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In addition, the the unique setting of the
Old Town is quite charming and your memories will certainly be influenced by the wonderful shops, cozy hotels and great restaurants. Did we mention the fun to be found at Hellbrunn Palace and
its “trick” fountains? We think that Salzburg will be all that
you dreamed it would be and
more, but it is a town meant to be savored, not rushed. If you can budget
the time, spend at least two days and three nights.
Located in western Austria, near the border with Germany, Salzburg sits
astride the Salzach River, which flows north through the town. In Medieval
times, the Salzach was an important transportation artery for the
shipment of salt. Today the river remains navigable, but is not an important
part of the region’s transportation.
The Salzach cuts through the Monchsberg and Kapuzinerberg, two low mountains
with the Old Town and the major tourist attractions in Salzburg on the left bank hugging
the Monchsberg. To the east of the river, there are several important
attractions, a number of pleasant hotels and the train station (Hauptbanhoff)  .
Salzburg’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of the many
reasons for this honor was recognition of the care that the city has given
to preserving its unique heritage. The pre-Salzburg history of the city
includes links to a Celtic outpost and then a Roman city, which declined
rapidly after a promising start as a trade center. The city that we know as
Salzburg (Salt Castle) dates from the 8th century when a settlement began to
develop around a religious settlement. From the 14th to the 19th centuries,
Salzburg was a city-state ruled by Prince-Archbishops, who were responsible
for look of today's Old Town, as they built many of the city’s most well known monuments.
In later times, Salzburg was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire,
included as part of the Kingdom of Bavaria, a component of the short-lived
German Austrian state formed after World War I and annexed by Germany again
in 1938. The city was bombed and severely damaged during World War II. Many areas were rebuilt
after the war, but numerous Baroque landmarks in the Old Town survived relatively unscathed. After World War II Austria was established as an independent
country, although unification with Germany was prohibited by treaty. Today,
population of Salzburg and its suburbs approximates 200,000 people.
Austrians seem to be focused on music and nowhere more so than Salzburg,
which is the city where Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart
(popularly known as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) was born on January 27, 1756.
Most places you will visit in Salzburg will have some link to Mozart, many
of them locations where he first played a new work. Of course, Salzburg more
than wears its association with Mozart, it celebrates it year around.
Those of you who are you are interested in music should try to schedule your
visit during the Salzburger Festspiele held in the last week of July and all
of August. The town is crowded during this period, as the music and theater
festival is very popular. See the
official
website
for information on dates, venues, events and pricing.
In January, the famed Salzburg Mozart Festival is held around Mozart’s
birthday (the 27th of January). It is known for its top rank performers and
is a world-famous event. See the official website of
the Salzburg Mozart Festival for more details. It is advisable to book your
reservations a year prior to the festival, as this is a formal event with
enormous popularity.
For those of you looking for something slightly different, over 300
classical, mostly Mozart concerts a year are offered at the Salzburg
Fortress. In addition, the nightly Mozart Dinner Concert might be of
interest to other.
 Salzburg offers five major areas for exploration. Salzburg’s Old Town, which
runs from the northwest to the southeast along the western bank of the Salzbach River, hardly seems big enough for two core areas,
but it has them nonetheless. Shopping and restaurants are the kings of
the northwestern section of the Old Town along Getreidegasse. It
is on this crowded lane that you will also find Mozart’s
birthplace (Mozart’s Geburthaus), opposite the Hagenauerplatz).
The second
core consists of the historical buildings and squares that surround the Dom,
Salzburg’s cathedral. Next, atop the Monchberg (actually on a hill that has
come to be known as the Festungberg) is the city’s renowned Festung Hohensalzsburg
(The Fortress) . Across the river from the Old Town, you will find the Mirabel
Gardens and also the residence where Mozart was raised (the Mozart Wohnhaus) and
wrote some of his important works. In addition, this area has many
restaurants, and shopping areas, as well as some of the city’s fine
theaters.
Finally, close to the city, but outside the Centrum, you will find
Schloss Hellbrunn, a summer palace of the Prince-Archbishops that is an
attraction you should not miss visiting.
Next - Salzburg's
Old Town
Or -
The Festung Hohensalzburg and the Residenz
Or -
Mirabel Palace and Gardens, the Mozart Residence and more
Or -
Hellbrunn Palace and Water Gardens
Or -
Return to Best Places to Visit in Austria
If you need information about another travel destination, try
our
Destination Guide Index
or Googling ThereArePlaces.
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