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Take an informal survey of the most beautiful cities in Europe and Salzburg is sure to come out on top. The Austrian city is full of quaint townhouses painted the color of Easter eggs, sidewalk cafes, and window boxes spilling over with colorful flowers. Salzburg has also managed to stay relatively pure despite its healthy tourist industry, and McDonald's and Burger King are not the first site off the tour bus.
Most who visit Salzburg do so from late July to late August to take advantage of the city's famous Salzburg Festival. The Festival is about four weeks worth of some of the best drama, opera and concerts by performers and composers from around the world. Of course no Festival would be complete without representation from the city's most famous resident, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. On January 27th, 1756, Mozart was born in a Salzburg home on Getreidegasse No. 9. Even after his death, Mozart captured the hearts of the city's residents and his presence pervades the town through an abundance of museums and memorials.
Everything from homes of friends that Mozart frequented to his favorite haunts about town have been memorialized whether by a small plaque or a full-fledged museum. The Mozartplatz is one of the more famous memorials and a typical starting point for touring the city. This statue of Mozart was created by Ludwig Schwanthaler and unveiled in 1842 in remembrance of the musician who died in 1791. Mozart's wife, Constanze Weber, died before its completion leaving Mozart's sons to inaugurate the memorial. Mozart's residence on Markartplatz 8 in Salzburg is open to the public. Many of Mozart's rooms have been preserved to reflect his living conditions. The Residence also doubles as a museum. Mozart's piano and an archive of his works are on display.
Reliving the grandeur of a musical master is not all that Salzburg has to offer, however. Salzburg is teeming with several churches built during a time when no expense was spared for places of worship. St. Sebastian's is a thriving church in the Gothic style. The church is well known for its well-tended cemetery which houses the graves of the Mozart family (although not Mozart, himself whose gravesite is unknown). The onion shaped dome of the Holy Trinity Church can't be missed on the Salzburg skyline. This church was built in the Baroque style but with less extravagance so popular for that period. Then there is the unforgettable Salzburg Cathedral. This cathedral was the religious home to the Mozarts and Amadeus Mozart wrote many of his works for the cathedral's services. Mozart's parents were married within the cathedral's sacred walls. Mozart was baptized in a baptismal font still standing today. And he performed on the smallest of five organs sitting next to the high altar. Other churches worth visiting include the Nonnberg Convent. This nunnery of Benedictine nuns was founded in 700 and its Romanesque frescos have been standing since 1150. Loreto Church is a nunnery for Capuchin nuns and is said to house the miraculous image of "Salzburger Kindl".
Salzburg is known for Mozart, music and fine churches, but its special markets and many fountains add to its charm. The numerous palaces and homes within the city are striking examples of Baroque architecture at its finest. The Hohensalzburg Fortress is the largest fully preserved fortress in central Europe. Built in 1077, the Fortress Museum houses a fine collection of instruments of torture. On the lighter side of history, the Festival Halls -- once the royal stables -- are worth a stroll. And when it is time for a break, head over to Steigl's World of Brewing. The museum gives a glimpse into the town's brewing history, and even offers up glass for taste-testing the region's specialty beers.
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