Salzburg, where the hills are alive...

There’s a lot to know about Salzburg and the wealth of information available can sometimes be confusing. This section of our website should give you a brief summary of the important things you might want to know about Salzburg.

Here you will also find some advice on things visitors should take into consideration to make their stay as enjoyable as possible, such as on health or legal issues.

Getting an overview

Salzburg means “salt castle”, referring to its massive fortress and the white gold from the mountains in the South. It is the capital of a federal province of Austria with the same name. Its approximately 150.000 residents make it the fourth biggest Austrian city; beyond that, it is Austria's most beautiful spot - as we as residents will arguably claim.

The city's magnificent baroque town centre is rated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and can easily be explored by strolling along the charming alleys. A classic music festival, the city's most famous son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the heart-warming musical "The Sound of Music" created the area's fame and popularity with music enthusiasts all over the world.

Travel Essentials of Salzburg

Geography - History - Health and Safety - Climate and When to Go - Visa and Legal Advice for Austria - About Mozart - Fun Facts - Jewish History - Traditions and Customs

Map of Salzburg

There are city maps available at the tourist information office and you will find plenty of map material for special purposes, such as hiking in the mountains. Here we provide you with a concise map of Salzburg that aims to give you a basic overview.

The City & Province of Salzburg at a glance

Special Topics

Articles that focus on a particular aspect of Salzburg - mostly such that are generally neglected by other websites or not too obvious ones - should help you to refine your idea of the "Mozartstadt".

UEFA Euro 2008: Football Championship

Information on the UEFA Euro 2008, the European football championship - three matches will be hosted in Salzburg. ::more

Finding a Hotel in Salzburg

In Salzburg, hotels find quickly during the main season. Bargains are hard to find. This article should help you to get an idea on how to find a decent bed. ::more

Bachfest 2008: Bach festival in Salzburg

In 2008, Salzburg has the honour to serve as a stage to the 83rd Bachfest, a musical of Baroque music by Johann Sebastian Bach. ::more

"The Sound of Music"

Learn more about the Hollywood movie that made the city  famous, the locations where it was taken, actual "Sound of Music House", or read funny facts on our "Sound of Music Trivia Sheet".

Sailing in Salzburg

You wouldn't think of spending a sailing vacation in the mountains? It might surprise you, but Austria's scenic Lake District offers a great deal more than rocks and hills. ::more

Wellness Holidays & Spa Hotels in Salzburg

Wellness and spa treatments are a big deal for hotels in Salzburg - they are keen to bridge the low season and have made huge investments in their spa facilities. A good time for great deals. ::more

How to Use a Sauna in a Salzburg Spa

International visitors are often not familiar with Austrian spa culture - with a increasing interest in wellness holidays, spa saunas are becoming more and more popular. Here you can learn how to use them. ::more

Golf in Salzburg

An increasing number of visitors come for a golf vacation on one of the many scenic golf courses of the city's surroundings. Find out more about the best spots to hit the ball. ::more

"Silent Night" lyrics in English, German and other languages

The Christmas carol "Silent Night" was first performed on Christmas eve 1818 in the small community of Oberndorf. Since then, it has spread around the world and was translated into more than 300 languages. Here you find the English version, the original German one and a selection of other languages. ::more

10 Things NOT to do in Salzburg

Tourist traps, rude waiters and ways to waste your time - not everything in Salzburg is picture perfect. In this article, we emphasise how independent our website really is by pointing you away from Salzburg's worst. ::more

The Paris Lodron University

Named after one of Salzburg's most popular Prince Archbishops and its original founder, the local university educates about 11.000 students, making the city an even livelier place. ::more

Mozarteum Art University

What would Salzburg be without Mozart? But the Mozarteum Art University was an internationally renowned institution a long time before all the Mozart-tackiness started and continues to produce outstanding musicians. ::more

Looking for Salzberg?

Many people who look for travel advice on Salzberg, Austria, realise only very slowly that they have failed to spell our city's name correctly; there are more than a million websites out there dealing with Salzberg. Here we try to explain the origin of the word and found information on a place in Poland that was formally called that way.

What to do during Winter

When it is cold in Salzburg, the mountains are still a hot place to go: Skiing, spas and picturesque landscapes attract the crowds. ::more

Perchten: Austria's Pagan Heritage

A winter tradition special about Salzburg and close areas of the Eastern Alps are the Perchten - an ancient tradition involving satanic symbols and masks. ::more

Skiing in Salzburg and wider Austria

Mozart, Music and - Skiing. That's pretty much what Austria is famous for and here we try to prove that our province lives to the highest expectations when it comes to speedy slopes. ::more

Wintersport Special: Spas, Skiing Culture and More Wintersports

These three articles add more in-depth information to the topics covered above and aim to provide you will all the knowledge you need to plan your winter vacation in frosty Salzburg.

Silvester: New Years Eve

Check out the City of Mozart on New Years Eve and you will find some of the most happening places in Europe - peaking in major fire works launched from the fortress. ::more

Advent and Christmas Markets

Caramelized nuts, mulled wine and beautiful crafts - alongside with millions of tourists. Here you find the best Christmas markets of Salzburg, but we will also tell you how to avoid the crowds. ::more

"Lanz of Salzburg"

The confusion that arises among many US visitors who associate the famous mother-daughter brand Lanz with Salzburg - although the brand is anything but Austrian. ::more

Prince Archbishops of Salzburg

They ran the city for centuries and made  it the Baroque gem Salzburg is today - here you will find a complete list of the Archbishops of Salzburg from Rupert to the present Alois Kothgasser. ::more

Salzurger Festspiele - Music Festival

Every summer, thousands of rich people from all over the world stream into Salzburg to enjoy some of the World's finest Opera. Read here how it started and what the Salzburg Festival got to do with Mozart. ::more

Salzburger Osterfestspiele - Easter Festival

The little sister of the Summer Festival was founded by Herbert von Karajan and brings top-notch artists to the city every spring. Find out what more about he history of the Osterfestspiele and which tickets are where to get. ::more

Salzburg Seminar - uniting decision makers in the Mozartstadt

After World War II, a group of Harvard graduates purchased Leopoldskron Castle to make it the headquarter of an NGO that brings together decision makers to discuss global issues in a unique setting. ::more

Private Medical University

Private Universities are rare in the Socialist wonderland Austria - even more surprising is the Paracelsus Medical University, a recent addition to the city's academic environment. ::more

Salzburg Polytechnic University

For those who are to practical for a real uni, Salzburg provides state-of-the-art facilities to study digital TV, communication and other subjects highly desired by the economy. Yes, there is a life beyond tourism in this city! ::more