Mozart on one corner, Maria on the next – Salzburg’s two biggest exports have made a massive mark on this city, whether you’re into high culture or Hollywood. And Salzburg offers plenty of high notes in terms of sights and setting, with baroque finery, a fortress of your wildest childhood dreams, fountain-splashed parks and a parade of Alpine peaks to explore and admire. Embrace the kitsch, hear classical music of world renown, go off-piste in quiet medieval backstreets, climb a mountain, dip into a modern art gallery, drift from abbey to palace to cathedral, and you’ll fall for a city that moves from urban to outdoors without missing a single beat.
Altstadt: Left Bank Altstadt: Right Bank Mönchsberg Gartenau Morzg There are castles, and then there are castles, and this medieval fortress, strategically plonked on a hill above Salzburg’s baroque Altstadt, is one to outshine them all. Visits at Fortress Hohensalzburg present a fascinating romp through 900 years of history, whisking you back to when the prince-archbishops ruled the show. Top billing goes to the opulent Golden Hall – so named because of its gilded, coffered ceiling – where classical concertsreverberate year-round.
The ramparts afford grandstand views over the city’s spires and domes to the mountains beyond. Insider's tip: You can cheat by taking the lift, but a more memorable approach the fortress is the hike up Festungsgasse, ramping up the anticipation and views! Contact: salzburg-burgen.at Pr.