Sights of Salzburg, Austria
According to LIUXERS, Salzburg is the fourth largest city in Austria, a country located in Central Europe. Salzburg is best known as the birthplace of world-famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The city, located in the north of Austria, is also rich in a great treasure of baroque buildings. Partly because of this, the entire inner city of Salzburg is on the Unesco World Heritage List. Salzburg is also a great destination for beer lovers, because the city has several good breweries that of course have their own drinking rooms here. Those who visit Salzburg can easily enjoy themselves for a day or two or three, because although the city is quite compact, there is a lot to see and do.
Salzburg ‘s top 10 sights
#1. Salzburg Cathedral Salzburg
‘s very first basilica was built in the year 774, after which it was replaced by the current Salzburg Cathedral in 1611 due to the destruction of fire. With its overwhelming appearance and twin towers, it dominates a beautiful place in the old town. The impressive interior with a beautiful dome is decorated in baroque style. The whole was designed by the Italian Renaissance architect Vincenzo Scamozzi and Santino Solari. The sound produced by the bell towers with seven bells is regarded as the most beautiful in Austria.
#2. Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter
In Salzburg, this beautiful monastery is called the Stift Sankt Peter. It is possibly the oldest monastery in Austria. The accompanying old library with 800 very valuable manuscripts is also called the oldest in the country. The monastery was founded in AD 696 to provide a home for missionary work in the Alps. The inside of this monastery is truly breathtaking. The library, for example, is of unprecedented class.
#3. Mozart’s Birth
House On the prestigious and important shopping street Gertreidegasse, stands the special birth house of the famous composer Mozart. This street, which is also part of the Hagenauerplatz, used to be mainly inhabited by wealthy citizens such as doctors, merchants and craftsmen. At the beginning of the street is a house with a clock tower. This is the house where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart first saw the light in 1756.
#4. Hohensalzburg Fortress
The Hohensalzburg Fortress, which can be reached by cable car, is located on top of the Festungsberg. The castle has a width of 150 meters and is at least 250 meters long. This makes it one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. Much of the princely furniture can still be found in the “golden hall and golden rooms”. A cable car departs every 10 minutes from the city center to the beautiful fortress.
#5. Residential house family Von Trapp
On the Traunstraße you will find the house of the musical family Von Trap from the Sound of Music. The famous house has an aftertaste because the SS leader Heinrich Himmler lived here for a number of years. Today, the building is managed by the Villa Trapp Foundation and is, among other things, a special wedding location.
#6. Mirabel Castle
Beneath the beautiful Hohensalzburg Fortress lies a majestic garden. This piece of estate is called Slot Mirabel or Schloss Mirabel. This work of art was created in 1606 by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau. The garden has a beautiful collection of historical statues. Most statues are mythical figures such as Hercules and Pluton. It is possible that some parts of the estate look familiar. A number of scenes from the Sound of Music were filmed here.Sound of Music BustourA fun way to follow in the footsteps of Maria von Trapp is to join the Sound of Music Bus Tour. In a 4-hour tour you will visit the Mirabell Gardens, the Gazebo/Hellbrunn Palace, the Palace of Leopoldskron, the Nonnberg Abbey and the St. Gilgen/Wolfgang Lake. Scenes for The Sound of Music were shot at these locations. This bus tour is very popular, so booking in advance is recommended. Go to the info and reservation page for the Sound of Music Bus Tour
#7. The Old Market
Right in the center of Salzburg is the spacious Old Market. Since the 13th century, this market has been the commercial center of the city. The square is surrounded by a number of stately buildings, most of which date from the Middle Ages. Many parties that are organized in the city take place on this square.
#8. Schloss Hellbrunn
On a beautiful estate on the southern outskirts of Salzburg lies the incredibly beautiful Schloss Hellbrunn. This castle and park were designed and built under the direction of the famous Santino Solari, who is also responsible for the equally beautiful Salzburg Cathedral. The very spacious park has a number of fun and unique water features, some of which are hidden in caves. You will also find a number of impressive statues from the 17th century scattered throughout the park.
#9. Judengasse
The main shopping area of the state takes place at the famous Hagenauerplatz which runs in the Jewish part of the city. Here you will find many nice shops with chocolate, souvenirs and boutiques with fashion labels. The narrow streets give you the memory of walking in a historic center with many beautiful facades and stories.
#10. Pferdeschwemme
At the Kapitelplatz, which lies between the St. Peter Abbey and the Cathedral of Salzburg, there are two large horse washing places. Archbishop Wolf Dietrich’s horses were washed here, among other things. The associated stables and the Pferdeschwemmen were designed and built by Fischer von Erlach.
