Salzburg Old Town and Hohensalzburg Fortress

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Centre Of The City Of Salzburg (1996). Birthplace Of Mozart (1756), With The 11th Century Hohensalzburg Fortress, One Of The Largest Medieval Castles In Europe, The Cathedral, Getreidegasse And Mirabell Gardens. The Setting Of The Sound Of Music (1965) And Of The Salzburg Festival Each Summer. · Salzburg, Salzburg

Salzburg's Altstadt is a compact Baroque old town on the left bank of the Salzach river, squeezed beneath the Monchsberg cliff and crowned by Hohensalzburg Fortress, an 11th century castle that is one of the largest preserved medieval castles in Europe. Mozart was born here in 1756, and you can walk from his birthplace on Getreidegasse past the cathedral, the Residenz and St Peter's Abbey in a few minutes. The old centre was listed by UNESCO in 1996 and is also known for The Sound of Music, the 1965 film, and for the Salzburg Festival each summer. The honest picture is a small city that is beautiful, busy and touristy, with crowds on Getreidegasse and in festival weeks. One to two days is enough. Rain is common and the weather is often cool, so plan an indoor option, and go up the fortress early for the best light and the quietest courtyards. Trains from Vienna take about 3 hours 30 minutes and from Munich about 1.5 hours, so a night here is easy to fit in. Book rooms well ahead for July and August, when festival visitors fill the centre.

Baroque old town on the Salzach river below the Monchsberg and Festungsberg hills, with Mozart's birthplace on Getreidegasse and the Hohensalzburg Fortress above, Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

The old town streets and churches are open all year and the lanes are FREE to walk. The fortress, Mozart's houses and museums open daily in season with shorter days in winter. The cathedral is free to enter but closes for services. Some museums are CLOSED one day a week. Confirm times locally.

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