City of Salzburg - Sightseeing
It was Salzburg’s long history of mining for salt, or white gold as it was once referred to, that gave the city its name. Salzburg lies on the north edge of the Alps at the crossroads of some of Europe’s most important trading routes and so became a famous trading city, rich in tradition and culture. Today Salzburg has established itself as a modern, cultural city in the heart of Europe.
The statistics are both modest and impressive at the same time. Salzburg has a population of a mere 150,000 yet stages more than 4,000 cultural events each year and boasts 20 baroque churches. Salzburg has one of the most distinctive silhouettes in the world thanks to the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the mighty dome of the city’s cathedral. Unique features such as the Franziskanger church, the Universitäts church, and the Mönschberg and Untersberg peaks compliment the city’s outline. Here are the most important milestones in the city’s history.
History of the City
The city was established at the end of the 7th Century and stayed under the rule of independent catholic Prince Archbishops, who also had political power over the city, until the beginning of the 19th Century. The city’s wealth was a result of the centuries of salt trading and this wealth enabled the rulers to build many of the impressive buildings that still stand today. These buildings were very much influenced by Italian architecture and Salzburg is often referred to as the “Rome of the North”.
The city’s most distinguished son obviously contributed to Salzburg’s fame, the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s is known and loved throughout the world and hundreds of thousands of visitors pilgrimage to Salzburg each year to visit the houses where Mozart was born and lived and to simply soak up the atmosphere of the Mozart City. Mozart was born here on January 27th 1756 in the Getreidegasse, now the most famous shopping street in Salzburg. It was here that he composed more than 350 of his best works and laid the foundation for his great, but all too short, music career.
Culture
Salzburg has a very broad cultural spectrum staging 4,000 events each year. Salzburg’s cultural year starts with the “Mozart Week” in January which is then following by the Easter, Whitsun and Summer Festivals. The month of October is dedicated to culture and for a few years now Salzburg’s Jazz Autumn has become an additional highlight in the cultural calendar. The year closes with the famous “Advent Singing” in the Festival Hall.
Pictures: Tourism Salzburg
