4 Best Sights in Salzburg, Austria

Founded in 1077, the Hohensalzburg is Salzburg's acropolis and the largest preserved medieval fortress in Central Europe. Brooding over the city from atop the Festungsberg, it was originally founded by Salzburg's Archbishop Gebhard, who had supported the pope in the investiture controversy against the Holy Roman Emperor. Over the centuries the archbishops gradually enlarged the castle, originally using it only sometimes as a residence, then as a siege-proof haven against invaders and their own rebellious subjects. The exterior may look grim, but inside there are lavish state rooms, such as the glittering Golden Room, the Castle Museum (dedicated to life in the fortress over the centuries), and the Rainer's Museum, with its collections honoring Salzburg's former home regiment. There's also a torture chamber not far from the exquisite late-Gothic St. George's Chapel (although the implements on view came from another castle and were not used here). The 200-pipe organ from the beginning of the 16th century, played three times daily, is best heard from a respectful distance (it's called "the Bull" for a reason). Children will also enjoy the World of Strings marionette theater, including the chance to try their hands at being a puppeteer. To reach the fortress, walk up the zigzag path that begins just beyond the Stieglkeller on the Festungsgasse, or take the 110-year-old Festungsbahn (funicular railway; round-trip ticket includes museum admission) from behind St. Peter's Cemetery.

Climb up the 100 tiny steps to the Recturm, a grand outpost with a sweeping view of Salzburg and the mountains.

Just six kilometers (four miles) south of Salzburg, Schloss Hellbrunn was the prince-archbishops' pleasure palace. It was built early in the 17th century by Santino Solari for Markus Sittikus, after the latter had imprisoned his uncle, Wolf-Dietrich, in the fortress. The castle has some fascinating rooms, including an octagonal music room and a banquet hall with a trompe-l'oeil ceiling. Look out for the homemade "unicorn." Hellbrunn Park became famous far and wide because of its Wasserspiele, or trick fountains. In the formal gardens (a beautiful example of the Mannerist style) owners added an outstanding mechanical theater that includes exotic and humorous fountains spurting water from strange places at unexpected times. You will probably get doused (bring a raincoat). A visit to the gardens is highly recommended: nowhere else can you experience so completely the realm of fantasy in which the grand Salzburg archbishops indulged. The Monatsschlösschen, the old hunting lodge (built in one month), contains an excellent folklore museum. Following the path over the hill you find the Steintheater (Stone Theater), an old quarry made into the earliest open-air opera stage north of the Alps. The former palace deer park has become a zoo featuring free-flying vultures and Alpine animals that largely roam unhindered. You can get to Hellbrunn by Bus 25, by car via the B150, or by bike or on foot along the beautiful Hellbrunner Allee past several 17th-century mansions. On the estate grounds is the little gazebo filmed in The Sound of Music ("I am 16, going on 17")—though the doors are now locked. To reach Schloss Hellbrunn from Salzburg Altstadt, take bus 25. Consider going one stop further on the bus to the zoo; there's a lovely walk from here through the park into the palace gardens.

At the very heart of Baroque Salzburg, the Residenz overlooks the spacious Residenzplatz and its famous fountain. The palace in its present form was built between 1600 and 1619 as the home of Wolf-Dietrich, the most powerful of Salzburg's prince-archbishops. See inside with a visit to the DomQuartier. The palace courtyard has been the lovely setting for Salzburg Festival opera productions since 1956—mostly the lesser-known treasures of Mozart.

The "Taj Mahal of Salzburg," Schloss Mirabell was built in 1606 by the immensely wealthy and powerful Prince-Archbishop Wolf-Dietrich for his mistress, Salomé Alt, and their 15 children. It was originally called Altenau in her honor. Such was the palace's beauty that it was taken over by succeeding prince-archbishops, including Markus Sittikus (who renamed the estate), Paris Lodron, and finally, Franz Anton von Harrach, who brought in Lukas von Hildebrandt to give the place a Baroque face-lift in 1727. A disastrous fire hit in 1818, but happily, three of the most spectacular set pieces of the palace—the Chapel, the Marble Hall, and the Angel Staircase—survived. The Marble Hall is now used for civil wedding ceremonies and is regarded as the most beautiful registry office in the world. Its marble floor in strongly contrasting colors and its walls of stucco and marble ornamented with elegant gilt scrollwork are splendid. The young Mozart and his sister gave concerts here, and he also composed Tafelmusik (Table Music) to accompany the prince's meals. The magnificent marble Angel Staircase was laid out by von Hildebrandt and has sculptures by Georg Rafael Donner. The staircase is romantically draped with white marble putti, whose faces and gestures reflect a multitude of emotions, from questioning innocence to jeering mockery. The very first putto genuflects in an old Turkish greeting (a reminder of the Siege of Vienna in 1683).

Candlelight chamber music concerts in the Marble Hall provide an ideal combination of performance and atmosphere.