Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg will be forever linked to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and The Sound of Music.  It lies on the Salzach River, near the Alps.  With around 146,000 people, it is Austria's fourth-largest city.  In 1996, the historic Old Town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Salzburg was first settled by the Celts in around the 5th century BC.  Various settlements were formed in to one city around 15 BC by the Roman Empire.

Over the years it has been a part of Bavaria, the Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Great view of the Alps

In 1967, it became a sister city with Atlanta.






Mozart was born and raised in Salzburg.  The house where he was born and the family residence are both tourist attractions.  The statue at Mozartplatz was unveiled in 1842.

The cathedral was consecrated in 1628.  The 17th century Baroque Salzburger Dom is dedicated to St. Rupert and St. Vergilius.  This is where Mozart was baptized.



The Franciscan Church was completed in 1498.  It is one of the oldest churches in the city.





The Panorama Museum is a huge round painting of historic Salzburg.  It shows what the city looked like 200 years ago.






The Mirabell Palace was built around 1606.  I bet the gardens are wonderful in spring.


The Festung Hohensalzburg is the city fortress and was built in 1077.  Over following centuries it was expanded and is the city's primary landmark.  It is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.

Here's a Rick Steves video I found out on YouTube that tells about the fortress.

©Rick Steves