Would it be ridiculous to go to Salzburg during the Music Festival (too crowded)?
#1
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Would it be ridiculous to go to Salzburg during the Music Festival (too crowded)?
We will be in Austria in mid August, and are contemplating going to Salzburg for a day or two. I know that the Music Festival will be going on then (and, nice as it might be to attend a performance, according to their web site, almost everything is already sold out). Is it too crowded then to enjoy wandering around and seeing the sights? I was there last year for a day in April and was entranced, but my husband has never been, I'd love for him to see it. However, if it's a mob scene, and good accomodations are hard to come by, maybe it wouldn't be the best choice. Opinions, please.
#2
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It does not get overly crowded, and is magical during the festival. They are WRONG about things being sold out. If you contact your local Austrian tourist bureau, they will supply you with the itinerary, and you can call and make reservations and, if need be, cancel at the last minute. Once you get there, there's a place where they sell tickets (if I remember, it's close to the fountains with the lion statues that figured prominently in the Sound of Music), and can even book you for that evening.
#4
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Thanks for your helpful responses. We haven't decided, if we do go, whether to rent a car, or take the train from Vienna. If we want to stay in one of the nearby villages, and we don't have a car, do you know if there's convenient public transportation into Salzburg (and/or from the nearest train station) from any of them? Do you have a recommendation for which village to stay in? I've had Hallstatt recommended, but it looks a little far from Salzburg on the map. St. Gilgen was also recommended, that looks reasonably close. Thoughts?
#5
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I've been in Salzburg twice, both times during the festival. Music, music everywhere! Though getting a ticket to the big performances may be impossible, (i.e. Placido Domingo when I was there last), there will be plenty of smaller performances available. Many wonderful student performances in the smaller rooms of beautiful, historic buildings. Visit the TI on Mozartplatz for info and tickets. I didn't find the crowds bigger than any other major tourist destination either time. Crowds in the Old Town were greatly reduced at night. If your are a classical music fan, particularly a Mozart fan, I would go. Visit the Whomhaus (sp?). It is a museum dedicated to Mozart that has more to see than his birth place house.There is a great English taped tour of this museum you can rent.
