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Middle Ages

When the province of Noricum collapsed in 488 AD at the beginning of the migration period, part of the Romano-Celtic population remained in the country. In the 6th century, they came under the rule of the Baiuvarii. The Life of Saint Rupert credits the 8th-century saint with the city's rebirth, when around 696 AD, Bishop Rupert of Salzburg received the remains of the Roman town from Duke Theodo II of Bavaria as well as a castrum superius (upper castle) on the Nonnberg Terrace as a gift. In return, he was to evangelize the east and south-east of the country of Bavaria.

Rupert reconnoitred the river for the site of his basilica and chose Iuvavum. He ordained priests and annexed the manor of Piding. Rupert built a church at St. Peter on the site of today's cathedral and probably also founded the associated monastery and the Benedictine nunnery on Nonnberg for his relative Erentrude. Salzburg has been the seat of a diocesan bishop since 739 AD and an archbishopric since 798 AD. The first cathedral was built under Archbishop Virgil. The Franciscan Church existed since the beginning of the 9th century at the latest. The Marienkirche dates from 1139.

The first use of the German name Salzburg can be traced back to 739 AD when the name was used in Willibald's report on the organization of the Bavarian dioceses by Saint Boniface. The name derives from the barges carrying salt on the River Salzach, which were subject to a toll in the 8th century as was customary for many communities and cities on European rivers. Hohensalzburg Fortress, the city's fortress was built on the site of a Roman fort in 1077 by Archbishop Gebhard, who made it his residence. It was greatly expanded during the following centuries. This site is not the site of the Roman castrum superius, which was located on the Nonnberg nearby.

The state of Salzburg and its counties soon gained more and more influence and power within Bavaria due to the flourishing salt mining and the wide-ranging missionary activities. In 996 Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor rented Archbishop Hartwig the market rights and minting rights (probably also the toll law). The first part of Hohensalzburg Fortress was built in 1077. A city judge was first mentioned in a document in 1120/30. On the left bank of the Salzach, an extensive spiritual district was created with the cathedral, the bishop's residence north-west of the cathedral, the cathedral monastery on its south side, St Peter's monastery, and the Frauengarten (probably after a former women's convent that was dissolved in 1583). Only during the 12th century did the civil settlement begin to spread into the Getreidegasse, the Abtsgasse (Sigmund Haffner-Gasse), and along the quay. Around 1280, the first city fortifications were created. The oldest known city law document dates from the year 1287.

20th century

Following World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Salzburg, as the capital of one of the Austro-Hungarian territories, became part of the new German Austria. In 1918, it represented the residual German-speaking territories of the Austrian heartlands. This was replaced by the First Austrian Republic in 1919, after the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919).

The Anschluss (the occupation and annexation of Austria, including Salzburg, into Nazi Germany) took place on 12 March 1938, one day before a scheduled referendum on Austria's independence. German troops moved into the city. Political opponents, Jewish citizens and other minorities were subsequently arrested and deported to concentration camps. The synagogue was destroyed.

After Germany invaded the Soviet Union, several POW camps for prisoners from the Soviet Union and other enemy nations were arranged in the city.

During the Nazi occupation, a Romani camp was built in Salzburg-Maxglan. It was an Arbeitserziehungslager (work 'education' camp), which provided slave labor to local industry. It also operated as a Zwischenlager (transit camp), holding Roma before their deportation to German camps or ghettos in German-occupied territories in Eastern Europe.

Salzburg was also the location of five subcamps of the Dachau concentration camp.

Allied bombing destroyed 7,600 houses and killed 550 inhabitants. Fifteen air strikes destroyed 46 percent of the city's buildings, especially those around Salzburg railway station. Although the town's bridges and the dome of the cathedral were destroyed, much of its Baroque architecture remained intact. As a result, Salzburg is one of the few remaining examples of a town of its style. American troops entered the city on 5 May 1945, and it became the centre of the American-occupied area in Austria. Several displaced persons camps were established in Salzburg—, among them Riedenburg, Camp Herzl (Franz-Josefs-Kaserne), Camp Mülln, Bet Bialik, Bet Trumpeldor, and New Palestine.

After World War II, Salzburg became the capital city of the Federal State of Salzburg (Land Salzburg) and saw the Americans leave the area once Austria had signed a 1955 treaty re-establishing the country as a democratic and independent nation and subsequently declared its perpetual neutrality. In the 1960s, the city became the shooting location and setting of the family musical film The Sound of Music. On 27 January 2006, the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, all 35 churches of Salzburg rang their bells after 8:00 p.m. (local time) to celebrate the occasion. Major celebrations took place throughout the year.

As of 2017 Salzburg had a GDP per capita of €46,100, which was greater than the average for Austria and most European countries.

Main sights

Salzburg is a tourist favourite, with the number of visitors outnumbering locals by a large margin in peak times. In addition to Mozart's birthplace noted above, other notable places include:

Old Town

Historic centre of the city of Salzburg, a World Heritage Site

Baroque architecture, including many churches

Felsenreitschule, an open-air theatre built in the quarry used for the construction of Salzburg Cathedral

Franziskanerkirche, one of Salzburg's oldest buildings, dating from 1208 and used by the Franciscans since 1642

Getreidegasse, a busy, narrow shopping street characterised by numerous high townhouses

Großes Festspielhaus, an opera house and concert hall dating from 1960 and built for the annual Salzburg Festival

Haus für Mozart, formerly the Kleines Festspielhaus, an opera house and concert hall dating from 1925

Hohensalzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg), overlooking the Old Town, is one of the largest castles in Europe

Holy Trinity Church (Dreifaltigkeitskirche), dating from 1694

Hotel Goldener Hirsch, a five-star hotel located in a building on Getreidegasse dating back to at least 1407

Kollegienkirche, the Baroque style church of the University of Salzburg

Mirabell Palace (Schloss Mirabell), a pleasure palace built in 1606 with wide gardens and a marble hall

Museum der Moderne Salzburg, a modern art museum with locations in the old city and on the Mönchsberg

Mozartplatz, a historic square with monument to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart's birthplace (Mozarts Geburtshaus), a house in Getreidegasse that is now a museum dedicated to Mozart

Nonnberg Abbey (Stift Nonnberg), a Benedictine monastery founded c.712/715

Residenz, the former residence of the Prince-Archbishops

Residenzgalerie, an art museum in the Residenz

Residenzplatz, a large square outside the Residenz with a large and ornate fountain

Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom)

Salzburger Landestheater, a theatre and venue for opera, theatre, and dance, with resident companies of actors, singers, and dancers

Salzburger Marionettentheater, a marionette theatre established in 1912

Salzburg Museum, a museum of the artistic and cultural history of the city and region of Salzburg

Sigmundstor, an eighteenth-century tunnel connecting the Altstadt with the Riedenburg quarter through the Mönchsberg

Sphaera, a sculpture of a man on a golden sphere (Stephan Balkenhol, 2007)

St Peter's Abbey (Stift Sankt Peter), a Benedictine monastery founded 696 with a well-known cemetery

St Sebastian's Church (Sebastianskirche), a church consecrated in 1511

Outside the Old Town

Schloss Leopoldskron, a rococo palace and national historic monument in Leopoldskron-Moos, a southern district of Salzburg

Hellbrunn with its parks and castles

The Sound of Music tour companies who operate tours of film locations

Hangar-7, a multifunctional building owned by Red Bull, with a collection of historical aeroplanes, helicopters, and Formula One racing cars

Haslachmühle, historic flour mill in the Gnigl district

Greater Salzburg area

Anif Castle, located south of the city in Anif

Shrine of Our Lady of Maria Plain, a late Baroque church on the northern edge of Salzburg

Salzburger Freilichtmuseum Großgmain, an open-air museum containing old farmhouses from all over the state assembled in a historic setting

Schloss Klessheim, a palace and casino, formerly used by Adolf Hitler

Berghof, Hitler's mountain retreat near Berchtesgaden

Kehlsteinhaus, the only remnant of Hitler's Berghof

Salzkammergut, an area of lakes east of the city

Untersberg mountain, next to the city on the Austria–Germany border, with panoramic views of Salzburg and the surrounding Alps

Skiing is an attraction during winter. Salzburg has no skiing facilities, but it is a gateway to skiing areas to the south. During the winter, its airport receives charter flights from around Europe.

Salzburg Zoo, located south of the city in Anif

Notable citizens

Saint Liutberga (died c. 870), an influential nun in Saxony in the 9th century

Paracelsus (ca 1493 – 1541), Swiss physician, alchemist, and astrologer of the German Renaissance.

Barbara Thenn (1519–1579), merchant and Münzmeister

Heinrich Biber (ca 1644-1704), violinist and composer in Salzburg from the early 1670s.

Joseph Leutgeb (1732–1811), virtuoso horn player, was part of the archbishop's court.

Johann Michael Haydn (1737–1806), composer and younger brother of the composer Joseph Haydn. His works were admired by Mozart and Schubert. He was also the teacher of Carl Maria von Weber and Anton Diabelli. He is known for his sacred music.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), composer, was born and raised in Salzburg when it was part of the Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg within the Holy Roman Empire; he was employed as a musician at the archbishopal court from 1773 to 1781. His house of birth and residence are tourist attractions. His family is buried in a small church graveyard in the old town, and there are many monuments to "Wolferl" in the city.

Ignaz Assmayer (1790–1862), Austrian composer of liturgical music.

Joseph Mohr (1792–1848), Roman Catholic priest and writer, born in Salzburg. He wrote the text to "Silent Night", music by Franz Xaver Gruber, and they performed it for the first time on Christmas Eve 1818.

Christian Doppler (1803–1853), expert on acoustic theory, born in Salzburg; discovered the Doppler effect.

Georg Pezolt (1810–1878), painter, architect, art critic, and conservator, born in Salzburg.

Marko Feingold (1913-2019), President of the synagogue in Salzburg.

King Otto of Greece (1815–1867), was born Prince Otto Friedrich Ludwig of Bavaria at Mirabell Palace, a few days before the city reverted from Bavarian to Austrian rule.

Hans Makart (1840–1884), influential Austrian painter-decorator, was born locally. Makartplatz (Makart Square) is named in his honour.

Irma von Troll-Borostyani (1847–1912), Austrian writer, journalist, and campaigner for women's rights

Ludwig Hans Fischer (1848–1915), landscape painter, copper engraver, etcher, and ethnologist.

Theodor Herzl (1860–1904), an Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and political activist who was the father of modern political Zionism. He worked in the courts in Salzburg after he earned his law degree in 1884.

Georg Trakl (1887–1914), an important voice in German Expressionism literature, was born in Salzburg.

Georg von Trapp (1880–1947), Maria von Trapp (1905–1987), and their children made up the Trapp Family and lived in Salzburg until they fled to the United States following the Nazi takeover.

Stefan Zweig (1881–1942), writer, lived in Salzburg for about 15 years, until 1934.

Hilda Crozzoli (1900–1972), Austria's first female architect and civil engineer

Herbert von Karajan (1908–1989), notable orchestral conductor, was born in Salzburg and died locally in Anif.

Franz Krieger (1914–1993), businessman and photographer, born in Salzburg

Thomas Bernhard (1931–1989), novelist, playwright, and poet, was raised in Salzburg, spent part of his life there.

Alex Jesaulenko (born 1945), famous former Australian rules football-player

Klaus Ager (born 1946), the distinguished contemporary composer and Mozarteum professor

Roland Ratzenberger (1960–1994), Formula One racing driver, was born in Salzburg. He died practicing for the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

Felix Baumgartner (1967-2025), record-setting skydiver and BASE jumper

Ferdinand Habsburg (born 1997), racing driver, was born locally; he is heir apparent to the headship of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine

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Etymology

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Under the prince-bishopric's rule

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