Salzburg, Austria, is the fourth-largest city in the country and the capital of the state of Salzburg. Salzburg's "Old Town" (Altstadt) with its world famous baroque architecture is one of the best-preserved city centers north of the Alps, and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The city is noted for its Alpine setting. It’s the birthplace of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the mid-20th century, the city was the setting for parts of the musical and film The Sound of Music, which also features famous landmarks in Austria. Salzburg has 24 urban districts and three extra-urban populations. Salzburg is on the banks of the Salzach River, at the northern boundary of the Alps. The mountains to Salzburg's south contrast with the rolling plains to the north.

In addition to Mozart's birthplace noted above, other notable places include: The Salzburg Cathedral; The Hohensalzburg Castle (Festung Hohensalzburg) on a hill dominating the old town is one of the largest castles in Europe, with views over Salzburg; Mozart's Birthplace; Mozart's Residence; the Hellbrunn Palace & Trick Fountains, once the home of one of Salzburg’s Prince Archbishop’s and today renowned for “Wasserspiele,” or many fountains throughout the property; and the Salzburg Museum, which offers a retrospective on the city through various mediums.

Most of the regional food is a blend of Bavarian and Austrian traditions. Generally, Austrian cuisine is very diverse and colorful: the sweetness of Bohemia, the spices of Hungary, the seasoning of the Mediterranean. Due to Salzburg′s close historic and geographic relationship with Bavaria, it can be considered to be part of the "Beer Belt" around Germany′s south. The great tradition of brewing can be seen in the sheer number of breweries and inns in Salzburg and surroundings. There′s the Müllner Bräu, with its famous "Märzen" lager beer and the brewery of Kaltenhausen near Hallein, known for its sweet "Bernstein" beer. The city is also filled with fine dining such as Itzlinger Hof restaurant where guests will find Austrian cuisine, as well as regional Salzburg dishes, or Strasserewirt, which also specializes in Austrian cuisine.

The airport is located about four kilometers from the city center. It takes 15 minutes to reach the historic city center by taxi or public bus. Salzburg Airport is the arrival airport for many international airlines and low-cost carriers. Direct flights to Salzburg are available from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hannover, Hamburg, Cologne/Bonn, Frankfurt, Leipzig-Halle, Vienna, Paris, London, Manchester, Stockholm, Zurich and other cities. An airport shuttle also takes passengers from Munich Airport to Salzburg. Salzburg Train Station is a 15 minutes' walk from the historic city center. The city is cold in winter and warm and sometimes even humid in summer.