Fancy a European getaway with a difference? Have you considered Salzburg? This surprising little Austrian city has a lot to offer the discerning traveller looking for a unique destination so read on if you know nothing about Salzburg but are interested in a location that offers beauty and a wealth of culture…..
Salzburg literally means “salt fortress” and is famous mainly for being the birthplace of Mozart and for its incredibly well preserved historical city centre which the UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 1997. This delightful city with its cobbled streets, horse-drawn carriages and tempting coffee shops was used as the setting for part of the famous film – The Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews. It would appear that there is more of a fan following of this film outside of Austria than within the country itself and those foreign fans can get their fix of musical fun by tagging along at one of the Sound of Music Tours offered in and around the city.
Salzburg is located on the banks of the River Salzach, north of the Alps, so the stunning baroque architecture is not the only beauty that you can find here, a short trip out of the city will take you to places of spectacular natural beauty too. The locals here speak Austrian German and a German dialect known as Austro-Bavarian. If you know a little German, you should get by just fine.
Tourists generally flock to a few main sights which include the Salzburg Cathedral, Mozart’s birthplace and residence, the Hohensalzburg Castle and the whole historical part of the town centre. The Salzburg Music Festival which takes place every year over the summer months also attracts a lot of visitors to Salzburg so bear this in mind if you are planning to visit the city in July or August as flight prices go up and budget accommodation in Salzburg fills up early,
You can see pretty much all that the city centre has to offer in a weekend but a four or five day break is ideal if you intend to take a trip out of the city and get a glimpse of those beautiful Alps. Salzburg – a great choice in my opinion for an original European city break
