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Salzburg is a stunning city, situated in the heart of Europe, in western Austria, on the northern boundaries of the Alps. Located about 300 km from Vienna and 140 km from Munich in Germany, Salzburg is regarded as one of the cultural capitals of the world. Salzburg is sometimes acknowledged as the City of Music, since it is the birthplace of world-famous musician, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. With its small alleyways, picturesque colorful town houses, and fabulous castles and palaces, Salzburg is undoubtedly a year-round tourist destination.

Salzburg Tourist Attractions

Hohensalzburg Fort

Built in 1077 by Archbishop Gebhard, Hohensalzburg Fortress (also known as Salzburg Fort) is one of the largest fortresses in central Europe. Apart from being a fortification, the fort once served as the residence of many prince archbishops. One of the great things regarding the fort is that it has never been conquered by any enemy troop. Among the attractions of the fort are the Golden Hall and the Golden Chamber graced with ornamental paintings and complicated Gothic wood-carvings. The fort now hosts the International Summer Academy, which attracts artists from across the world.

Mozart’s Birthplace and Residence

According to certain records, Mozart’s family lived here between the periods 1747 and 1773. Now, the residence has been converted into a museum, displaying items used by Mozart during his childhood days, such as, his violin, clavichord, and pianoforte.

St. Peter’s Burial Ground

This burial ground is one of the oldest as well as the most interesting cemeteries in the world. The area serves as the resting place for many renowned personalities, such as artists, scholars, and merchants.

Untersberg Mountains

A lovely ride to atop the Untersberg Mountains via a large cabin of cable car would be enjoyable. It allows you to enjoy the magnificent beauty of the Rositten Valley as well as the surrounding mountains.

Museums in Salzburg

• The Museum of Modern Art, located within a 17th-century building, is perhaps the most prominent among the museums in the region. Highlights include artworks of such renowned artists as Klimt and Kokoschka. A variety of temporary exhibits can also be seen here.
• Another popular museum is Museum of Natural History, exhibiting a variety of natural history collection and aquarium and reptile collections.
• Museums in Salzburg also include Cathedral Museum, whose specialties are Precious jewel-studded monstrance and Art and Rarities Collection. Exhibits also cover items such as gems, fossils, and carved ivory.

Churches

Most significant among the churches of the city is perhaps Salzburg’s Cathedral – an impressive structure with royal façade and mighty dome. Also, popular is OpeninKollegienkirche or Collegiate Church, designed by great baroque architect, Fischer von Erlach. In addition, Salzburg is also home to an amazing array of castles and buildings, each of them reflecting baroque architecture. No wonder why Salzburg is sometimes dubbed as the ‘Rome of the North.’

Festivals

Salzburg is a venue for such colorful as well as cultural festivals as Salzburger Festspiele, an annual event offering a range of concerts, operas, and theatrical plays, from classical to contemporary styles.

One of the most beautiful countries in the world, Austria is certainly a very special place whose scenic beauty was best highlighted in the movie ‘Sound of Music’. There are many wonderful cities as well including Vienna, Salzburg and the towns in the alpine parts of the country like Hallstatt that are worth visiting. However, when visiting this lovely country make sure that you have enough money to spend as it is a very expensive place, which is why some people abstain from making it their holiday destination.

Nevertheless, Austrian cities, especially Vienna have a lot of history behind them and of course, as everyone knows, the country is the home of the waltz and its musical past is perhaps without a peer anywhere else in the world. You would also be impressed by the Habsburg Palaces or the Schoenbrunn Palace Gardens and walking the cobblestone streets of Vienna will be a special experience, and you can almost feel and hear many a music composer hard at his or her work. You will notice that many walking areas too have small orchestras playing their music in the evenings.

For all the impressive attractions that a city such as Vienna has for the tourist, the only drawback is the high cost of visiting Austria as it does pinch the pocket to come and visit this outstanding city. You may also like to pay a visit to the home of Mozart, which is Salzburg that is much like Vienna though it does allow you some quietude as opposed to the hustle and bustle of the capital. Here, you can enjoy a glass of beer and enjoy the operas and even take pleasure in walking the unique rose gardens.

If you are the skiing type, then you must head down to the little Alpine town of Halsatt that is about an hour’s drive from Salzburg and is best reached using the train services. What’s so unique about Halsatt you may ask? Well, for starters, the scenery is uniquely splendid and it also is an Alpine town that does not have any cars. When you come to Halsatt, you will feel like you have stepped into a time machine and been transported into the past. For a change, the prices are reasonable and you will be met by the friendly peoples of Halsatt and everywhere you will feel an atmosphere most conducive to romancing. There are swans swimming in the lakes and for the incorrigible romantic, Halstatt is certainly the place to be.

No doubt, Austria is expensive; but, it is so beautiful and appealing that you should make the effort and save enough to at least visit it once in your lifetime as you will surely find great pleasure and feel that your money has been well spent given the many attractions that are on offer.