Have you been there on holidays or lived there?, and where? ..or do you dream to go there, or dont really care?.. is it really as nice as it is portrayed on www.WorldWebcamWatch.com 's >> http://www.shamozzle.com/WorldWEBCAMwatchAUSTRIA.html ?..

..I was last there in 1972 as a child, is it going to be the same?.. I'm afraid of Americanization wrecking my Sound Of Music dreams!!

Your feedback and comments will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

We went 5 years ago and it was so beautiful. Excellent hotels foods and so much to see. Salzburg was amazing and you can see the tombstones they hid behind in the sound of music. The Glossbruckner Pass through the mointains was absolutely breathtaking as were the hairpin turns and winding twisting roads.Very picturesque villages and very friendly people. No malls thank God but beautiful shops. Enjoy your trip.

Salzburg is gorgeous and charming...you won't be disappointed! I cannot wait to go back. I'd also love to spend a few days relaxing around the nearby lakes. The mountains and lakes around are breathtaking. Don't miss a trip to Eagle's Nest for even more views. Don't worry, it is as nice as portrayed, and it will live up to the scenery in SOM.

I agree that Salzburg is wonderful. So is the Salzkammergut, the rea they flew over in the opening scenes of the SOM. You won't be disappionted if you go back. Vienna is also very beautiful but obviously it is a city rather than a small town.

Just back from Austria...my trip report and pictures are on here.I was in Switzerland the last 2 years. There is definitely charm in old town Salzburg. However, the other side of the city is just another city. I loved the place where we stayed- the Gasthof Furberg. It's just across the bay from St Gilgen, where the one scene with the onion dome church was shot. Lovely spot. For views, go across from there and takr the old cog train up the Schafberg. Not nearly as crowded as Eagle's Nest, which was not enjoyable for us on Jun 19. We learned in Switzerland to avoid the larger towns and major tourist draws and to off the beaten path; ie villages 30 min from St Moritz are charming and quaint, where that town is unremarkable and expensive.

We were in Salzburg 30 days ago for our 4th and 5th time back. Still a great city to visit! We had beautiful weather and really enjoyed it all again.

Hi V,

>I was last there in 1972 as a child, is it going to be the same?..<

Of course not.

I will avoid the Sound of Music issue. The whole movie was a fairly story so dreams based on fantasy should be left alone. Reality deals with them very harshly.

Salzburg is what people make of it. It has several features that other cities in Austria do not have: the Festung, the Mozart memorabilia, Hellbrunn, the churches, Mirabell Gardens, the shops of the Old Town, the restaurants, the Festspielhaus where the music festival is held, and so on.

Outside of Salzburg, the area is beautiful as well. Villages on the various lakes such as Mondsee, St. Gilgen, and Hallstatt, St. Wolfgang and others are also pleasant places to visit.

My favorite is the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, but that opinion is based my affinity for mountains, which of course is not what all people like. Heiligenblut is a small but quaint mountain town on the south side of the mountain range where we spent several pleasant nights.

On a relative basis, I prefer Salzburg over Innsburck. Comparing it with Vienna is, to me, fruitless. We are discussing two entirely different places in terms of size and opportunity.

INNSBRUCK! I never could type.

In general, it is always better to avoid the larger cities in almost any country. Too much traffic, too much commercialization, too many people.

That said, there is a special charm about Salzburg, if you can go at the right time. The Altstadt will be crowded, even in May, the last time I was there.

But for the most special memories, try going to the smaller towns that many Americans don't visit. In September, we will be staying in Maurach on Achensee (Lake Achen) in the Tirol for 4 days. It's an amazing area, but I doubt we will see many Americans (they will all be in Innsbruck). We are also going to spend 3 days in St. Gilgen on Wolfgangsee.

JosieGirl77 you described Austria how i saw it back in 1972

nice contribution Bob Brown

Everyone talks of Salzburg and it is beautiful- as is Innsbruck- but I LOVE VIENNA... yes, it is a big city, but the history, architecture, and culture are amazing... enjoy your trip!

i love vienna..one of my favourite big cities ..so gracious and clean
and i love the woodlands beyond
did a lovely day trip to kahlenberg and beyond through grinzig by train and then bus
walked back for a while instead of waiting for the return bus and enjoyed the viennese forest

australian bush is nothing like this so it was awesome for me