Austrian Alps / Salzburgerland

Salzburg (area 7154 km², population 520,000) is a state or Land of Austria, located adjacent to the German border. It is one of the country's smallest states in terms of population. The capital city is Salzburg.

Salzburg is comprised of five districts, known as Bezirke or vernacularly Gaue:

• Pinzgau (district capital in Zell am See) • Pongau (Sankt Johann im Pongau) • Lungau (Tamsweg) • Tennengau (Hallein) • Flachgau/Bezirk Salzburg und Umgebung (Salzburg and environs)

The SalzburgerLand (the Austrian state of Salzburg) - with its primary river, the Salzach - lies between Upper Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol and Bavaria (Germany).

Salzburgerland is one of the most striking regions in Austria with its mountains, green meadows, lakes, streams and waterfalls. As its name implies, the prime source of income in the region was originally salt, a highly valuable substance in medieval times, but today tourism and music have taken over. The city of Salzburg itself is surrounded by spectacular scenery and divided by the River Salzach. On one bank lies the Italianate "Old City" with its maze of tiny streets and picturesque corners and on the other, the "New City". Mozart's connection with Salzburg is well known and both his birthplace at 9 Getreidegasse (Salzburg's most famous shopping street) and his later residence in the Makartplatz are open to visitors.

Salzburg is one of the country's smallest states in terms of population. The capital city is Salzburg. The Salzburgerland (the Austrian state of Salzburg) - with its primary river, the Salzach - lies between Upper Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol and Bavaria (Germany). Running through the south are the main ranges of the Central Alps (incl. the Hohe Tauern mountains) with numerous 3,000-meter peaks. The Dachstein Massif and the Berchtesgaden Alps border the Salzburgerland to the east and north. Salzburg was an independent Archbishopric within the Holy Roman Empire until the Imperial reorganization of 1803, when it was given as compensation to Grand Duke Ferdinand III of Tuscany, the brother of Emperor Francis II. Following the Austrian defeat at Austerlitz in 1805, Salzburg was annexed by Austria as compensation for the loss of Tyrol to Bavaria. After Austria's defeat in 1809, the province was handed over to Bavaria in 1810. In 1816, following the defeat of Napoleon and the provision of adequate compensation to Bavaria at the Congress of Vienna, it was returned to Austria with the exception of the north-western 'Rupertigau' which remained Bavarian. Salzburg has been an Austrian state ever since. It goes virtually without saying that salt plays a major role in the history of Salzburg - after all, it's what gives the city and state their names. Because of its vast salt deposits, the state made quite a name for itself and attained great wealth.