Salzburg is smaller than it appears on a map and more architecturally coherent than almost any city of its size in Europe. The baroque old town — compact, walkable, built along a river between two hills — is a Gesamtkunstwerk: the churches, the squares, the archways, and the fortress above all belong to the same visual logic. Come for the architecture, not the Mozart.
Baroque precision and mountain light.
The baroque old town is a UNESCO site and entirely earns it — the cathedral square, the Residenzplatz, and the Collegiate Church are baroque architecture at its most assured. The Museum der Moderne on the Mönchsberg sits above the old town and offers a different perspective: contemporary glass and concrete over baroque stone.
The city moves slowly but with intention. It takes about two days before you stop feeling that you should be somewhere else.
Late autumn and winter are the most revealing. The festival season (July–August) is crowded and expensive. Come in November or March for the city on its own terms.
Altstadt (Old Town): The baroque core. The Residenzplatz, Domplatz, and Getreidegasse are all here. Walk slowly and look up.
Mönchsberg: The hill that runs through the city. The Museum der Moderne is at the top. The walk up takes fifteen minutes through rock tunnels.
Schallmoos: The local neighbourhood across the river from the tourist centre. The cafés here do not have English menus.