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Sightseeing in Salzburg

Overview
If you have never visited Salzburg before, you are in for a treat. For those whose idea of Salzburg is visions of Julie Andrews singing and dancing through the hills, the Sound of Music Tour is quite good. However, Salzburg offers much more.

Salzburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world; it is small enough to negotiate on foot, yet it has a wealth of cultural attractions and activities; it is home to one of the world’s leading music festivals; it is surrounded by mountains and lakes that offer a wealth of sporting activities; and it is in the heart of Europe, just a few hours by train or car from many of Europe’s most famous and historic cities.

Salzburg is also a place where life can be savored by taking advantage of such experiences as waking up to the sound of church bells, listening to a street musician perform Mozart in front of a 16th century church, sipping a cappuccino at a café that has been serving coffee for three hundred years, or having a sausage and beer obtained from a vendor at an outdoor market. Below are just some of the many wonderful things to see and do while visiting Salzburg.

Exploring Salzburg
The best way to familiarize yourself with Salzburg is by taking a self-guided walking or bicycle tour and exploring some of the following popular sights:

  • Mirabell Palace. This is an elegant palace located on the northern side of the river surrounded by beautiful gardens. This is one of many places where Mozart performed. Today its Marble Hall is the venue for over 300 concerts every year.
  • The Salzburg Dom (Cathedral) is one of the main attractions in Altstadt. The Sunday morning masses may include a full orchestra and chorus performed by a famous composers and are open to the public. Altstadt also offers street performances and free outdoor concerts during summer.
  • Stift Hoehensalzburg. Located beyond the Salzburg Dom is the Stift Hoehensalzburg (Salzburg Fortress). One can walk or take a cable car up to visit the museum inside or to take in the spectacular views of the entire city.

Day Trips

  • Hallein. For those who have rented a bicycle, paved bike paths follow both sides of the river for miles. A ride along the river to the town of Hallein, about ten miles south of Salzburg, makes for an enjoyable day’s outing. While there, visit Salzbergwerk Durrnberg one of central Europe’s oldest salt mines.
  • Another great bicycle ride is down the Hellbrunner Allee, a tree-lined trail that leads to Hellbrunn. Spend an afternoon at this sight famous for its gardens, its castle and its water fountains, which were built by the Archbishop of Salzburg to play tricks on his guests. A guided tour of the grounds is a Salzburg highlight, and those without a bicycle can get there via city bus. For a full day’s bicycle outing, take a trip to Berchtesgaden, just across the border in Germany and directly below the famous (or infamous) Eagle’s Nest . Eagle’s Nest was a meeting place and residence of Adolf Hitler . Located in the Bavarian Mountains, one must take an elevator from Berchtesgaden to its entrance at an altitude of 5000’.
  • Eisriesenwelt  is the largest ice cave in the world. Located about 25 miles south of Salzburg in the town of Werfen, the mine can be reached by car or train, but everyone must either hike (approx. 4 miles) or ride a cable car from the base of the mountain to the cave. Once at the top, there is a guided tour that lasts approximately one hour.
  • Salzkammergut (Lake District). As delightful as Salzburg is, it is worth leaving town for at least a day to visit the lake district east of Salzburg known as the Salzkammergut. There are several beautiful towns located on the lakes, including St. Gilgen and Mondsee.
  • Scharfberg Mountain. To get to this sight, visitors take a boat from St. Gilgen to the town of St. Wolfgang, from there they take a historic steam train to the top of the mountain.
  • Bad Ischl. Beyond St. Gilgen is the town of Bad Ischl, the former summer residence of the Austrian emperor.
  • Take a train from Bad Ischl to the town of Hallstatt, founded by the Romans over two thousand years ago. After arriving in the forest on the shores of beautiful Lake Hallstatt, take a boat across the lake to the town, which is nestled at the foot of dramatic mountains.

Weekend Trips

  • Those who want to see other major European cities will have no shortage from which to choose. Munich (the home of the famous Oktoberfest) is less than two hours away by train. The imperial city of Vienna, crossed by the Danube River, is three hours away. Prague, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, can be reached in five hours. Budapest, Venice and Zurich are all worthwhile weekend trips. Those who don’t mind traveling overnight by train can even make it to Paris or Rome for the weekend and still be in time for class on Monday morning.

Dining

Shopping

  • Getreidegasse. A busy pedestrian shopping lane in the Altstadt full of trendy and expensive shops, as well as inexpensive souvenir shops featuring Mozart memorabilia.

Museums

  • Trachtenmuseum . Costume museum featuring traditional Austrian attire.
  • Carolino Augusteum. Museum of local history and culture.
  • Rupertinum. Museum of modern art and photography.

Conclusion
With so much to see and do, how do you take it all in while still having time to study and keep up with your classes (after all, this is first and foremost an academic program)? You will learn a lot about law during the Salzburg Summer Program. The opportunity to experience another country and another culture, however, can be just as great a learning opportunity as what you hear in the classroom. The classes are rigorous, and you will need to study hard, but do take the time to experience your surroundings. There will be many students from other countries in the Salzburg program, and this is also a golden opportunity to learn how those from other places think and how they study law. Traveling abroad can be a life altering experience. We hope that the suggestions above will help you to gain the maximum benefit from your time at the Salzburg Summer Program.

Other Resources
Lonely Planet - Salzburg

Frommers Salzburg

Salzburg Stadt: Hotels in Salzburg

Visit Salzburg