The beautiful city of Salzburg is known for its music and culture and is one of the most visited places in Austria. Its name reveals how its original wealth was generated as Salzburg literally means `salt city, because of the taxes on salt barges that passed through the town on the River Salzach.
Music is part of the city’s lifeblood as the birthplace to the genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the precocious child who is one of the world’s greatest composers. Indeed, his family home is one of the most popular attractions in Salzburg, but Mozart’s real legacy is in the number of diverse music festivals that are held there.
Salzburg is a magical, and quite beautiful, baroque city that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Embedded between two mountains, it is a city of gardens, public squares, magnificent buildings, palaces, churches and bustling city life whose cafes, shops and avenues are always buzzing. High on a hill overlooking the city, the Fortress Hohensalzburg is its sentinel.
Within the city, you will be captivated whilst meandering through the old laneways which help to imbue the city with its ambience. For instance, the Steingasse is one of the oldest streets, as it runs parallel to the river at the foot of the Kapuzinerberg. It is a wonderful medieval joy, that is so old even Roman troops used to march down it.
The Mirabell Palace has a romantic history as it was built in 1606 by prince-archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his beloved Salome Alt. That romance survives as now it serves as the backdrop for the most elegant weddings imaginable.
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The Palace’s baroque gardens are a place of calm in an otherwise bustling city. With impressive fountains and a lovely rose garden, people the world over recognise it as the location for the song `Do Re Mi’ as performed in the film The Sound of Music.
Salzburg changes with the seasons so is a great destination at any time of the year. As the city is surrounded by mountains, visitors have a great excuse to go for a hike, ride a bike or, in winter, enjoy a downhill ski run with magnificent views.
With so much to see and do in Salzburg, your one regret is that, occasionally, you may need to sleep.
Image: Tourismus-Lungau-Infostelle-Tamsweg 
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Image: Biken-im-Obersulzbachtal_Ferienregion-Nationalpark-Hohe-Tauern_Michael-Hube 
Image: Messiah-Festival-Chor-Salzburg_Albert-Moser 
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