Salzburg's Magic

The fourth largest city of Austria, Salzburg is an extremely popular travel destination with tourists outnumbering the locals in high season.

Salzburg's location near the Alps with the closest peak just a few kilometres away from the city centre make it very popular among those who travel Austria in winter and by Christmas time and Silvester (the New Year's Eve) hotels and resorts re overcrowded.

Skiing, sledging, snowboarding and skating are major winter sports and the facilities are of such high quality that Salzburg's been on the list of candidates to house Winter Olympics several times.

Christmas markets open this time of the year are famous for their special festive atmosphere not only in Austria, but also all over the world. Be sure to taste the Christmas pastries and try sweet-flavoured mulled wine.

Visiting Salzburg's best spas with natural hot springs of healing water can be an unforgettable experience beneficial to your health.

The city's picturesque location was rendered in the famous movie The Sound of Music and it was so popular around 1960-ies that people would come to Salzburg simply to follow the actors' routes.

The status of Salzburg as the birthplace of world's great composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart contribute to its charm and add to the wealth of sightseeings and attractions to travel Austria, too. Salzburgers are proud of their native and honour the musician with numerous monuments and museums.

The Altstadt, or the Old Town, presents beautifully preserved examples of baroque architecture with its Cathedral, Hohensalzburg fortress, the St. Peter's cemetery and other churches and towers included on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

July and August welcomes visitors to the Salzburg Festival renowned all over the world and in-between of performances you could stroll around marvellous flower gardens of Mirabell Palace and Hellbrunn parks.

Continue exploring Austria with our articles on best places in Austria, festivals in Austria and tours around Austria.