Sheltered by mountains and straddling the basin-shaped valley of the Salzach River, Salzburg stands in a picture-perfect setting. With its seven hills as backdrop the city likes to think of itself as the 'German Rome' and, with countless medieval spires, baroque domes, belfries and turrets punctuating its skyline, it does indeed have a certain Italianate flavour.

Visitors are drawn here not just for the setting but for the music. It's the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (well-heeled Mozart lovers get their fill of all things Mozart: music festivals, streets, plazas, houses, museums, chocolates and even liqueurs are named after him) and the setting for that most enduring of cinematic phenomenon's, The Sound of Music. With the power of Mozart and the pull of Maria 'Do-re-Mi' Von Trapp, the city's hills are indeed alive with the sound of music, especially during the annual uber Salzburg Festival.

For those with less cultural aspirations (and thinner wallets) there's plenty to see and do for free, including good hikes and outdoor activities close to the city. And once you've made yourself comfortable in one of the city's many coffee houses, ordered a kapuziner (coffee with very little milk) or a mozartkugeln, (the chocolate named after you-know-who), hummed a few bars of your favorite 'Sound of Music' tune, then you'll begin to understand why it's Austria's second-most visited city.