Thankfully, there are enough classical gigs and cheesy tours to keep them both happy, and the opposing camps rarely come to blows. If you couldn’t give a Von Trapp about either phenomenon, Salzburg has plenty more up its sleeve. With a magical, castle-topped Old Town, mountainous backdrop and hearty nightlife as well as glittering markets come Christmas and a summer festival throughout July and August, there’s something in the Rome of the North for everyone.
Old and new
The Salzach (meaning salt river) splits the town into the old, on the left bank, and the new, on the right. In the Old Town (Altstadt), the Hohensalzburg castle and towering Dom cathedral are helpful guides, and the main thoroughfare is Getreidgasse, a pedestrianised street of boutiques and restaurants – look up for the famous wrought-iron shop signs. On the right bank the magnificent Mirabellplatz (theatre), behind the Schloss Mirabell (castle), is the departure point for city tours and local transport, though the compact centre is negotiable by foot.
So long, farewell …
When it’s time to say auf weidersehen (goodnight), the YoHo hostel on the right bank is a good option with a lively bar, eager staff and a daily screening of The Sound Of Music (should you have a spare three hours). Institut St Sebastian (next to Sebastian Church) boasts a roof terrace, but you run the risk of being lulled to sleep by booming church bells. On the left bank Naturfreundehaus has great views but no heating (save it for summer) and Jugendgästehaus is fully-equipped and convenient.
Compose yourself
On January 27, 1756 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg. If this fact escapes you during your stay you need to up the medication. At No.9 Getreidgasse you’ll find Mozart’s Geburtshaus – his birthplace and home until he was 17 – and at No.8 Makartplatz, the house he lived in until he moved to Vienna seven years later, now known as Mozart-Wohnhaus. Though neither museum delves far into the Vienna years (bitter?), his early life is well-documented. For more on the musical prodigy, head to Mozartplatz for his statue and the Mozarteum, a world famous Academy of Music.
The hills are alive
The Sound Of Music is 40 years old this year, but as few Austrians have seen the film, the only people who seem to be milking this are the tour guides. If you can’t face four hours in a van listening to the soundtrack (though you do get to see some of the stunning scenery that surrounds the city) then you can see the basic sights on your own. The Pavillion outside Hellbrunn Palace was Rolf and Liesl’s gazebo; the gardens of the Schloss Mirabell featured in the Do-Re-Mi song; and Nonnburg Abbey, the oldest convent in the Northern Alps, was where Maria was novice.
Worth a look
Peterskirche
Hidden behind this abbey church is a secret graveyard with elaborate 18th century headstones and catacombs cut into the cliff.
Hoensalzburg Fortress
Haul yourself up narrow cobbled streets to Europe’s largest fortress which took 600 years to complete. From this hilltop perch you get an unbeatable view of the city.
