In the enticing country of Austria lies the beautiful city of Salzburg, the fourth largest city in the country and an intriguing tourist delight. It is one of the most mesmerizing and the best preserved cities in the northern alpine region with its notable baroque architecture that forms the city centre. In 1997, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is the birthplace of the renowned 18th century composer, Mozart. It also features as one of the many famous locales in Austria in the well-known film ‘The Sound of Music’ and those interested can find guided tours to these sites.

Lying in the north of the Alps, along the Salzach River, Salzburg in contrast to the hilly southern side of the Alps is located on the vast northern plains with low green hills in the distance. The Untersberg, which is a few miles from the city centre, is the closest hill that we have to the city. The first traces of settlements are believed to be dating back to the Neolithic period. The first people to have settled in Salzburg are the Celts. The Roman Empire merged the various settlements into one and the city, which was called Juvavum then, became a Roman ‘Municipium’.

It became an important town of Noricum, a Roman province, but after the downfall of the Norican frontier, Juvavum too declined and was almost in ruins by the 7th century. The city was reborn in the 8th century when Saint Rupert chose it as a place for his basilica. He named the city ‘Salzburg’, which means ‘Salt Castle’, after the barges that carried salt on the Salzach River. The city once again flourished and in 1077, Salzburg’s landmark fortress, the Festung Hohensalzburg was built. It is one of the most fascinating buildings in the old city, ‘Altstadt’, which along with the other remarkable baroque architecture form the historic city centre.

Salzburg, as described earlier, is a tourist’s paradise with its dominating Festung Hohensalzburg atop a hill offering the most spectacular views of the city. The Salzburg Cathedral, Nonnberg Abbey, the Prince-Archbishops Palace, Mozart’s Residence, University Church and the Getreidegasse are some of the notable baroque architectural splendors of the old town. The Palace of Mirabell with its beautiful gardens, the Palace of Leopoldskron and Hellbrunn are some other tourist attractions within the city.

There are several other things to explore in Salzburg, which also serves as a landing destination for skiing enthusiasts, who fly into the Salzburg airport and proceed thereon to the southern parts of the Alps where the facility is available. July and August are the months of the great Salzburg Music Festival, which draws a commendable number of tourists each year. Lying 150 km east of Munich and 300 km to the west of Vienna, Salzburg is well-connected by trains that go to Munich, Vienna, Innsbruck and Zurich along with south bound trains through the Alps to Italy. Flights arrive here from all parts of Europe.

Photo by picsonthemove provided courtesy of Panoramio.com

Photo by marco.marsella provided courtesy of Panoramio.com

Photo by KWO Tsoumenis provided courtesy of Panoramio.com

Photo by KWO Tsoumenis provided courtesy of Panoramio.com

Photo by KWO Tsoumenis provided courtesy of Panoramio.com

Tags: Austria, Festung Hohensalzburg, Mozart, Palace of Mirabell, Salzach River, Salzburg, Salzburg Cathedral, UNESCO World Heritage Site