Salzburg Austria: The perfect city break that is alive with not just the Sound of Music - here's why you need to visit

Salzburg has always been a city on my radar that I wanted to visit. My sisters and I loved watching ‘The Sound of Music’ growing up and I have always wanted to visit the places that featured in the film such as the Mirabell Gardens. I got the chance to do this when visiting with a group, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but I also got the chance to do so much and see spectacular sights.

Salzburg itself is beautiful. It is brimming with tourists, as is to be expected being the heart of The Sound of Music, but it is also quaint, peaceful and full of gorgeous historic buildings. The Mirabell Gardens are so picturesque and a joy to visit - everywhere I looked I found myself saying “Oh that’s where they filmed that scene!”. As you walk through the beautiful gardens, passing the Pegasus Fountain, you are treated to the sight of the Fortress Hohensalzburg in the background. The 11th-century castle is a real eye-catcher high above the Baroque towers of the city. To get the best view of the city, we walked to the Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg - which I would highly recommend. You get panoramic views of Salzburg and can see everything. As part of our trip we had a Salzburg Card which is great value for money as it gives you free admission to every city tourist attraction and museum that you can squeeze in.

We walked along the gorgeous Salzach river which runs through the centre of the city and wandered through the market stalls that lined up along the river bank selling hand-made gifts and clothes. We also visited the Salzburg Cathedral which I would highly recommend. The beautiful building is nestled in the city among all the attractions and is the most significant building in the city of Salzburg, known for its magnificent 4,000 pipe organ.

We stopped off for a lunch at a lovely restaurant and I ordered the Salzburg Bratwurst which was delicious. The food does not disappoint in Salzburg. From the tasty jams, honey, delicious Mozart chocolate balls to the array of soups and Salzburg gnocchi. It is a great city for a foodie - like myself.

As we walked around the city, taking in the sights, we were treated to sounds of a brass band playing in the Mirabell Gardens and in one of the streets of the city. The atmosphere is lovely and walking around, taking it all in, is a delight.

To top off the experience in Salzburg, we had dinner at the Hohensalzburg Fortress with views overlooking the city which was incredible. It was part of a ‘Dinner & Salzburg Fortress Concert' where we were treated to the music of Mozart in the unforgettable atmosphere of the Salzburg fortress. It was truly an experience I won’t forget. The music and musicians were incredible, and everyone was sat in awe for the hour and a half taking in the beautiful sounds and scenery out of the castle window. If you are heading to Salzburg this summer - please do this!

For the remainder of the trip we stayed in the Schladming-Dachstein holiday region, just outside of Salzburg. It was breath-taking. The scenery everyday was stunning with views of the mountains and forests. There are around 1000 km of hiking paths, 1000 km of mountain bike routes and 22 via ferrata climbs, to experience the region’s nature - great for outdoor-lovers. You can purchase a Schladming-Dachstein Sommercard which allows you free admission to over 100 different attractions and around 40 exciting holiday activities.

We visited Lodenwalker Ramsau - the oldest loden mill in the world that sells the finest clothing made from new wool. We saw how the clothing is made from scratch and the machines used. with one in the factory existing since 1434.

We then went on a hiking tour through the Sliberkarklamm gorge - a short hike along a river with waterfalls, vertical rock faces, flowers and the wild and romantic scenery of the gorge. It was a medium-level intensity hike and the views were beautiful along the way, and very popular with tourists and locals alike. The stand-out experience for me was the Dachstein Glacier - with an altitude of 2,700m it is one of the most fascinating excursion destinations in Schladming.

We took a cable car up the mountain and were treated to breathtaking panoramic views of the region that stretched as far as Slovenia and the Czech Republic. When we were up the mountain there were clouds everywhere but these soon were blown away by the strong winds at the top. I braved the suspension bridge to the Dachstein Ice Palace - which was quite scary, but an amazing experience too and also went up the steps to the stairway to nowhere. It is a great photo opportunity - and when I was stood on it I actually forgot nothing was really underneath me other than a bit of glass and metal.

The Dachstein Ice Palace itself was breath-taking, deep inside the Dachstein glacier. Created in 2007, the Ice Palace shows off meticulous cut figures including an snowman, and a flower, as well as ice pillars and a crystal dome. Once back on ground level we took a hike through Ramsau am Dachstein which has the backdrop of the beautiful mountain scenery with the astonishing and surrounding view of the south face of the Dachstein Glacier and the Schladminger Tauern mountains that rise directly opposite. We stopped off at Brandalm, a beautiful place to eat, which has a little church behind it with only a few pews and a mountaineering memorial for the adventurers who have fallen in the Dachstein area since 1879. 

Salzburg was a beautiful city and its surrounding areas even more so. It is a great city break destination, known for its historical significance and connection to Mozart, as well as its proximity to popular ski resorts. There is so much to do and explore - if it isn’t on your radar, it needs to be now.

Wizz Air has been operating a new route between London Luton and Salzburg since last November, offering direct flights three times a week. The one-hour, 55-minute flight departs at 5:50 am local time (UTC), with fares starting from £17.99