The Hohensalzburg Fortress is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. It was built to protect the city and the ruling archbishops from enemy armies and insurgents.
Archbishop Gebhard von Helfenstein commissioned the construction of the Hohensalzburg Fortress in 1077 to protect Salzburg during a conflict between the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII. At the time, the fortress was a simple wooden structure. Successive Archbishops expanded Hohensalzburg. Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach expanded the structure and gave it its present shape and grandeur. In 1525, a group of Protestant peasants attempted to depose Archbishop Prince-Archbishop Matthäus Lang but were unable to take the castle. Some of the bullet marks caused by the siege can be still seen in the pillars. Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau was imprisoned here. After the occupation by Napoleon’s army, it was used as barracks, a dungeon and a storage depot. It became a tourist attraction after the installation of the Festungsbahn cable car in 1892.
The Hohensalzburg Fortress today remains one of Europe’s best preserved castles. There is a small museum located inside exhibiting its history. Another notable feature is a large mechanical organ with 200 pipes called the Salzburg Bull placed in the Kraut Tower of the castle. The Golden hall, the Golden Chamber and the bedchamber are richly adorned rooms in the interior of the fortress.

The St. Peter Church forms part of the oldest functioning monastery in Austria It also houses the oldest library and the oldest restaurant in the country. The cemetery has the last remains of several well known citizens and a maze of catacombs built into a rock face.
The St. Peter Church was founded in 700 AD by the Franconian monk, St. Rupert and has continually functioned as the place of worship of a monastery since it was established. The monks were expelled during the second World War but returned after the end of the war. The present church was built between 1125 and 1143 and has undergone several additions and restorations since. The main organ dates back to 1444 and there is an ornate gothic cross ribbed vault in the atrium. The onion domed tower was built in 1756 and the interior of the church has several magnificent rococo altars.
The St. Peters Cemetery is the last resting place of well known citizens of Salzburg including the architect Santino Solari who designed the cathedral, Mozart’s sister Nannerl, an accomplished musician in her own right and Joseph Haydn’s brother Michael. The cemetery is surrounded by wrought iron fences and there are early Christian catacombs built into the surrounding rock face. A steep stone stairway leads to the catacombs. They are filled with early altars, faded murals and inscriptions.

The Salzburg Cathedral is the most significant church in Salzburg. It is a magnificent baroque structure built in the 17th century.
The site of the Salzburg cathedral once had a Celtic settlement and a portion of the ruins of the Roman City of Juvavum. The first cathedral was built by St. Virgil and improvements were made by St. Rupert between 767 and 774. It served as a place of worship for over 60 years before it was burned in a lighting storm in 842. Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenhau decided to build a new cathedral in 1612 but the project was delayed by the conflicts with Bavaria. His successor, Prince- Archbishop Markus Sittikus commissioned the architect, Santino Solari to design and build the present baroque church in 1614. The cathedral was consecrated in 1628. In 1944, a World War II bomb damaged the building and it was restored to its former glory in 1959.
Excavations under the present cathedral have unearthed mosaics and artifacts from the Roman city of Juvavum. Notable features in the present structure are a 14th century gothic baptismal font from the earlier cathedral where Mozart was baptized, a majestic main organ with sculptures of angels playing instruments and statues of St. Rupert and St. Virgil. The cathedral also has magnificent portals created by the sculptors, Schneider-Manzel, Matare and Manzu.

The Residence Palace or Die Residenz is one of the most important historical buildings in Salzburg. It was the living quarters of the Prince Archbishops who ruled the city and where they received important guests.
The Residence Palace was once a small bishop’s palace constructed in 1120. The present building is predominantly the result of extensive additions and changes effected by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau in 1600. Successive Archbishops added new wings to the palace in 1710 the façade was altered to blend with the architecture of the cathedral and designed by architect, Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. After Salzburg ceased to be an Archbishopric, the royal family of Austria and the Habsburg rulers of Tuscany used it as their residence. Today, it is used for international conventions, official receptions and meetings. Some of the buildings are used by the University of Salzburg.
The Residence Palace is an extensive complex with 180 rooms and three large courtyards. Visitors can view the baroque art collection in the Residenzgalerie that has valuable works from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Many of the works are by Dutch painters including Rembrandt, Rubens and Brueghel. The gallery is maintained as a separate museum within the palace.

Hagenauer House in Getreidegasse is the building where the most famous son of Salzburg, composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. It is maintained as a museum dedicated to his memory. It is the most famous among the tourist attractions in the city.
The Mozart family lived on the third floor of Hagenauer House for twenty six years. The composer was born here in 1756. It consists of a kitchen, a small room, a bedroom and a study. The Museum dedicated to Mozart was installed here in 1880 by the Mozarteum Foundation. It was enlarged by the donation of musical instruments and other objects by his widow and two sons.
The museum at Mozart’s birthplace consists of documents, musical instruments and portraits of the great composer. An important portrait is an unfinished oil painting of Mozart at the Piano by his brother in law, Joseph Lange. Other notable exhibits are the violin he used in his childhood, his concert violin, his clavichord and a harpsichord. There are also many letters relating to the great composer on display. The museum was renovated by the Viennese architect, Prof. Elsa Prochazka to conform to modern standards and to protect the exhibits from damage. Temporary themed Mozart related exhibitions are held by the museum.

The Getreidegasse is the most important shopping street in Salzburg. Most of the high end boutiques and tourist shops are located here.

The Getreidegasse is the oldest street in Salzburg. It existed from the time of the Romans when the city was called Juvavum. It was the main road that connected Salzburg to Bavaria. The narrow street has tall medieval baroque houses belonging to the rich merchants of the city. It was in one of these houses that Mozart was born. The family of Salome Alt, the mistress of Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau also lived here. It was called Trabegasse until the 19th century.
Today, the street is lined with shops with wrought iron signboards. There are many store lined side streets that lead to other parts of Salzburg. The upper floors of the buildings are still used as homes or lodgings by merchants and students. Shops in the Getreidegasse sell branded products like Louis Vuitton luggage and Polo shirts. There are smaller stores selling Mozart mementos and Sound of Music memorabilia. Quaint cafes and restaurants are found here. Mozart’s birthplace is the most visited building in the street and the other notable structure is the old City hall which was once the residence of the Keutzl family.

The Augustiner Brewery is a traditional beer garden in Salzburg. Visitors and locals can drink beer poured straight from the barrel into a traditional Austrian Stein mug.
The Augustiner brewery is located in an ancient Augistine Monastery. It was established in 1605 and given to the Augustine order of monks by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau. The old abbey buildings contain an ancient mill and the parish church, Müllner Stadtpfarrkirche. The brewery has a large gate with decorations by artist, Diego Francesco Carlone, two statues of St. Benedict and St. Augiustinus with the coat of arms of Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau between them. The beer is brewed using traditional methods. It is made manually according to the Purity Laws of 1516 and only natural ingredients are used. The beer is stored in 15, 20 and 50 liter barrels and three types of beer are made, the Lenten Beer, the Marzen beer and the Christmas Bock Beer for different celebrations. Visitors will find viewing the impressive beer cellar an interesting and worthwhile experience.
The Augustiner brewery has a beer garden and many beer halls. From 1890 beer is traditionally self catered and visitors can rinse their stein under the cool water of the fountain before filling it with beer from the barrel. Visitors can enjoy their beer while sitting at the tables in the garden under the shade of chestnut trees.

The Mirabell Palace and Gardens are located north of the Salzach River. It was used by the Prince Archbishops to entertain guests and now houses government offices including the office of the Mayor of Salzburg.
The Mirabell Palace was constructed and the extensive gardens were laid in 1606 as the residence of the mistress of Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, Salome Alt. At the time it was called the Altenau Palace. His successor renamed it as the Mirabel Palace. Successive Archbishops improved and added to the structure and the gardens. It was damaged by a fire in 1818 and most parts were burned except the marble staircase and marble hall. After the reign of the Archbishops came to an end, it became the residents of the royal family of Austria.
The Mirabel palace today is not open to the public. The marble hall that was once the concert hall and ballroom of the Archbishops is regarded as one of the most beautiful wedding halls in the world. Today it is the venue for meetings, award ceremonies and concerts. The Mirabell gardens consist of a hedge garden, a dwarf garden with sculptures of dwarfs made of locally quarried Untersberg marble. The famous Pegasus fountain was the setting for the song Do Re Mi in the 1965 Hollywood film, the Sound of Music.

Mozart’s Residence from the age of 17 was the spacious Tanzmeisterhaus. The Mozart foundation purchased the building and 1989 and converted it into a museum dedicated to the life and music of the great composer and his relationship with the city of Salzburg.
The Tanzmeisterhaus which later became Mozart’s residence was initially a dancing hall. Two buildings built around 1617 were joined to make the present building in 1685. From 1711, Lorenz Speckner ran a dancing school here. The aristocracy was trained in dancing and other accomplishments for a life in court. Speckner died in 1767 and his cousin Maria Anna Raab closed the dancing school and hall and converted the building into apartments for renting. She leased the hall for events and wedding parties. Mozart’s father found their home in Hagenauerhaus too small for his growing family and moved to Tanzmeisterhaus in 1773. It was here that Mozart composed many of his finest works. The building was damaged during World War II. It was restored and converted into a museum by the Mozart Foundation and opened to the public in 1996.
The museum at Mozart’s residence consists of exhibits relating to the great composer. Mozart family memorabilia including their library, letters written by Mozart’s father and portraits are displayed. Visitors can get a guided phone tour from the reception and hear music relating to each object on display. In the last room, a video show about Mozart is screened in German and English.