Salzburg snapshot

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Salzburg is an elegant and spacious baroque city set against a breathtaking backdrop of Austrian mountain scenery. The snow-capped Hohe Tauern rise in the south and to the north are the hills and lakes of the Salzkammergut.

The Altstadt (old city), on the banks of the fast-flowing River Salzach, has been granted World Heritage Status and is now largely traffic free.

The Monchsberg, a huge cliff, towers above the old town. You can ride up to it on Austria's oldest funicular and it's also home to the city's Modern Art Museum.

Top attractions

Though thought of as a typically Austrian city, Salzburg has mostly been Bavarian or an independent city state, only coming under the rule of the Austrian Habsburgs in 1816.

Key attractions include the Peterskirche (St Peter’s Abbey) with its catacombs), the Domkirche, which was intended to rival St Peter’s in Rome and the Alter Markt or old market square.

All sights are within walking distance of the centre and overlooking all is the fortress of Hohensalzburg, which can be reached on foot or by funicular.

Salzburg’s most famous son is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who is commemorated in the annual Salzburger Festspiele, which take place all over the city.

Homage to Mozart

Mozart’s birthplace is in the Getreidegasse, also the city’s main shopping street, while the family home is on the main market square. Both are now museums on the great musician's his life and work. Salzburg is also a student city with three universities.

Like Vienna, Salzburg is packed with fine examples of baroque architecture, notably the Franciscan church, the Nonnberg Convent, the Trinity Church and the Palace of the Prince-Archbishops. The city's wealth was based on the salt trade, and the mines and the Celtic Museum of Hallein are well worth a visit.

Badgastein is a popular spa and winter resort with a large casino, whilst Kaprun offers glacier skiing even in the summer. The Zell-am-See skiing area has an active nightlife and the open air Folk Museum at Grossgmain is also worth a visit.

The Mirabell Gardens featured in the Sound of Music film - it's where the Von Trapp children sang 'Do-Re-Mi.' Fifteen minutes away at Helbrunn is where 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen' was sung in the film.

The city is serviced by comprehensive rail connections, with frequent east-west trains servicing Vienna, Munich, Innsbruck, and Zürich. It is also a major rail hub for southbound trains through the Alps into Italy. In the city there is a an extensive trolleybus and bus system.

Salzburg's W A Mozart Airport has scheduled flights to European cities such as Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Dublin, Amsterdam and Zürich as well as a large number of charter flights. The airport is 4km west of Salzburg and 2km from the German border.

Make sure you include Booked.net if searching for Salzburg hotels. They list a good number of quality hotels, available at competitive prices. Also, you don't have to pay any extra fees for booking, administration or cancellation.

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