With temperatures rising throughout the pond and a brand new season of raging wildfires and unpleasantly sizzling temperatures looming, we would not blame you for contemplating giving Greece, Italy, Spain and the like a miss and heading someplace a little cooler.
Austria could also be greatest generally known as a winter vacation spot, due to its family-friendly ski resorts and snowy landscapes, however for heat-intolerant vacationers who cannot do life over 100 degrees, and who do not care a lot in regards to the seashore, it is simply the excellent summer season getaway.
Though it is usually the nationwide capital Vienna that steals the present, Queen of the Alps Salzburg is the chilled metropolis break you have been searching for, providing security, in addition to tradition and dramatic nature:
A UNESCO-Listed Alpine City With A Fascinating History
Located on the foot of Europe’s Eastern Alps, a spread of towering mountains the place the Austria-Germany border runs alongside, Salzburg is one among Austria’s cultural capitals and maybe the nation’s second most-important metropolis culturally after Vienna.
Its whole Historic Center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 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.
Unlike 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 nearly unchanged in centuries.
Looking on the stone-built Old Town (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 outstanding mountain within the middle, there’s Fortress Hohensalzburg, the actual eye-catcher right here: it is watched over Salzburg for the reason that Middle Ages, and being 250 meters lengthy, and 150 meters broad, it is one of many largest medieval castles within the continent.
Salzburg can also be a ‘City of Music‘ of the kinds: 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 traditional The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews, was filmed.
For die-hard, nostalgic followers, the Original 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 situated…
Look no additional than the majestic peaks that sure Salzburg to the East.
The Perfect Summer Weather
Whether it is taking within the medieval sights, visiting artwork museums, or getting misplaced within the surrounding nature, Salzburg is a summer season paradise for tradition aficionados and outdoorsy of us alike, owing to its temperate local weather:
You get loads of sunshine and moderate heat, with temperatures sometimes 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 out of doors actions, Salzburg gives loads of climbing trails, together with the 5-mile Krimmi Waterfall Trail, which takes you as much as among 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 for those who’re staying on the town, you are by no means too removed from the luxurious alpine inexperienced: there’s the elegant, fountain-dotted Mirabell Garden and the heritage Kapuzinergberg, a preferred metropolis stroll that takes roughly 1h25 to finish and boasts unimaginable views of Fortress Hohensalzburg.
This Is One Of The Safest Cities In Europe
Crime has been a urgent problem for vacationers visiting Europe currently: throughout tourism hotspots, pickpocketing has change into widespread, and throughout cities which have been overwhelmed by irregular migration, the general sense of security has dropped considerably.
Fortunately for Salzburg-bound vacationers, apart from the postcard-perfect Old Town and dreamy mountain views, it’s identified for being extraordinarily secure: in contrast to different European cities with surging crime charges, the so-called Rome of the North has very low charges of crime.
According to Numbeo, solely a small variety of folks really feel apprehensive about being attacked or robbed when strolling in Salzburg, and practically 90 p.c report feeling secure strolling alone at night time; the identical cannot be mentioned of locations like Athens, Barcelona, and even the precise Rome.
Salzburg Is A Transatlantic Flight (And Train Ride) Away
Salzburg hosts low-cost flights from quite a few European locations in summer season, together with Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London and Paris, however in contrast to Vienna, it’s but to open a Transatlantic route: for Americans touring to Salzburg, the simplest possibility is flying into Munich, Germany as a substitute.
The capital of Bavaria is a brief 1h38 practice trip 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 Lines gives year-round flights to Munich from Atlanta, and this summer season, Detroit and New York (JFK), whereas American Airlines operates on this route from Charlotte (North Caroline); in the meantime, United Airlines serves Chicago, Denver, Houston, Newark, San Francisco and Washington.
As for German provider Lufthansa, they serve all the following U.S. cities this season:
- Boston
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Denver
- Miami
- New York (JFK)
- Newark
- San Diego
- Seattle/Tacoma
- Washington
As you may see, there’s loads of flight choices attending to Munich, and from there, Salzburg is only a stone’s throw away throughout the border.
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This article initially appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed listed below are the writer’s alone, not these of any financial institution, bank card issuer, resort, airline, or different entity. This content material has not been reviewed, accredited or in any other case endorsed by any of the entities included throughout the submit.
