Scenic view of Salzburg, Austria shows a town of European architecture and stunning scenery.

These Hills Are Alive

Salzburg, Austria Home To Mozart, 'The Sound Of Music', Famous Pastries, Chocolates, Music Festival

"The hills are alive with the sound of music," sings Maria (Julie Andrews) in the 1965 movie musical The Sound of Music. And who's to say it isn't so. Salzburg, Austria, where the film story is centered and where much of it was shot is a city of music. It's Mozart's hometown and home to the internationally acclaimed Salzburg Festival. There are more than 4,000 concerts and theater presentations each year. But there's even more to enjoy here like food (its pastries and chocolate are among the world's best), shopping, castles, cathedrals, museums, and gardens. Best of all, it's a city you can easily see on foot. When you need a break, you're never more than a few steps from a charming sidewalk cafe.

Salzburg is a little like Texas in that before it became a part of Austria it was in independent state. It was independent when Mozart lived there and worked as a court musician for the Archbishop of Salzburg. However, the Archbishop did not appreciate Mozart's musical talent and treated him like a house servant including long hours and low pay. Mozart finally had enough and moved to Vienna where his fortunes improved markedly. Salzburg has created a Mozart marketing industry which bring hundreds of thousands of tourists and their money to the city each year. You can hear Mozart's music performed at various locations throughout the city. There's even a Mozart "dinner theater" where you can enjoy a delicious meal and hear talented singers in authentic costumes perform works from Mozart operas.

The Salzburg Festival is world renowned festival of music and drama held each summer (for 5 weeks starting in late July) Founded in 1877 but was discontinued during the war years (both wars). The Festival reopened in 1945 immediately following the Allied victory in Europe. The post WW II Festival slowly regained its prominence as the premiere summer opera festival especially in works by Mozart. In 2006 the Festival celebrated the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth by staging all 22 of his operatic works to great acclaims. 1934 to 1937 represents a golden period when the Festival featured the famed conductors Toscanini and Bruno Walter conducted many performances. In 1936, it featured a performance by the Trapp Family Singers, whose story was later dramatized as the musical and film The Sound of Music. The shot of the Von Trapps singing in the competition features Felsenreitschule theater.

The charm of the Getreidegasse, Salzburg's most famous shopping street (pedestrians only), is not only created by the high, narrow houses tightly nestled together, the enticing shops and the wrought iron guild (advertising) signs, but also to the romantic passageways and courtyards. Today most people are attracted to the Getreidegasse because of its multitude of shops selling jewelry, "Trachten" or traditional costumes, the latest fashions, antiques, leather and paper goods, and perfumes. delicatessen and just about anything one could want.

The Leopold Mozart family lived at 9 Getreidegasse from 1747 to 1773 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born there in 1756. Today the rooms once occupied by the Mozart family house a museum. The most famous exhibits include Mozart's childhood violin, his concert violin, his clavichord, the pianoforte, portraits, and correspondence of the Mozart family. It's a "must see" for visitors to the city.

Following the enormous success of the stage musical "Sound of Music" by Rogers and Hammerstein, Hollywood producer/director Robert Wise adapted the musical to the film in 1965. It was a great success in the U.S. and elsewhere, but it was not well received in Salzburg where locals were not pleased with the numerous liberties the film takes. Wise, however, was more interested in an entertaining film than a factual presentation. A booming tourist trade has developed around The Sound of Music and visitors to the city can tour various locations where the film was shot and purchase a DVD copy of the movie at any of dozens of souvenir shops.

The food is outstanding in Salzburg. Cafe Tomaselli, the oldest cafe in the city and the longest serving cafe still in existence in Austria, has been operated by the family since 1852. Cafe F¸rst is where pastry chef, Paul F¸rst, invented the "Salzburger Mozartkugel" in 1890. The current owner, his great grandson, is still producing them, Thereís now a small museum at the shop at Brodgasse 13 to celebrate the history of this internationally renowned product. Getting to Salzburg is simple by air, train, or car. When visiting Europe, however, the train is the way to travel. You can even buy your rail passes before you leave home. Simply view www. raileurope.com.

Also, visit www.salzburginfo.at. for accommodations and further details.

Salzburg is one of those "not to be missed" cities in Europe. Be sure to include it in your travel plans.