It’s the Christmas season, and almost every big city in the world looks magical. But even though people focus on visiting large cities during Christmas time, what everyone should have in mind is that the smaller cities can also surprise and enchant you in the same time.
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Salzburg
One town in Austria, in particular, is attracting many visitors throughout the year, especially during Christmas time. The fourth largest city in Austria is the city we’re talking about, a city north of the Alps, the magical winter wonderland otherwise known as the city of Salzburg.
Having magnificent cities such as Vienna and Graz in Austria, you might stop to wonder why this town seems to attract so many tourists during the winter time. Well, one of the reasons for this might be the beautiful Christmas market organized in the heart of Salzburg. Oh, those sparkling lights, colorful ornaments, big Christmas trees and lovely stands with various types of delicious food and of course – Glühwein. Every little detail about this place makes your Christmas experience unforgettable.
Another great thing about this city is that if you plan your trip carefully, you can experience the festive spirit of the city even in just a day. Care to visit the greatest places in Salzburg in just a few hours? Keep on reading; we have several ideas how to make your trip perfect.
Visit the attractions
Salzburg may be a smaller city than the most visited ones in Austria, but it sure has many interesting places and stories to offer. Let’s start with what Salzburg is the most known for – Mozart!
The grand Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the most memorable and influential composers of the Classical era, was born in this amazing town in Austria and used to live there until he decided to move to the capital – Vienna. If you are a fan of classical music and therefore of Mozart, you will adore this city as everything will remind you of the traditional splendor that you were missing in your life. The baroque style of the buildings, castles, and gardens will only help you originally experience this city. But let’s get back to the main star of Salzburg. Like it was previously said, this town is all about Mozart, and two of the most popular attractions to visit are Mozarts Geburtshaus and Mozart-Wohnhaus. If you understand even a bit of German, you will quickly conclude that the first one is the house where Mozart was born and the second where he used to live. Interesting is how both of the houses are located on the different sides of the river, but they are insanely close, just a 6 minutes’ walk over the bridge and you’re from one place to the other. If you respect the work of Mozart, you might also be interested in entering both of these houses, as you may take part in a great tour around the houses, listening to the life story of the grand composer.
Another thing that you might enjoy thoroughly and is also connected to Mozart is the famous and delicious chocolate balls so-called Mozartkugel. This beautiful mix of marzipan, nougat, and dark chocolate is what the whole world has gone nuts for, and the best thing is that you can try it out in the place where it originally comes from.
While you’re visiting Mozart-Wohnhaus, have in mind that close to this place is another attraction called Mirabell Palace and Gardens. If you’re traveling on a budget, don’t worry about visiting this place since there is no admission fee. The garden is beautiful, especially for wedding photos which are why there is a big possibility of you catching a wedding photo session whenever you go for a visit. The Mirabell Palace and Gardens are not huge, but they are quite beautiful to visit and mainly lovely.
There are not as many things to see in the new part of the city as there are in the old town, known as the Altstadt, so we suggest spending your time more on the other side of the river. And when you look on the other side of the river, the first thing you’ll notice is the big castle on the hill so called the Hohensalzburg Fortress. If you’re often traveling, then you should know that not every city deserves to be seen from above as the view might easily disappoint you. Well, this is not the case since the view of Salzburg from up above will give you a chance to meet the city from a different perspective and still like it a lot.
The Altstadt is an attraction itself, and you can find much interesting stuff to do there, besides the standard shopping spree tourists love doing when visiting Salzburg. While you’re visiting the Altstadt, check out the interior of the Salzburger Dom, a seventeenth-century baroque cathedral located in the center of the city.
Close to this cathedral is the Kapitelplatz, a big square where every year there is an interesting art piece from a different top-class Artist located. This year there’s a big golden ball and a man standing on it. Care to see what they’re going to put next? Then visit Salzburg!
If you’re a fan of the famous American drama movie “Sound of Music,” you’ll be delighted to find out that there are great tours organized throughout the city, offering you to enjoy the filming locations and the homes of the Trapp family.
Take your time to enjoy the Christmas Market
If you take a look at this charming city, you’ll probably think that this destination is perfect for organizing a big Christmas Market. And that’s true – the city is so alive during the Christmas season that it attracts tourists from around the world. The stands are located mainly on the big squares, and there are plenty of interesting stuff you can find selling – from toys and clothes to food and drinks, so there’s nothing you will miss while you’re celebrating your favorite holiday. The city is beautifully decorated, with shining lights hanging from everywhere and pleasant music playing in the background. If you’re lucky, you might even catch the choir singing in front of the main cathedral, which is music for your soul.
Like any tourist city with a spacious square, there is also an ice skating ring in the center of Salzburg where you can enjoy ice skating with your friends and family accompanied by lovely Christmas songs and joyful atmosphere.
Of course, after the rush of happiness and excitement, you’ll surely need to calm down a bit and only enjoy the Christmas spirit, so we suggest wandering the streets of the Altstadt with a cup of Glühwein.
Eat delicious fast food
There’s no doubt that there are plenty of excellent restaurants you can attend and have your meal in a nicely prepared way, but if you’re in a hurry to experience the city in a day, we suggest you stick to eating in fast food restaurants or simply catch some snack from the various food stands. Austria and Germany are known for their Wurst specialties, so if you haven’t tried it before we suggest you do it while you’re taking your time experiencing the amazing city of Salzburg. You can even have some chocolate pretzels to boost your energy a bit.
The city of Salzburg cannot be easily compared to Vienna, the capital of Austria, but it certainly doesn’t mean that you should prefer visiting the capital instead of a smaller city like this one. No matter how similar they might be, every city has its charm and look, so don’t miss out on your chance to visit such a fascinating city like Salzburg, especially in the period during Christmas.
