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Salzburg, one of the most important cities of Austria, is the capital of the Austrian state of the same name. This beautiful historic city is located about 400 meters high along the banks of the Salzach River, near the border with Bavaria. The city is after Vienna the most important Austrian tourist destination, today it is above all known for being the birthplace of the great musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The city is of Roman origin, at that time it was called Juvavum, and became, in the imperial era, a medium-sized center of the province of Noricum. Subsequently, during the barbarian invasions, the city was almost completely abandoned. Salzburg was refounded in the 8th century thanks to the work of Rupert of Salzburg (Rupert von Salzburg), a bishop who founded a monastery here.
In the Middle Ages the city developed due to the salt trade and gold mines. Then in 1077 work began on the construction of the fortress of Hohensalzburg, the place from where the prince-bishops of Salzburg exercised their power.
A HISTORIC CITY FULL OF BAROQUE BUILDINGS
In the 14th century, Salzburg became an independent state within the Holy Roman Empire. In that period its power, thanks to the salt and gold trade, increased enormously. In the seventeenth century the prince-bishops rebuilt the city embellishing it with buildings in the Baroque style, which are the ones we can admire today in the historic center of the city. Among the main tourist attractions of the historic center of Salzburg there are undoubtedly the Cathedral, the Residence and the birthplace of Mozart.
The old town (Altstadt) is dominated by the imposing castle (Festung Hohensalzburg), one of the largest medieval castles in Austria. Finally, since 1997, thanks to the wonderful Baroque architecture that characterizes the historic center of the city, Salzburg has been included by UNESCO among the restricted circle of places that are part of the World Heritage Sites.
Salzburg
Population: 148.521 (2012)
Height: 424 meters above sea level
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