Salzburg: what to see in 1 day

Salzburg extends at the foot of the Alps along the Salzach River, with a Baroque UNESCO World Heritage old city that gave birth to Mozart and from which the first peaks of the Austrian mountains can be glimpsed.

A city on the border between Austria and Bavaria, it owes its name to the salt that brought it commercial fortune, still remembered in the river's name and in the palaces of the prince-archbishops who ruled it for centuries.

The Getreidegasse warrants a first visit: the medieval shopping street, flanked by wrought-iron signs hanging above the shops, houses at number 9 the birthplace of Mozart, now a museum dedicated to his Salzburg childhood.

From there you easily reach the Residenzplatz, the Baroque square surrounded by the palaces of the prince-archbishops, who ruled the city as an independent state until the early 19th century.

Above the historic centre looms the Hohensalzburg Fortress, one of Europe's best-preserved medieval castles, reachable by funicular and already offering on the way a view over the city and surrounding Alps.

For lunch, venues around the Kapitelplatz, at the fortress's base, remain the most convenient before resuming the tour of the old city.

From here the day divides into two possible directions. One crosses the river toward the Mirabell Gardens, the Baroque park made famous by the filming of The Sound of Music, with geometric gardens and a view of the fortress in the distance.

The other climbs the Mönchsberg, the wooded hill above the old city, reachable by panoramic lift and walkable among shaded paths and views over the Salzach.

With evening, returning to the river, venues along the Salzach remain the most convenient for dinner, with the fortress illuminated in the background.

Getreidegasse, Residenzplatz, and Hohensalzburg Fortress already tell Salzburg's baroque soul well, while the afternoon choice between the Mirabell Gardens and Mönchsberg completes the picture with its scenographic or natural side.

The Salzburg Festival in summer and a trip to the Salzkammergut, the lake region a short distance away, remain chapters for a second visit. Seeing Hohensalzburg Fortress dominating the baroque rooftops of the old city is perhaps the sharpest memory of Salzburg.