Visit Salzburg

First impressions of Salzburg

Salzburg packs a near-impossible amount of beauty into a small Baroque core squeezed between two hills and the Salzach River. The 11th-century Hohensalzburg Fortress dominates the skyline; one of the largest intact medieval castles in Europe, it's reached by a funicular up the Festungsberg. Below, you'll find Mozart's Birthplace on the pastel-yellow Getreidegasse, the gardens of Mirabell Palace (instantly recognisable from The Sound of Music), and the twin-towered Salzburg Cathedral where the composer was baptised. The whole Altstadt is a UNESCO site and small enough to cover on foot. In July and August the city hosts the Salzburg Festival, drawing the world's top opera and classical performers; in winter it transforms into one of Austria's most atmospheric Christmas markets.