The Little Gems of Salzburg, Austria: Experiences you can’t find anywhere else.

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Europe

The charmingly preserved old town, splendid gardens, baroque churches, and one of Europe's largest intact medieval fortresses make Salzburg absolutely enchanting. With a history of famous musicians and breathtaking scenery and architecture, there is so much to experience.

Here are some of our favorite little gems in Salzburg, Austria:

Hohensalzburg Fortress

Hohensalzburg Fortress is enthroned on the Festungsberg mountain, high above the rooftops of the Baroque historical district. As the largest fully-preserved castle in Central Europe, this emblem of Salzburg offers a 360-degree view of the city and its surroundings. While touring the castle, you can see the Princes’ chambers, the armory, the dungeon, and the viewing platform of the Reckturm Tower, where there is a beautiful view of the city.

Salzburg's Old Town

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Salzburg’s Old Town is lined with quaint merchant homes dating from the 15th to 18th centuries. The highlights of this Old Town area are its many original wrought-iron shop and inn signs, cobblestone streets, quaint alleyways, along with its many quiet old courtyards. It now has many boutiques great for shopping. There are also plenty of cafés with street-front patios that are pleasant spots to relax.

**Guided The Sound of Music Tour**

Explore the beautiful locations in the classic film, The Sound of Music. With over 15 different filming sites, you'll want to see Hellbrunn Palace, the Nonnberg Abbey, and Mirabellgarten. Even if you choose not to take a guided tour, these iconic spots are not to be missed.

The Klessheim Palace

Once upon a time, this magnificent Baroque palace was built as a peaceful retreat for the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg. Today it is home to the Salzburg Casino. The interior design, gardens, and pleasure grounds are all worth seeing.

Salzburg Marionette Theatre

Established in 1913, the Salzburg Marionette Theatre is one of the oldest marionette theatres in the world. For marionette productions, there are over 500 characters that are still used today, including the entire cast in The Sound of Music. The puppet masters perform operas from composers such as Tchaikovsky, Shakespeare, and Mozart using these wooden characters.

Panorama Museum

A well-known painter from the 1820s, Johann Sattler, painted a remarkable wall of a panoramic view of Salzburg in bright and vibrant colors. He included great detail of the architecture of the Austrian state as well as the Salzburg residents and their everyday lives from over 200 years ago.

This panoramic painting captured the city’s essence at the time and detailed everything from the specific chimneys to the windows on each building. Much of the painting still aligns with Salzburg’s landscape today, allowing guests to compare an older view of the city to what it looks like in the modern age.

St. Peter's Cemetery & Catacombs

Dating as far back as the 1600s, St. Peter's Cemetery and Catacombs was the first Christian burial grounds in Salzburg. Since 696, monks have come to the monastery to live, pray, and work. This site is certainly one to behold, with gorgeous architecture and rock caves in the Mönchsberg.

TIP: There is an incredible restaurant attached to St. Peter's, Europe's oldest restaurant, where you can experience a fabulous lunch.

Christmas Markets

If you visit Austria in late November or December, you must visit the Christmas Markets. The smell of mulled-wine and roasted chestnuts fill the air as you walk through the three squares, Domplatz, Kapitelplatz, and Residenzplatz, taking in the true essence of the wonderful holiday. This age-old event will create memories that last a lifetime

Salzburg Open-Air Museum

With structures and artifacts that date back to the 16^th century, you will get an intimate view of how the natives lived centuries ago. There are well over 100 historic structures. Visitors can experience authentic farmhouses, the homes of craftsmen, mills, barns, a smithy, and even a sawmill.

Austrian Food

This one may be obvious, but you can't possibly leave Austria without trying some of its authentic cuisines and traditional foods. Pair a mulled wine or freshly brewed beer with a hearty meal at least once before you head home. Some of the classic dishes to consider are strudel, wiener schnitzel, tafelspitz, speckknödel, and sacher torte.

Stiegl Brauwelt

This is the largest private brewery in Austria. Visitors learn about the history of beer through the enjoyable beer tasting and exhibits. In the Bräustüberl and the beer garden, beer lovers are treated to a broad selection of Stiegl beer enjoyed along with delectable Austrian specialties.

Austrian Wines

When you think of Austria, wine might not be the first thing that comes to your mind. However, once you taste a cool, crisp Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s signature wine, you will forever link Austria to premium wine in your mind.

Whether you are into music, history, culture, beer, wine, or natural landscape, Austria offers so much to travelers. When you are ready to begin planning your next travel adventure, contact me, and we can discuss all that Austria has to offer.