif, first consider which routes and interests matter for your stay: getting to the zoo, cycling towards Salzburg, local history and culture, or the leisure facilities at the forest swimming pool. Compare the hotel’s exact address with the places you plan to visit. If you intend to take the bus, include the current timetable for route 25 in your planning. This way, you can base your search on what you actually plan to do.
Discover more destinations: Straßwalchen, Faistenau, Nußdorf Am Haunsberg, Grödig, Helming, Salzburg, Henndorf Am Wallersee, Eugendorf.
Back to the main travel guide: Salzburg-Flachgau.
