In this video I am leaving behind Berchtesgaden and heading towards Salzburg. Salzburg is a beautiful and vibrant city of 200,000 inhabitants and is the second most touristic destination in Austria after Vienna. It is situated at an altitude of 420m and the Salzach River runs through the middle of it. The name means “Salt Castle”, as many centuries ago the mining of rock salt, which was the white gold of this period, contributed to the local economy’s flourishing. A fact which gave the city a fancy style which it has kept true to even today. Hohensalzburg castle, which lies at the top of Festungsberg Hill, is quite emblematic of the city. It was constructed in 1077 and is considered as one of the best-preserved castles in Europe. The view from up here is impressive and worth the walk. You can reach the castle by cable car.
The old city has very ornate architecture that mixes between Baroque and Renaissance and is particularly beautiful, but it’s usually too crowded. Most of the city lies on the west bank of the river and if you don’t suffer from agoraphobia it is ideal for walking, as it is a very beautiful pedestrian route. If you find yourself here, you can enjoy a coffee or a beer at one of the cafés located in the alleys. I had eaten in this square in 2010. Salzburg has many museums and attractions, but because my time was limited yet again, I did not visit any of them. Not even the home of Mozart, who was born in the city in 1756 and is one of the most famous people from here.
I also felt like I did in Innsbruck two nights ago. Before I came to this city, I had heard so many nice things and expected to see something magical, but I can’t say that I did. I would describe it as a beautiful typical central European city though. If you are not a museum type of person, I think 1-2 days in Salzburg are enough. It is worth staying more only if you want to combine seeing the surrounding areas like Koningsee Lake, which I visited in the previous video, or if it is winter and you want to ski at the surrounding ski resorts.
