Beautiful Austria

Salzburg and Salzkammergut

As the land of Mozart, the Sound of Music and marzipan chocolate balls, Salzburg is a world famous destination and a truly charming medieval city with an impressive hilltop fortress, framed by Alpine peaks. cobblestone alleys, soaring spires and spacious squares actually give Salzburg's old town much flair and sophistication. Just as delightful as the city is the nearby hinterland and the Austrian lakes district known as the Salzkammergut. This pastoral area takes its name from the centuries-old tradition of salt mining and is dotted by over a dozen small yet spectacular lakes. The Wolfgangsee, Hallstättersee and Zeller See are probably the best known bodies of water here, not least because they are home to such famous mountain villages as Zell am See, Hallstatt and St. Wolfgang. The lakes also form a delightful contrast to the steep mountain peaks or green panoramic hills that surround them. Indeed the famous Schafbergbahn rack railway is located in St. Wolfgang, one of Austria's three mountain railways with steam traction and ancient rack tank locomotives dating from the late 19th Century. 

See for yourself and get a visual impression of both the cityscape and countryside in Salzburg and Salzkammergut: