Salzburg

Salzburg has been made popular globally by music. Not only was this the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who is one of the most important and influential classical composers in history, the film The Sound of Music was also shot on location in this beautiful city. I decided to write separately about the Sound of Music tour that I took so this post will focus on other places of interest in Salzburg. And believe me, there are so many.

view of the city from Hohensalzburg Fortress

Festung Hohensalzburg, or Hohensalzburg Fortress, is arguably the main landmark in the city. It sits atop a small mountain and as it is also one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, it can easily be seen all around the city.

The Hohensalzburg Fortress

Inside, you can visit the Fortress Museum

and the Marionette Museum.

Salzburg also has beautiful natural scenery. The Salzach River separates the old town and the new town. I took a riverboat cruise here on my first day.

Riverboat cruise on the Salzach

I also visited the Salzburg Hochthron, which is one of the many peaks of the Berchtesgaden Alps. The highest point is 1853 meters above sea level. You can get close to the top by cable car then from there you can decide to take a leisurely walk up to the peak. The views here are beautiful!

Magnificent view atop the Salzburg Hochthron

Back in the Old Town, you can find the Mirabell Gardens, built in the 18th century. Some scenes from The Sound of Music were actually shot here (I'll write in more detail about that in my succeeding post).

The beautifully landscaped Mirabell Gardens

Another place that I also got to visit as part of The Sound of Music tour was Hellbrunn Palace. It's in the outskirts of Salzburg and you can get here by bus.

This palace and garden complex is famous for its many trick fountains, which are in operation from April to October.

Trick fountain inside the Hellbrunn Palace grounds

I also got to visit a couple of church complexes in the Old Town. The Salzburg Cathedral is where Mozart was baptized.

Monument outside the Salzburg Cathedral

Right next to the cathedral is St. Peter's Abbey

Inside St. Peter's Abbey

and Petersfriedhof, or St. Peter's Cemetery, which is the oldest cemetery in Salzburg.

St. Peter's cemetery

I also got to see a few more places in Salzburg, such as the Salzburg Museum, the Holy Trinity Church, and Mozart Wohnhaus or the residence of Mozart in Salzburg. I also took the Mönchsberg Lift to the top of Mönchsberg, one of the five mountains in the city. Up next: The Sound of Music tour.