Salzburg Travel Guide

Salzburg is perhaps the quintessential Austria, where grand buildings, steep hills and crisp mountain air come together in glorious fashion. Famously the birthplace of Mozart, the sublime composer's influence is difficult to ignore, as his image is on every postcard and chocolate box, and both his birthplace and family home are now museums offering detailed insight into his life and work. The city celebrates its most notable son during the Salzburg Festival, which presents world-class concerts and performances of opera and drama each summer.

Salzburg is also the hometown of Baroque, and the south side of the river is a beautiful Baroque sprawl of charming churches, squares, houses and fountains. The original buildings were cleared in the late 1500s by Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau in order to create a 'German Rome'.

All the main sights are within walking distance of the spacious old city (Altstadt), which is now largely pedestrianised. A few miles to the south of the city are the historic towns of Hallein and Werfen, and to the west are the lakes of Salzberger, which are especially worth visiting during the spring and summer when the wildflowers are out.