With temperatures rising throughout the pond and a brand new season of raging wildfires and unpleasantly scorching temperatures looming, we would not blame you for contemplating giving Greece, Italy, Spain and the like a miss and heading someplace somewhat cooler.
Austria could also be finest often known as a winter vacation spot, because of its family-friendly ski resorts and snowy landscapes, however for heat-intolerant vacationers who cannot do life over 100 levels, and who do not care a lot in regards to the seaside, it is simply the good summer time getaway.
Although it is typically the nationwide capital Vienna that steals the present, Queen of the Alps Salzburg is the chilled metropolis break you’ve got been in search of, providing security, in addition to tradition and dramatic nature:
A UNESCO-Listed Alpine Metropolis With A Fascinating Historical past
Positioned on the foot of Europe’s Japanese Alps, a variety of towering mountains the place the Austria-Germany border runs alongside, Salzburg is one in every of Austria’s cultural capitals and maybe the nation’s second most-important metropolis culturally after Vienna.
Its total Historic Middle is a UNESCO World Heritage Website, in recognition of its historic significance and eclectic structure, with buildings that date again to the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia and the once-far-reaching Habsburg Empire.
In contrast to different European cities which have slowly given in to modernization in recent times, like London, Paris and Milan, the place extra skyscrapers spring up yearly, Salzburg has stayed true to its medieval character, with a cityscape whose core has remained just about unchanged in centuries.
Wanting on the stone-built Previous City (or Altstadt) from one of many many elevated lookouts that encompass it, you may see numerous church spires, domes, slender pathways flanked by skinny homes in pastel tones, and palatial complexes constructed out of white-grey marble.
Rising above all of it, on a distinguished mountain within the middle, there’s Fortress Hohensalzburg, the actual eye-catcher right here: it is watched over Salzburg for the reason that Center Ages, and being 250 meters lengthy, and 150 meters broad, it is one of many largest medieval castles within the continent.
Salzburg can be a ‘Metropolis of Music‘ of the types: although it is Vienna that concentrates the best variety of stately operas and live performance halls, Salzburg is the birthplace of famend composer Mozart, and it is the place timeless basic The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews, was filmed.
For die-hard, nostalgic followers, the Unique Sound of Music Tour taking you as much as the details of curiosity related to the movie is a must-do, with tickets ranging from $71.79 on Viator––and in case you ever questioned the place these verdant mountains sprinkled with snow within the opening scene are positioned…
Look no additional than the majestic peaks that certain Salzburg to the East.
The Excellent Summer time Climate
Whether or not it is taking within the medieval sights, visiting artwork museums, or getting misplaced within the surrounding nature, Salzburg is a summer time paradise for tradition aficionados and outdoorsy of us alike, owing to its temperate local weather:
You get loads of sunshine and average warmth, with temperatures usually peaking at 77°F within the daytime and dropping to a tolerable 57.2°F within the evenings, however none of Southern Europe’s inhospitable Mediterranean torridity: in Seville, Spain, it is already 105°F and the season’s barely began.
As for outside actions, Salzburg gives loads of mountain climbing trails, together with the 5-mile Krimmi Waterfall Path, which takes you as much as a few of the largest waterfalls in Europe, dropping from a top of 380 meters, and the 7-mile Zell am See circuit, which laps round a picturesque lake.
Even when you’re staying on the town, you are by no means too removed from the plush alpine inexperienced: there’s the elegant, fountain-dotted Mirabell Backyard and the heritage Kapuzinergberg, a well-liked metropolis stroll that takes roughly 1h25 to finish and boasts unimaginable views of Fortress Hohensalzburg.
This Is One Of The Most secure Cities In Europe
Crime has been a urgent difficulty for vacationers visiting Europe currently: throughout tourism hotspots, pickpocketing has turn into widespread, and throughout cities which were overwhelmed by irregular migration, the general sense of security has dropped considerably.
Fortuitously for Salzburg-bound vacationers, aside from the postcard-perfect Previous City and dreamy mountain views, it’s identified for being extraordinarily protected: in contrast to different European cities with surging crime charges, the so-called Rome of the North has very low charges of crime.
In keeping with Numbeo, solely a small variety of folks really feel frightened about being attacked or robbed when strolling in Salzburg, and almost 90 p.c report feeling protected strolling alone at evening; the identical cannot be mentioned of locations like Athens, Barcelona, and even the precise Rome.
Salzburg Is A Transatlantic Flight (And Prepare Experience) Away
Salzburg hosts low-cost flights from quite a few European locations in summer time, together with Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London and Paris, however in contrast to Vienna, it’s but to open a Transatlantic route: for Individuals touring to Salzburg, the best possibility is flying into Munich, Germany as a substitute.
The capital of Bavaria is a brief 1h38 practice experience from Salzburg, tickets costing solely $33 one-way on Germany’s nationwide railway Deutsche Bahn, and trains go away a number of instances per day from the Central Station.
Delta Air Traces gives year-round flights to Munich from Atlanta, and this summer time, Detroit and New York (JFK), whereas American Airways operates on this route from Charlotte (North Caroline); in the meantime, United Airways serves Chicago, Denver, Houston, Newark, San Francisco and Washington.
As for German service Lufthansa, they serve the entire following U.S. cities this season:
- Boston
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Denver
- Miami
- New York (JFK)
- Newark
- San Diego
- Seattle/Tacoma
- Washington
As you possibly can see, there’s loads of flight choices attending to Munich, and from there, Salzburg is only a stone’s throw away throughout the border.