Salzburg travel info

Seven in the morning: the cathedral bells ring, the mist lifts off the Salzach and the fortress of Hohensalzburg turns white on its hill. The bridge railings are thick with love padlocks, and across the river in the Mirabell Gardens someone is skipping down the steps humming 'Do-Re-Mi'. If you've seen The Sound of Music, you'll end up doing it too.

The old town is a narrow strip on the river's left bank. Getreidegasse with its rows of wrought-iron signs, the yellow house where Mozart was born, the green-domed cathedral and its three squares are all within ten minutes on foot. Behind them the Mönchsberg rises like a wall, and one lift ride puts you on a lookout above the rooftops. On the right bank are Mirabell Palace, Linzer Gasse and, a little further on, the main station.

Most long-haul visitors fly into Vienna or Munich and add 1½ to 2½ hours by train. Stay even one night and your hotel gives you a Guest Mobility Ticket, which covers buses and trains across the province of Salzburg. Room prices jump during the Salzburg Festival in July and August, and almost every shop closes on Sunday.

Salzburg W. A. Mozart Airport (SZG)