The province Salzburg has about 500,000 people. It’s capital is also called Salzburg ("Salzburg City"). Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756. His birthplace is located in the main commercial street of the old town, Getreidegasse. The Salzburg Festival takes place yearly since 1920 and has grown to become one of the most popular festival events in Europe. The Hohensalzburg Salzburg is the largest castle in Austria.  It was first built in the 11th century. Worth visiting is the so-called golden room and the torture chamber, used until the end of the 19th century.

Mirabell Palace has a very nice garden with sculptures, fountains and a dwarf garden.

The name Salzburg comes from the large salt deposits found in the region. Around 1000 AD, the Celts mined the region for salt. There is a Celtic Museum in Hallein.

 Other important places to visit are St. Gilgen, Radstadt, Mauterndorf, Zell am See, Lofer or Tamsweg.

The capital city Linz  is both the industrial center and transportation hub of Upper Austria. The old city maintains a picturesque waterfront. The main square is an architectural jewel with a gothic town hall and a tower with an astronomical clock. Austrian and international art from the 20th and 21 Century spanning Klimt to Warhol, can be viewed in the Lentos Art Museum. With an electric train you can ride to the Pöstlingberg, from which one has a beautiful vista of the city.

Upper Austria has many historic industrial cities, but they are all very picturesque. The city of Steyr (picture) is located at the confluence of the rivers Steyr and Enns and bosts a picturesque old city with buildings from the 13th Century.

Do not miss the cities Schärding, Wels or Kremsmünster. With its Benedictine Abbey including fish tanks under arches and an observatory for star gazing.

One of the most popular holiday regions is the Lake district with about 70 lakes.  Including Lake Attersee, Lake Wolfgang and the Mondsee. The most beautiful view over the lake can be enjoyed from Schafberg, which is reached from St. Wolfgang with the Schafberg train. 

The region has always been very popular among artists and royalty of the Austrian monarchy.