Salzburg

Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria, with a population of 156,852 in 2020. It is located on the Salzach River, close to the border with Germany and at the base of the Alps mountains.

The city has a long history, starting from a Roman settlement called Iuvavum. It became an important place for religious leaders in the eighth century and grew rich from salt, trade, and gold mining. One of its famous landmarks, the fortress of Hohensalzburg, is one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe and dates back to the eleventh century.

Salzburg is also known for its beautiful Baroque architecture, and its historic center was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The city is the birthplace of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and is home to three universities. Today, Salzburg, along with Vienna and Tyrol, is a popular destination for visitors from around the world.

Etymology

The name "Salzburg" was first written down a long time ago, in the late 8th century. The word has two parts. The first part, "_Salz-", means "salt" in German. The second part, "-burg", comes from an old German word for "settlement" or "city", not the word we use today for "fortress".

History

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Salzburg.

Antiquity

The area of Salzburg has been home to people since very old times, all the way up to today. In ancient times, it was an important place for a group of people called the Celtic Taurisci, who lived in a kingdom named Noricum.

After the Romans came in 15 BC, they built a city here. This Roman city, called Municipium Claudium Iuvavum, became very important in the Roman province of Noricum.

Middle Ages

When a big change happened in 488 AD, some of the people who lived here stayed. In the 6th century, a new leader named Bishop Rupert helped the city grow again. He built churches and monasteries, and Salzburg became an important place for religion.

Salzburg became a very important city over time, especially because of salt mining. In 1077, a big castle called Hohensalzburg Fortress was built. The city grew and got stronger, becoming a very important place in Europe.

Under the prince-bishopric's rule

Salzburg became its own independent city in the late 1300s. It was the home of an important religious leader called the Archbishop.

When new ideas started spreading, there were some problems, and the city was taken over for a while during a big uprising. But later, the city became very rich and beautiful, especially from the 1600s to the 1700s, when many new buildings were made.

Modern era

Religious conflict

In 1731, a leader named Archbishop Count Leopold Anton von Firmian asked people to follow only one religion. Many people did not agree and had to leave Salzburg. Most of them went to live in a place called Prussia.

Illuminism

In the late 1700s, Salzburg was an important place for a group of people with special ideas. A famous musician named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart worked here for a time, but later moved to Vienna.

Electorate of Salzburg

In 1803, a leader named Napoleon changed the rules, and Salzburg became a new kind of state.

Austrian and Bavarian rule

Salzburg changed hands a few times, being ruled by Austria and then Bavaria. But after some big meetings, it was returned to Austria in 1816.

Tourism grew in the 1800s, and a special train was built to help people visit the famous Hohensalzburg Fortress.

20th century

First Republic

After World War I, Salzburg became part of a new country called German Austria, which later became the First Austrian Republic.

Annexation by Nazi Germany

In 1938, Nazi Germany took over Austria, including Salzburg. Many people were treated badly, and a special place of worship was destroyed.

World War II

During World War II, Salzburg was bombed many times, and many buildings were damaged. But many of the old buildings, especially the beautiful ones, were saved. After the war, the city became the capital of the state of Salzburg again.

Today

After World War II, Salzburg became a very important city again. In the 1960s, a famous movie was filmed there. In 2006, the city celebrated the 250th birthday of Mozart with special events. Today, Salzburg is a rich and beautiful city.

Geography

Salzburg is located on the banks of the River Salzach, near the northern edge of the Alps. The city is surrounded by beautiful mountains to the south and softer hills to the north. One nearby mountain peak, Untersberg, stands about 16 kilometers from the city center. The old part of the city, called Altstadt, features tall towers and big churches, including the impressive Hohensalzburg Fortress. Two smaller hills, Mönchsberg and Kapuzinerberg, give the city extra green spaces.

Salzburg is not far from other places. It is about 150 kilometers east of Munich, 281 kilometers northwest of Ljubljana, and 300 kilometers west of Vienna. The city shares almost the same latitude as Seattle.

Climate

Salzburg experiences four distinct seasons, with cold winters and warm summers. January is the coldest month, while July is the warmest. Rain falls fairly evenly throughout the year, but there is often more during the summer. Because Salzburg is near the Alps, it gets a good amount of rain, especially in the summer. In winter, snow is common, but strong winds from the south can melt it quickly. Recent changes in the climate mean that heavy snow is becoming less frequent.

Demography

History

Salzburg grew in size in 1935 when it included nearby areas called municipalities. After World War II, many people who had to leave their homes, called refugees, moved to Salzburg. The city also built new homes for American soldiers, which could later be used for refugees. By around 1950, Salzburg had more than 100,000 people living there. In 2016, the city's population reached 150,000 people.

Migrant communities

Salzburg has many people from Germany, Bosnia, Serbia, and Romania living there.

Architecture

Salzburg has many beautiful old buildings from different times. During the medieval time, many churches, monasteries, and houses were built. Some important buildings from this time include the big Cathedral of Archbishop Conrad of Wittelsbach and the choir of the Franciscan Church.

Later, during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, leaders like Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau changed the city. They built new churches and palaces, like Hellbrunn Palace and the university buildings. Famous architects helped design these new structures.

In more recent times, modern buildings have been added to Salzburg. Examples include the Großes Festspielhaus theater, the Mozarteum music school, and the modern Congress House. These new buildings try to fit with Salzburg’s old style while adding something new.

Districts

Salzburg can be divided into twenty-four urban districts and three landscape zones.

Urban districts:

• Aigen
• Altstadt
• Elisabeth-Vorstadt
• Gneis
• Gneis-Süd
• Gnigl
• Itzling
• Itzling-Nord
• Kasern
• Langwied
• Lehen
• Leopoldskron-Moos
• Liefering
• Maxglan
• Maxglan-West
• Morzg
• Mülln
• Neustadt
• Nonntal
• Parsch
• Riedenburg
• Salzburg-Süd
• Taxham
• Schallmoos

Landscape zones:

• Gaisberg
• Hellbrunn
• Heuberg

Main sights

Salzburg is a very popular place for visitors, especially during busy times when there are more tourists than local people. Besides Mozart's birthplace, there are many other interesting places to see.

Old Town

• Historic centre of the city of Salzburg, a World Heritage Site
• Beautiful old buildings, including many churches
• Felsenreitschule, an open-air theatre carved from a quarry
• Franziskanerkirche, one of Salzburg's oldest buildings
• Getreidegasse, a busy shopping street with tall houses
• Großes Festspielhaus, a big concert hall from 1960
• Haus für Mozart, a concert hall from 1925
• Hohensalzburg Fortress, a huge castle overlooking the city
• Holy Trinity Church, built in 1694
• Hotel Goldener Hirsch, a fancy hotel from the 1400s
• Kollegienkirche, a beautiful old church
• Mirabell Palace, a palace with lovely gardens
• Museum der Moderne Salzburg, a modern art museum
• Mozartplatz, a square with a statue of Mozart
• Mozart's birthplace, now a museum about Mozart
• Nonnberg Abbey, an old monastery from around 700 years ago
• Residenz, the old home of important leaders
• Residenzgalerie, an art museum inside the Residenz
• Residenzplatz, a big square with a fancy fountain
• Salzburg Cathedral
• Salzburger Landestheater, a theatre for shows and dances
• Salzburger Marionettentheater, a puppet theatre from 1912
• Salzburg Museum, showing the city's history
• Sigmundstor, a tunnel from the 1700s
• Sphaera, a sculpture of a man on a golden ball from 2007
• St Peter's Abbey, an old monastery with a famous cemetery
• St Sebastian's Church, built in 1511

Outside the Old Town

• Schloss Leopoldskron, a beautiful old palace
• Hellbrunn with its parks and castles
• Tours of places used in the film The Sound of Music
• Hangar-7, a building with old airplanes and racing cars owned by Red Bull
• Haslachmühle, an old mill

Greater Salzburg area

• Anif Castle, south of the city in Anif
• Shrine of Our Lady of Maria Plain, a church near the city
• An open-air museum with old houses from the area
• Schloss Klessheim, a palace once used by a famous leader
• Beautiful lakes in the Salzkammergut area east of the city
• Untersberg mountain, offering great views of the Alps
• Skiing is popular in winter, though Salzburg itself doesn't have ski slopes. The city is close to areas where people can ski.
• Salzburg Zoo, located in Anif

Education

Salzburg is an important place for learning. It has three universities and many professional colleges and high schools called gymnasiums.

The universities include the University of Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, and Mozarteum University Salzburg. There are also other schools such as Fachhochschule Salzburg, Alma Mater Europaea, and SEAD Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance.

Notable citizens

Salzburg has been home to many famous people throughout history.

Some well-known figures include Saint Liutberga, an important nun from the 9th century, and Paracelsus, a Swiss doctor and scientist from the 1500s. The famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg and spent part of his childhood there. Another famous name is Joseph Mohr, who wrote the words to the Christmas carol “Silent Night”.

Other notable citizens include Theodor Herzl, a key figure in the history of Israel, and Herbert von Karajan, a world-famous orchestra conductor. Today, Salzburg continues to attract artists, musicians, and athletes from around the world.

Events

Salzburg hosts several fun festivals each year. The Salzburg Festival is a big music and theatre event that happens in July and August. There are also smaller festivals like the Salzburg Easter Festival and the Salzburg Whitsun Festival. Other events in Salzburg include the Europrix multimedia award and the Electric Love Festival.

Transport

Salzburg Hauptbahnhof has many train connections. You can ride east–west trains to cities like Vienna, Munich, Innsbruck, and Zürich, with fast ICE trains every day. You can also travel north–south to places such as Venice and Prague. The city is a center for trains going through the Alps to Italy.

Salzburg Airport offers flights to many European cities including Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Brussels, Düsseldorf, and Zürich. There are also flights to Naples, Hamburg, Edinburgh, and Dublin, plus many special trips for holidays.

In the city, you can use the Salzburg trolleybus system and buses. There are more than 20 bus lines, and a bus comes by every 10 minutes. Salzburg has an S-Bahn system with four lines (S1, S2, S3, S11). Trains leave the main station every 30 minutes and are part of the ÖBB network. The S1 line can take you to the famous Silent Night chapel in Oberndorf in about 25 minutes.

Popular culture

In the 1960s, the famous movie The Sound of Music used Salzburg as a filming location. The story was based on a real family who lived there.

Salzburg also appeared in other films and TV shows, such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Knight & Day, and the crime series Stockinger and Der Pass. In 2025, it was one of the mystery destinations on the NBC show Destination X.

Language

People in Salzburg mainly speak Austrian German, which is a bit different from the German spoken in Germany. It has some unique words and grammar rules. Salzburg is also part of a region where people speak a special dialect called Central Bavarian. Both young and old people used to speak this dialect a lot, but fewer people are using it now, especially in schools. Experts think this change is because of how much time people spend watching TV and using the internet.

Sports

Football

A former football club from Salzburg almost won a big European competition in 1994. In 2005, a company bought the club, changed its name, and moved it to a new stadium that hosted games in 2008. Some fans left to start their own team, keeping the old name and colors. After some ups and downs, this new team is now back in the second division.

Ice hockey

A local ice hockey team is supported by the same company. They play in a league with teams from several countries.

Other sports

Salzburg tried to host the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014 but was not chosen.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Austria

Twin towns—sister cities

Salzburg has many friends in other countries. It is twinned with:

• Reims, Marne, Grand Est, France, since 1964
• Verona, Verona, Veneto, Italy, since 1973
• León, Nicaragua, since 1984
• Singida, Tanzania, since 1984
• Busseto, Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, since 1988
• Vilnius, Lithuania, since 1989
• Dresden, Saxony, Germany, since 1991
• Supovsky, Russia, since 2016
• Kawasaki, Japan, since 1992
• Meran, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy, since 2000
• Shanghai, China, since 2004
• Jahrom, Iran, since 2019
• Leeds, England, since 2022