Salzburg at the Peak of Summer: The City of Mozart and the Most Prestigious Music Festival in the World

There are cities that live off one name, and Salzburg lives off two - Mozart and his festival. And right now, when summer is at its peak, this Austrian jewel among the Alps is getting ready for the most dazzling weeks of the year.

The Salzburg Festival this year runs from July 17 to August 30, in honor of the 270th anniversary of Mozart's birth. It's considered the most prestigious classical music festival in the world - it draws around 250,000 visitors and becomes a meeting place for famous names, world leaders and the cultural elite. It was founded in 1920 as a peace initiative after World War I, and its symbol is the play „Everyman“ (Jedermann), performed every summer on the square in front of the cathedral.

But Salzburg isn't just the festival. The entire old town is under UNESCO protection, cut through by the Salzach river and surrounded by Alpine peaks. Watching over it is the Hohensalzburg Fortress - one of the largest preserved medieval fortresses in Central Europe, from which the whole city is laid out below you.

For Mozart lovers, the city is a pilgrimage. The composer's birthplace on Getreidegasse 9 keeps his personal belongings and documents, and in his residence on Mozartplatz stands the original piano. There's also the Mozarteum, the conservatory that bears his name.

And when you tire of history, sit down in one of the legendary little cafés. At Café Tomaselli, coffee has been drunk for centuries, and at the Fürst confectionery the famous „Mozart ball“ was born - a chocolate praline with marzipan, pistachio and hazelnut. That's the souvenir every tourist takes home.

Salzburg also has film fame. The Leopoldskron palace, where the festival was actually born, also appears in the cult film „The Sound of Music“. For many, a walk through the city is like stepping into a movie scene - baroque facades, green domes and mountains at every corner.

If you're looking for a summer destination that combines nature, history and top culture, Salzburg is hard to beat. Just keep in mind - during the festival weeks the city is full, and prices jump. But for some things, that's part of the experience.