The hills are definitely alive with the sound of music around the Austrian city of Salzburg, and a good many other things too. Mozart’s home city and the setting for that wartime musical staring Julie Andrews is a tourist’s paradise with one of the most beautifully preserved old towns in Central Europe. This is as picture postcard-perfect a city as you’ll find, where domes and spires crowd the skyline and cafes are packed with throngs of people enjoying the mountain air.
Named the ‘Rome of the North’, Salzburg is the world capital of Baroque and is as famous for its stunning setting and jaw-dropping architecture as for anything else. Fairytale fortresses, cobblestone lanes, courtyards, fountains and exquisite palaces sit proudly amongst a backdrop of snowcapped Alpine mountains. Walking around this city it’s not hard to see where Mozart got his inspiration. And what’s more, the old town is pedestrianised with most of the main sights within easy reach of one another. Sights that, of course, include plenty of Mozart magic. There is the Mozart Museum and Mozart House if you are interested in the history of Salzburg’s most famous son. But if your musical tastes are a little more on the modern side then you can always hop on one of the many ‘Sound of Music Tours’, which will take you around the main locations of the 1960’s movie.
Flying from London? View your London airport options on our London to Salzburg flights page