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The Rome of the North

Salzburg architecture

Salzburg is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756) and the city's entire identity is wrapped around this legacy — from the Mozarteum music university to Mozart chocolate balls to the Mozart residence now a museum. The city's old town (Altstadt) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, defined by the 11th-century Hohensalzburg Fortress and Baroque architecture. The Sound of Music was filmed here in 1965, and the city's role in the film draws over a million visitors per year on dedicated tours.

  • 5Landmarks
  • 1077Oldest · Hohensalzburg Fortress
  • 77 mTallest · Salzburg Cathedral
  • 3Architects

Before you go

  • Fly intoSalzburg Airport W. A. Mozart (SZG)

    Salzburg Airport Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, named after the city's most famous son, is one of Austria's most scenic airports, with the Alps rising directly behind the runways. It is Austria's second largest airport and serves as a winter gateway for skiers heading to the nearby Salzburg ski region. A direct bus connects the terminal to the city center in 15 minutes.

  • CurrencyEuro (€)
  • LanguageGerman

    Austrian German is the official language, with the local Salzburg dialect (Salzburgerisch) carrying distinct vowel sounds and vocabulary that differ from standard High German. The city has a strong musical culture — the Salzburg Festival, held each summer, is one of the world's most prestigious performing arts events and fills the city with musicians, conductors, and opera singers from across the globe. English is widely spoken in the city's extensive tourism sector.

  • Getting aroundSalzburg Buses & Trolleybuses

    Salzburg's city center is compact and highly walkable — the old town can be crossed on foot in about 20 minutes. The city's bus network and electric trolleybuses (O-Buses) serve the broader metropolitan area. Funicular railways connect the riverside old town to the fortress above and the Mönchsberg plateau. Many visitors rent bicycles to follow the riverside paths and explore the surrounding Salzach Valley.

5 landmarks in Salzburg

  1. Hohensalzburg Fortress
    Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Hohensalzburg Fortress

    Monchsberg 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

    One of the largest and best-preserved medieval castles in Europe, perched on the Festungsberg above Salzburg since its founding in 1077. Built by Archbishop Gebhard von Helffenstein as a seat of power, it served as the residence and stronghold of the Prince-Archbishops for centuries and was never successfully stormed.

    Built
    1077
    Architect
    Archbishop Gebhard von Helffenstein
    Style
    Medieval Romanesque castle
    Height
    27 m (89 ft)
    Stories
    4
    Today
    Museum & tourist attraction
  2. Salzburg Cathedral
    Photo: Bede735c, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Salzburg Cathedral

    Domplatz 1a, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

    The early Baroque cathedral consecrated in 1628, among the first monumental Baroque churches built north of the Alps and regarded as the finest Baroque cathedral in the German-speaking world. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized here on January 28, 1756.

    Built
    1628
    Architect
    Santino Solari
    Style
    Early Baroque
    Height
    77 m (253 ft)
    Stories
    2
    Today
    Active cathedral
  3. Mirabell Palace
    Photo: Cezar Suceveanu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Mirabell Palace

    Mirabellplatz 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

    A Baroque palace built in 1606 by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, later redesigned by Lukas von Hildebrandt in 1721. Its formal Baroque garden was used in The Sound of Music (Do-Re-Mi scene) and draws nearly as many visitors as the music itself.

    Built
    1721
    Architect
    Lukas von Hildebrandt
    Style
    Baroque
    Height
    14 m (46 ft)
    Stories
    3
    Today
    Municipal offices & museum
  4. Mozart's Birthplace
    Photo: Andreas Stiasny, CC BY-SA 3.0 at, via Wikimedia Commons

    Mozart's Birthplace

    Getreidegasse 9, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

    The yellow-painted house at No. 9 Getreidegasse where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756. Now one of Salzburg's most visited museums, it preserves the Mozart family apartment with original instruments including Mozart's childhood violin.

    Built
    1400
    Style
    Late Gothic / Baroque facade
    Height
    15 m (49 ft)
    Stories
    4
    Today
    Mozart museum
  5. Hellbrunn Palace
    Photo: Nicholas Even (own work), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

    Hellbrunn Palace

    Furstenweg 37, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

    A 17th-century pleasure palace built by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus von Hohenems in 1619 as a summer retreat, famous for its remarkable hydraulic trick fountains that he used to drench his guests without warning — a tradition maintained to this day for visitors.

    Built
    1619
    Architect
    Santino Solari
    Style
    Mannerist
    Height
    12 m (39 ft)
    Stories
    2
    Today
    Museum & trick fountain attraction

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