Salzburg at night, Austria by Brandon Burns

1. Hohensalzburg Castle

At over 900 years old, Hohensalzburg Castle is Europe’s largest fully-preserved castle. There is not much to report in regards to its history, as it was never attacked. In the past it has served as a refuge for the archbishops, a military barracks, and a prison. The only time opposing forces occupied it was when it was given up to Napoleon without a fight. It is well worth the visit even if just for the views, they are the best in the city. You can either walk to the top, or catch a funicular.

Photo of Hohensalzburg Castle, Salzburg, Austria by Kristopher W

2. St Peter’s Church and Cemetery

St Peter’s Church houses the oldest continuously active monastery on German/Austrian soil. It was founded in 696AD, and the building you see today was built in the 17th C. Inside the nave are Fresco’s depicting the life of St Peter. The cemetery is well known for two things. Firstly it is where the scene from the Sound of Music was set when the Von Trapp family were hiding from the Nazi’s. Also, towards the back of the cemetery there are seven black wrought iron crosses. These crosses are connected to a famous legend, claiming these graves belong to Sebastian Stumpfegger and the seven wives here murdered. There is no proof of validity to this story, but everyone loves a legend! There are also catacombs inside the cliffs open to the public.

Photo of St Peter’s Church and Cemetery, Salzburg, Austria by Michael Dawes

3. Salzburg Cathedral

Mozart was baptised here, and he was the court organist and concert master of the church for many years. The church is renowned for its 4000 pipe organ, and the acoustics of the church. The church adjoins the Kapitelplatz and Residenzplatz which are both main squares of the Salzburg.

Salzburg Cathedral, Austria by barnyz

4. Mozart’s Birthplace

This is the original house where Mozart’s family lived from 1747 to 1773. Mozart was born here on Jan 27, 1756. Today the rooms once occupied by the Mozart family and are home to a museum. The most famous exhibits include Mozart’s childhood violin, his concert violin, his clavichord, the pianoforte, and portraits of the family.

Photo of Mozart’s Birthplace, Salzburg, Austria by Matthias

5. Mirabellgarten

The Mirabellgarten is a large garden considered to be one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe. The gardens were originally constructed in 1606 by Wolf Dietrich who built them for his mistress and her 15 children. The office of the Salzburg Mayor is situated here, and it recognisable as the gardens for the setting of the song ‘Do Re Me’ in the movie the Sound of Music.

Mirabellgarten, Salzburg, Austria by TheGoodReverend

6. St Augustiner Brewery

The St Augustiner Brewery is just outside the main part of town, situated above a 17th century Abbey. The beer was originally brewed by the Augustinain Hermits who founded the Abbey, and great lengths are taken to ensure the beer is still brewed the same way it was hundreds of years ago. The beer hall inside the brewery has plenty of seating, and there are food stalls offering traditional Austrian snacks and food. In the summer months there is a great beer garden for visitors to enjoy. If you are not interested in beer, the only other drink they serve is lemonade. It is a self-serve system were you buy tokens from a cashier, then help yourself to the ceramic beer steins. Each time you hand a token in, your stein will be filled with beer, and there are cleaning stations so that you can clean your stein before your next refill. The brewery has a great mix of locals and tourists alike, and it is likely you will strike up a friendly conversation with a group of people sitting nearby.

Photo of St Augustiner Brewery and beerhall, Salzburg, Austria by Barry Adams

This guest post was written by TravAddict, an Adventure Tour website featuring cheap tours to Europe, and other parts of the world.

The post 6 Top Sights of Salzburg – the birthplace of Mozart | Austria appeared first on Europe Explored.

Most of the buildings in Lednice-Valtice Area were designed by the famous architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in the Baroque style. These intermingled with the existing castles of Lednice and Valtice which are in the Classical and Neo-Gothic styles. The result is one of the largest artificial landscapes in Europe. Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach also designed many of the buildings in Salzburg, Austria, which is another UNESCO World Heritage city.

The Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

The Lednice-Valtice Area is the home of a romantic château, a picturesque village and in particular a jewel of landscape architecture of unprecedented proportions. The notional milestone at the beginning of the long period of development of this whole area is the end of the 14th century, when the Liechtenstein family obtained a share of the land.

Best option for visiting this landscape is using the bicycle.

View Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape – one of the largest artificial landscapes in Europe Czech Republic in a larger map

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Seisenberg Gorge, Austria by Aconcagua

For millennia, the Weissbach stream has been cutting its way through the gorge. Even long before reaches the ravine, it affords any visitor some of the most beautiful scenes of rapids and waterfalls as it meanders its way through the forest.

Due to the fact that the Weissbach stream can be extremely torrential during the spring season as a result of thawing snow, access to the canyon is restricted from October to May. For the rest of the year the canyon along with the wooden stairways that take you down into the depths of the Seisenberg Gorge are open to the public.

It can take you more than 30 minutes to walk the length of the Seisenberg Gorge; and that is only if you choose not to stop and admire the awe-inspiring beauty of this natural wonder. However, it is important to point out that there is no other exit out the other side, so you will have to walk back the way you came.

Waters in Seisenberg Gorge, Austria by vaka0627

While visiting the Seisenberg Gorge may not consume an entire day of your visit to Austria, you will find that nearby there is also the Vorderkaser Gorge which has been carved out by the Odenbach River. While not as long as the Seisenberg Gorge, the Vorderkaser is nonetheless deeper. There are also a number of lakes that can be found near the entrance of the gorge for those wanting to relax and take a swim.

Many of the people who make their way to the area to see the Seisenberg Gorge also take the time to stop by and check out the famous Lamprecht’s Cave which is considered one of the largest caves in the entire world which is entirely accessible by foot. But just remember, that you will need to bring a good pair of walking shoes because the way through the gorge can be rough and uneven.

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