The Sound of Music turned Salzburg into a Hollywood myth - synonymous with singing nuns, but it is nevertheless one of the most beautiful towns in the Alps. Chic, cosmopolitan and stylish, its architecture has an Italianate feel - a cross between rugged medieval and delicate rococo facades. It is fitting that its most central café, Tomaselli, has an Italian name. It's biggest claim to fame is as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born in the city in 1756. But the city's culture doesn't stop here, and despite a conservative reputation it has become increasingly avant-garde, with museums showcasing modern art by Klimt and Kokoschka and shows by contemporary artists.
Even its location is appealing - its castle, churches and palaces are cradled within a scenic ring of mountains. The city is at its most beautiful at night, when its white-washed castle gives off a luminous glow. Because it is so small, you can wander around easily and stroll straight out of town into the lush Alpine meadows beyond - making it an ideal winter weekend destination.
Where to eat out in Salzburg
GOLDENER HIRSCH
Getreidegrasse 37 (00 43 662 80840). This hotel restaurant, situated in the old stables of a historic townhouse, is Salzburg's most prestigious address, especially at festival time: famous guests have included Sir Simon Rattle and the late Herbert von Karajan, director of the Salzburg festival from 1956 until shortly before his death in 1989. The food is traditional Austrian with a light touch.
PERKEO
Priesterhausgasse 20 (00 43 662 870 899). A tiny, exquisite restaurant tucked away in a quiet side street, well away from the worst of the tourist traffic. Serves contemporary international cuisine, perfectly prepared by an expert chef in full view of diners.
RATSHERRNKELLER
Siigmund-HaffnerGasse 4 (00 43 662 878 417). Central European cooking with a nouvelle-cuisine twist in a basement restaurant across the street from the old town hall. Boldly and artistically presented with splashes of bright colour, the dishes are a feast for the eyes, not just the stomach.
CAFÉ TOMASELLI
Alter Markt 9 (00 43 662 844 488). A local landmark since 1705, young Mozart used to come here for tea chocolate and ice cream. Open from 7am to 9pm daily.
HOTEL SACHER
Schwarzstrasse 5-7 (00 43 662 88977). Austrians drink twice as much coffee as beer, and this imperial institution is one reason why. You can sample its belle-époque glamour for the price of a slice of Sachertorte.
WHERE TO DRINK
HAVANA
Priesterhausgasse 14 (00 43 664 220 1005). A discreet but debonair bar, populated by cool twenty- and thirty somethings. Open from 4pm to 2am daily.
REPUBLIC
Anton Neumar Platz 2 (00 43 662 841 613). A café by day, later a nightclub with live music and dancing. Open Sun to Thurs from 9am to 2am and Fri/Sat until 4am.
What to see in Salzburg
RUPERTINUM
Philharmonikergasse 9 (00 43 662 8042;
www.rupertinum).
Salzburg's museum of modern art has important works by Klimt and Kokoschka and exciting shows by contemporary artists. Open 10am to 6pm daily. Late night wed until 9pm.
GALERIE THADDAEUS ROPAC
Mirabellplatz 2 (00 43 662 881 3930;
www.ropac.net). This is one of several trendy, commercial galleries around the city which is incongruously housed in a grand old Schloss beside the picturesque Mirabellgarten, where Julie Andrews sings Do-Re-Mi in The Sound of Music. Open Tues to Fri 10am to 6pm; Sat until 2pm
ARTMOSPHERE
Palais Kuenburg, Philharmonikergasse 3 (00 43 662 846483;
www.artmosphere.at). A fashionable gallery on an ancient alley in the heart of the old town, which exhibits cutting-edge exhibits. Open Tues to Fri, 11am to 6pm; Sat 10am to 1pm.
MOZART'S HOUSES
The composer's two homes - now museums, are pleasantly modest. Mozart's Geburtshaus (where the composer was born and spent his childhood) is a plain but atmospheric apartment overlooking the market place. There are some haunting portraits here and the tiny violin he played as a child. Across the street is the house where his older sister (a virtuoso in her own right) lived and died, long after her brother.
Mozart's Wohnhaus, a short walk over the river is slightly grander. He lived here as a young man when his family was slightly better off. There are portraits and instruments here, but the star exhibits are Mozart's vivid, lively letters, which add up to a virtual autobiography. Not only was Mozart a melodic genius, he was also a wonderful writer.
CONCERTS
If you want to hear some of Mozart's music there are concerts all over town. A wide range of musicians, from seasoned professionals to precocious students, play in historic venues where Mozart himself performed and where many of his greatest pieces where premiered.
CHRISTMAS MARKETS
Salzburg at Christmas is the perfect antidote to the frenzy that takes over in the UK at the festive time of year. The domes and turrets of the Old Town look even more romantic with a coat of snow. However, it is the Christmas markets that really make the city come alive. From 20 November to 24 December, the cathedral square is filled with little huts, selling everything from wooden toys to homemade gingerbread. Daytrippers come to stock up for the holidays, but for locals it's somewhere to meet friends and knock back some mulled wine on the way home from work.
There's a similar daily market on Mirabellplatz, over the river, and another every weekend in the courtyard of the Festung Hohensalzburg, high above the city. There are festive concerts and Nativity displays that make you wish you were a child again. Yet Salzburg's true Christmas spirit is embodied in a humble museum on Steingasse. This former slum apartment was the childhood home of Joseph Mohr, who grew up to write the world's favourite carol, Silent Night.
How to get to Salzburg
AIRPORT
Salzburg has a small, compact airport, situated only 4km from the city centre and encircled by the snow-capped Alps.
AIRLINES FROM THE UK
Ryanair (0871 246 0000;
www.ryanair.com) flies from Stansted to Salzburg. British Airways (0870 850 9850;
www.britishairways.com) flies from Heathrow and Gatwick to Munich. The airline runs a connecting coach service to Salzburg.
Austria Travel (01708 222000; www.austriatravel.co.uk) organises trips to Salzburg, Prague, Vienna and Munich.