Old town Salzburg is fantastic place to stroll in, which is just as well, as most of the center is closed to motorized vehicles. The old town is in a long, narrow piece of flat land boxed in between the Salzach River and the steep, almost-vertical slopes of the Möchberg hill, which is crowned by the mighty Hohensalzburg fortress. Streets are generally narrow and complemented by covered arcades and even narrower alleys connecting the main roads that are generally parallel to the Salzach River. Although the atmosphere here is often medieval, the architecture is most often baroque, occasionally Renaissance. A happy mix of shops, restaurants, churches, ornamental structures, museums, and galleries makes Salzburg a fascinating city to stroll in.

The most important commercial street has traditionally been Getreidegasse; Mozart was born at Number 9. Traditional shop signs are still used in an attempt to preserve a medieval atmosphere. Note the low-key McDonald’s signs! The bright red-and-blue signs of the Nordstrom seafood chain that opened adjacent to the Mozarts Geburtshaus caused quite a scandal when unveiled in the 1990s.

It is possible to tour the streets of Salzburg by horse-drawn carriage. These Fiakers line up at Residenzplatz to the south of the cathedral – the tours are quite expensive. Until a century ago, horses were, of course, the norm, and like modern-day car-washing establishments, horses were bathed regularly to look their best. Two of these horse baths survived in Salzburg, the Roman-styled Kapitalschwemme near the cathedral and the very elegant baroque Hofmarstallschwemme. The latter, with huge theatrical paintings, were for the exclusive use of the horses from the archbishop’s large stable.

Salzburg, on the right bank of the Salzach, is considered "new" despite the number of buildings that survived from the 16th century. However, one street in the new area is even more medieval in feel than the old town. The Sandgasse runs parallel to the Salzach along the foot of the Kapuziner hill. During the day, it is deserted, but at night, it is alive and the location of many bars and cabaret shows. This has been the traditional red-light district of Salzburg, but presently, the Maison de Plaisir is the only official whorehouse here – operating hours are posted on the door. Despite the somewhat raunchy nightlife here, the area is safe and clean, with several old buildings of architectural note. In the mid-19th century, Austrain poet Ignaz Franz Castelli described the Steingasse as the ugliest street in the world. However, nowadays, it is considered the best-preserved example of civilian and secular life in medieval and baroque Salzburg. It is in stark contrast to the opulent splendor of the cathedral, archbishop’s residence, and other baroque palaces in the old town.

After crossing the river and entering Old Town, the Getreidegasse begins. Getreidegasse was old Salzburg's main street. Today it is still upscale and has wrought iron store signs hanging out over the street. Even McDonald’s has a wrought iron store sign! As you wander through the narrow streets past slender buildings in the shopping district of the city, you will surely encounter all sorts of references to Mozart. His name and face grace numerous brands of candies, several hotels and restaurants, and souvenirs. Mozarts Geburtshaus (birthplace) is a museum on the Getreidegasse that faces the main bridge over the Salzach River. At the end of Getreidegasse is the wonderful Festival Hall and Horse Fountain.

Residenzplatz is the large square in the center of Old Town and used to be the city’s religious center. This and Residenz, which was the seat of royalty in the old days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, were built by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his mistress, Salomé. Among the clip-clop of the horse and carts, the Residenzplatz and the Salzburg Cathedral (Dom) are the centerpiece of this Baroque city. One of the largest and finest baroque fountains this side of the Alps is in the center of Residenzplatz.

The modern Cathedral (Dom) was built in the 17th century. Stand in Domplatz and enjoy all its features on the outside, and then venture in to see more baroque grandeur. You can visit the crypt to see remnants from churches which stood there before, or visit the museum to look at the religious objet d'art.

The Moechsberg cliffs tower behind the Old City, crowned with the Hohensalzburg Fortress. As climbs to medieval castles go, the Hohensalzburg is a bit steep, so if you are not up to the climb, there is a funicular train available. This mighty fortress, over 400 feet above the river, dominates the skyline and offers a great view of the area. Once you get up there, you can see the entire city. We ate at light meal at an outdoor café in the courtyard of the castle overlooking the Austrian Alps - the view was great.

St. Peter's Abby on the western side of Old Town dates from around 850 AD. Beside the church itself, two points of interest are the cemetery and catacombs. Take time wander through the cemetery which is eerily beautiful and especially interesting because of its lavishly-colored and detailed memorials. Many of the memorials appear to be made from enamel which is very unusual. The catacombs are built into the cliff overlooking the cemetery.