Salzburg

placed in the category: Cities

Salzburg is the birthplace of famous musical genius. Wolfgang Amadeo Mozart. It is the fourth largest city in the whole Austria and it is the artisitic backdrop of that classic musical, The Sound of Music. The composer himself was born and raised in Salzburg. During his formative years, Mozart stayed on in Salzburg. At present, his house in Salzburg is one of the major tourist attractions. Aside from this, monuments of Mozart are seen all over Salzburg.

Salzburg can be seen on the riverbank of the Salzach River and the Alpps. Salzburg has the best of both sceneries. Those who get to see Salzburg's rolling plains to the north can also look at the alpine white peaks that can reach as high as 1972 cm. This peak is only a few kilometers from the center of the city. Even then!

One of the chief attractions in Salzburg is the architectural style of the buildings, most especially the church. Styled in Baroque, the architectural style aimed to reflect the grandeur, wealth and power of the Church at that time. This was due to the movement within the Church that was geared to counter the Protestant Reformation. Many tourists come in to go around town and see the different Baroque-styled buildings and other edifices.

Tourists often pour in to Salzburg. There are times when the tourist population is greater than the local population. In 1996, the Old Town of Salzburg was nominated to become a World Heritage Site. Its beautiful alpine setting was the reason behind the nomination. Aside from this, people also flock Salzburg to join in the annual Salzburg festival. This famous festival is a celebration of music. It attracts visitors for the festival every July and August.

The most famous tourist spot in the city of Salzburg is the Hohensalzburg. This old castle still stands in prominence atop a hill, watching over the city. Tourists usually don't leave until they are able to go around this and have their pictures taken with a panoramic view of Salzburg. Aside from these, a lot of tourists also take the time to visit the former residence of Maria Von Trapp, the lady whose story was the basis of the movie The Sound of Music.