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A
baroque city on the banks of the Salzach River, Salzburg is the
beautiful capital of Land Salzburg. This former site of the Roman town
of Juvavum is set against a pristine mountain backdrop. The city and the
river were named after the early residents who earned their living in
the region's salt mines.
This
"heart of the heart of Europe" is the city of Mozart, who was born here
in 1756. The composer's association with the city continues to draw
loads of tourist revenue and tourists, who come to visit this favorite
son's birthplace, the Geburtshaus, an old burgher's house.
The
Old Town lies on the left bank of the river, where a monastery and
bishopric were founded in A.D. 700. From that simple start, Salzburg
grew in power and prestige, becoming an archbishopric see in 798. At the
height of the prince-archbishop's power, the city was known as the
"German Rome." On medieval maps, the little province of Land Salzburg
was titled "church lands." Long a part of the Holy Roman Empire, Land
Salzburg was joined to Austria in 1816 following the Congress of Vienna.
Salzburg, a city of 17th- and 18th-century houses, is internationally
known for its architectural grandeur. Much of the work was done by the
masters of the baroque, Fischer von Erlach and Johann Lukas von
Hildebrandt. The Salzburg Cathedral is the first deliberately
Italian-style church to be built north of the Alps. Several beautiful
castles and palaces dot the city: Hohensalzburg Fortress, the former
stronghold of the prince-archbishops of Salzburg; Residenz, an opulent
palace and seat of the Salzburg prince-archbishops after they abandoned
the gloomy Hohensalzburg; and Schloss Hellbrunn, 5km (3 miles) south of
the city, summer residence of the prince-archbishops. The beautifully
baroque Mirabell Gardens were laid out by the famous Fischer von Erlach.
The
city is the setting for The Salzburg Festival, a world-renowned annual
event that attracts music lovers, especially Mozart fans, from all over
the globe. Salzburg was also the setting for The Sound of Music; yes,
the hills are alive with music -- and reachable by tour.
Ever
since the end of World War II, Salzburg has had a strong American
connection. While the Soviets occupied a section of Vienna and Lower
Austria, Salzburg was a part of the American zone. The real postwar
economy didn't develop in Eastern Austria until 1955 when the Russians
pulled out. However, economic development began in Salzburg right at the
end of the war, giving the city a 10-year head start and cementing its
friendship with the United States. |
