There’s more than the Sound of Music: this Austrian gem is arguably Europe’s most fun small city. And in winter it’s a wonderland, says David Whitley

See

SALZBURG has an unusual history. It was ruled for centuries by PrinceArchbishops who got wealthy on the back of salt mines, and good chunks of this wealth were spent in the Residenz palace, which is brimming with lavish ceiling paintings and OTT furniture. The palace is part of the Domquartier (domquartier.at) route which combines treasures across several buildings and finishes next to the gigantic organ of the cathedral. Look down from the balcony and there’s a very distinctive view courtesy of the black/ grey stone used to outline the decorative detail.

Also worth visiting in the outrageously handsome old town is Mozart’s birthplace (mozarteum.at), which has a somewhat undignified position above a Spar supermarket, but offers a good overview of the composer’s life — and of his pushy parents.

Slightly further down picturesque shop-filled Getreidegasse, Sound of Music World (Soundofmusicworld.com) tells the true story of the von Trapp family — and the significant differences from the movie are fascinating.

Do

For properly shameless Sound of Music cheeseballery you need to go on a tour of the filming locations — which include Leopoldskron lake, the infamous gazebo and the church where Maria gets married. Panorama Tours (panoramatours.com) runs half-day trips for €45, although the smart move is to extend it to an €85 full day trip that adds in the Bavarian Alps and a novelty transport-packed visit to a 500-year-old salt mine.

For more gimmicky getting from A to

B, take the funicular from the old town to the hulking fortress that overlooks Salzburg. From there, walk across the Mönchsberg — the hill in the middle of town — to contemporaryart-focused Museum der Moderne