Take time out to visit Mozarts Geburtshaus, the place where the genial composer was born on January 27, 1756. The house is located in Getreidegasse, Salzburg’s most attractive and most visited shopping street with its high and narrow houses and romantic courtyards. Another highlight is Schloss Mirabell with its splendid gardens built by the baroque master builder Lukas von Hildebrandt.

The Salzach River, flowing from the Prealps in the south, winds through the city as its historic lifeline and separates it into two halves. The Old City is picturesquely surrounded by the Mönchsberg, crowned by the Fortress which is visible for miles, and the mighty Capuchin Mountain on the right banks of the river.

The Old City with its variety of building styles is a true architectural delight. A walk through the countless narrow streets features buildings from the Middle Ages, Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance periods.

The city's most famous squares include Residence Square with its splendid fountain, the neighboring Old Market, University Square, as well as Mozart Square with the memorial of the city's genius loci.

There are many imposing buildings, the most striking of which include the Cathedral, Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Residenz, St. Peter's Monastery with its impressive cemetery, the Franciscan church and Collegiate church as well as the Large and Small Festival Halls and the Summer Riding School in the Festival District.

On the right banks of the Salzach is the Mirabell Palace with the romantic Mirabell Gardens or St. Sebastian's church with its charming cemetery. Hellbrunn Palace with its trick fountains and the zoo is situated just outside of the city gates.

The History of Salzburg Salzburg has a proud heritage as the capital and residential city of an ecclesiastical principality. Prehistoric findings have revealed that it is situated on ancient settlement soil whose civilization dates from the New Stone Age. The Romans founded a town they called Juvavum as the seat of a major administrative district located along an important military road which crossed the Salzach River. Foundations, mosaics and numerous artifacts were found throughout the old city districts.

After the chaotic mass migrations, a bishop named St. Rupert came to the area at the end of the seventh century and revived a monastic order, founded a convent on Nonnberg and became the founder of today's Salzburg. Under Charlemagne Salzburg became an archbishopric, sovereign over all of the Bavarian dioceses. The first cathedral erected by St. Virgil was one of the largest in the mighty Franconian Empire. The archbishops used their privileged positions as papal legates and primas germaniae to expand the archiepiscopal territory, ending in the 13th century, and had a decisive influence on the history of the Empire. The extension of the Cathedral, revealed by recent excavations, was a sign of their religious and secular power.

Many of the townspeople became quite wealthy as a result of the flourishing trade between Italy and Germany, the town, however, remained under the archbishop's rule. Whereas the archbishops of the Middle Ages were primarily involved in politics, their successors during the 17th and 18th centuries were mainly preoccupied with beautifying their residence. Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, Markus Sittikus and Paris Lodron gave Salzburg the appearance it has today. Through Paris Lodron's clever diplomacy, the city was able to escape most of the hardships of the Thirty Years' War.

The city was further perfected through buildings designed by Fisher von Erlach. The turmoils of the Napoleonic Wars abruptly ended the long line of prince archbishops and Salzburg was secularized. After being passed back and forth, the city was finally given over to Austria in 1816. This not only resulted in complete political irrelevance but also in the loss of the most valuable objects of art. After emerging from a lengthy Rip van Winkle sleep, Romantic painters discovered the beauty of the city and its environs and made the city known throughout the world through their works. On a political basis Salzburg succeeded in regaining a certain independence in 1850 as a province of the monarchy with its own government and administration. This independence was to continue through the First and Second Republics. The establishment of the Salzburg Festival in 1920 was a decisive step towards the burgeoning of the city. At the foot of Mönchsberg you will find the so-called Festival District with the two famous festival halls (architect: Clemens Holzmeister; 1956-1960) and the Felsenreitschule, a baroque masterpiece designed by Fischer von Erlach in 1693. South of the center of Salzburg’s old town is the popular Schloss Hellbrunn with the world-famous Wasserspiele section containing many ingenious trick fountains and water-powered figures.

Some 4000 cultural events combine to make Salzburg one of the most important cultural metropolises. The acclaimed Salzburger Festspiele, founded in 1920, is the high point in Salzburg’s culture calendar and includes concerts, opera and theater performances.

Traditional Christmas in Salzburg
Enjoy Mozart music performances and the festive atmosphere. Aromas of roasting chestnuts, fresh baked goods and sausages are in the air, as you stroll the beautifully decorated Altstadt (old city). Salzburg during Christmas season is an unforgettable experience. The Christkindlmärkte (Christmas markets) are in full swing and there's a good chance that snow will decorate the gorgeous old buildings. Best of all, the city is far less crowded than it is during the summer tourist season, and the streets are filled with Salzburgerland natives wearing their traditional Trachten clothing and Loden coats.

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.......... Photo: Tourismus Salzburg GmbH.