Located on the border to Germany, Salzburg is a unique blend of scenic Alpine landscape and beautiful Baroque architecture. It truly is the quintessential European town and is worth every effort to make the trip.
The city's name translates roughly to ‘salt fortress’ and for many years, salt had been mined from the area surrounding Salzburg, making it a powerful trading city thousands of years ago.
Renowned for its Baroque architecture that’s built liberally throughout the old town, Salzburg incredibly managed to survive World War II with minimal damage, thankfully keeping much of the traditional city unharmed.
Salzburg definitely lives up to its reputation of being one of the most beautiful cities in the world, spoilt with surrounding sprawling mountains and sublime scenery. You’ll feel as if you’ve just walked into a real life fairytale with alluring cobblestone streets merging into quaint squares.
The city’s spectacular Old Town, Altstadt, is the largest and most well-known square, with historic architecture from the Middle Ages, Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance periods lining the centre – after all, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site for a reason!
Salzburg has produced several famed musicians, composers, and poets, with the most notable being the talented Mozart, who is one of the most legendary to come from the central European country.
Whilst discovering the city, it’s not all quaint streets and squares, with plenty of attractions to uncover during your journey. Here’s a little list we’ve composed of what to see when visiting Salzburg:
- Old City Hall
- Mozart’s Birthplace
- St Peter’s Abbey, Cemetery and Catacombs
- Hohensalzburg Fortress
- Salzburg Cathedral
- Kapitelplatz
- The Getreidegasse, the city’s main shopping street
- Mozartplatz
- Mirabell Palace
Salzburg is without a doubt a must-see when exploring Austria. If it sounds like your cup of tea, you can discover Salzburg with us on our Alpine Discovery small group tour.
All images by: Victoria Hearn
