Salzburg is forever smiling to the tunes of Mozart and “The Sound of Music.” Thanks to its charming old town, splendid Baroque churches, and one of Europe’s largest medieval fortresses, Salzburg feels designed to keep its visitors happy.
With around eight million sightseers prowling its cobbled lanes each year, the city can feel pretty touristy. You don’t go to Salzburg to avoid the tourists. You go to experience a town which, in spite of the crowds, is thoroughly enjoyable.
Most of the happy tourists probably wouldn’t be here if not for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who spent much of his first 25 years in Salzburg. While some devotees make a pilgrimage to his birthplace (Geburtshaus), I prefer Mozart’s Residence (Wohnhaus)—a reconstruction of Mozart’s second home (his family moved here when he was 17)….