Luxury hotels in Salzburg

Salzburg guide

Salzburg: Mozart's city and the Festival

The baroque old town below the fortress, Mozart's birthplace and the summer festival.

Salzburg's baroque old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site below the Hohensalzburg Fortress, is the most cited sight, with Mozart's birthplace on Getreidegasse. The Salzburg Festival, held each summer from late July to August, is one of the world's great music and theatre festivals; tickets and hotels must be secured early.

The Mirabell Gardens, the funicular to the fortress and the Sound of Music locations draw visitors, and the lakes of the Salzkammergut, such as Hallstatt and Wolfgangsee, are an easy day trip. Advent brings Christmas markets.

Hohensalzburg Fortress

Hohensalzburg Fortress, begun in 1077 and one of the largest fully preserved medieval castles in Europe, dominates Salzburg and is one of its most cited sights. The FestungsBahn funicular climbs to it in about a minute, and the ramparts give views over the old town and the Alps.

Inside, the Golden Hall and the Prince's Chambers show the wealth of the prince-archbishops, and evening concerts are held there throughout the year. The walk down through the Mönchsberg leads to the Museum of Modern Art and its terrace.

The Salzkammergut and Hallstatt

The Salzkammergut, a region of Alpine lakes east of Salzburg, is the most cited day trip from the city. Hallstatt, a village of wooden houses on the shore of its lake and a UNESCO site, is one of the most photographed in Austria, and its salt mine is considered the oldest in the world.

Hallstatt receives many day visitors, so arriving early or staying overnight makes a difference. St. Wolfgang on the Wolfgangsee, with its cog railway up the Schafberg, and the elegant spa town of Bad Ischl are quieter alternatives.