Geography

Salzburg is on the banks of the Salzach River, at the northern boundary of the Alps. The mountains to Salzburg's south contrast with the rolling plains to the north. The closest alpine peak, the 1,972‑metre-high Untersberg, is less than 16 kilometres (10 miles) from the city centre. The Altstadt, or "old town", is dominated by its baroque towers and churches and the massive Festung Hohensalzburg. This area is surrounded by two smaller mountains, the Mönchsberg and Kapuzinerberg, which offer green relief within the city. Salzburg is approximately 150 km (93 mi) east of Munich, 281 km (175 mi) northwest of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and 300 km (186 mi) west of Vienna.

Climate

Salzburg is part of the temperate zone. The Köppen climate classification specifies the climate as either oceanic climate (Cfb) or humid continental (Dfb), depending on which isotherm for winter means are used. With the more regular −3 °C (27 °F) one for the coldest month, Salzburg would be a four-season oceanic climate with significant temperature differences between seasons. Due to the location at the northern rim of the Alps, the amount of precipitation is comparatively high, mainly in the summer months. The specific drizzle is called Schnürlregen in the local dialect. In winter and spring, pronounced foehn winds regularly occur.

[hide]Climate data for Salzburg-Flughafen (LOWS)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	20.1 (68.2)	21.7 (71.1)	24.9 (76.8)	27.9 (82.2)	32.2 (90)	35.6 (96.1)	38.6 (101.5)	35.6 (96.1)	32.1 (89.8)	28.2 (82.8)	23.5 (74.3)	18.6 (65.5)	38.6 (101.5)
Average high °C (°F)	3.2 (37.8)	5.6 (42.1)	10.4 (50.7)	14.3 (57.7)	19.9 (67.8)	22.2 (72)	24.4 (75.9)	24.2 (75.6)	20.1 (68.2)	14.8 (58.6)	7.8 (46)	4.0 (39.2)	14.2 (57.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−0.8 (30.6)	0.7 (33.3)	4.8 (40.6)	8.5 (47.3)	13.8 (56.8)	16.5 (61.7)	18.6 (65.5)	18.3 (64.9)	14.3 (57.7)	9.3 (48.7)	3.6 (38.5)	0.4 (32.7)	9.0 (48.2)
Average low °C (°F)	−4.0 (24.8)	−2.9 (26.8)	0.7 (33.3)	3.8 (38.8)	8.4 (47.1)	11.5 (52.7)	13.5 (56.3)	13.5 (56.3)	10.1 (50.2)	5.5 (41.9)	0.6 (33.1)	−2.5 (27.5)	4.9 (40.8)
Record low °C (°F)	−25.4 (−13.7)	−21.8 (−7.2)	−21.6 (−6.9)	−3.9 (25)	−2.1 (28.2)	2.0 (35.6)	3.7 (38.7)	4.3 (39.7)	−1.6 (29.1)	−8.0 (17.6)	−17.8 (0)	−26.8 (−16.2)	−26.8 (−16.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	59.9 (2.358)	54.7 (2.154)	78.7 (3.098)	83.1 (3.272)	114.5 (4.508)	154.8 (6.094)	157.5 (6.201)	151.3 (5.957)	101.3 (3.988)	72.6 (2.858)	83.0 (3.268)	72.8 (2.866)	1,184.2 (46.622)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	24.0 (9.45)	23.9 (9.41)	21.7 (8.54)	2.9 (1.14)	0.1 (0.04)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	12.1 (4.76)	27.8 (10.94)	112.5 (44.29)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	10.1	9.5	11.9	11.8	12.1	15.0	14.4	13.2	10.8	9.3	10.8	11.8	140.7
Average snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm)	15.4	11.7	6.1	1.4	0	0	0	0	0	0.1	5.1	13.1	52.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours	67.0	91.9	130.0	152.6	196.4	193.9	221.1	202.8	167.7	129.7	81.2	62.8	1,697.1
Source: Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics[12]

Population development

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1869	27,858	—
1880	33,241	+19.3%
1890	38,081	+14.6%
1900	48,945	+28.5%
1910	56,423	+15.3%
1923	60,026	+6.4%
1934	69,447	+15.7%
1939	77,170	+11.1%
1951	102,927	+33.4%
1961	108,114	+5.0%
1971	129,919	+20.2%
1981	139,426	+7.3%
1991	143,978	+3.3%
2001	142,662	−0.9%
2011	145,367	+1.9%
2013	145,871	+0.3%
2015	148,420	+1.7%
2016	150,887	+1.7%
Source: Statistik Austria[13]

Largest groups of foreign residents[14]
Nationality	Population (2016)
Germany	6,391
Bosnia & Herzegovina	5,278
Serbia	4,592
Turkey	2,451
Croatia	2,266
Romania	1,548
Hungary	1.087
Syria	986
Russia	963
Italy	833
Kosovo	713
United States	501

Salzburg's official population significantly increased in 1935 when the city absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was constructed for American soldiers of the postwar occupation, and could be used for refugees when they left. Around 1950, Salzburg passed the mark of 100,000 citizens, and in 2006, it reached the mark of 150,000 citizens.

Architecture

Ensemble view.

Sigmund Haffner Gasse - Rathaus.

Romanesque and Gothic

The Romanesque and Gothic churches, the monasteries and the early carcass houses dominated the medieval city for a long time. The Cathedral of Archbishop Conrad of Wittelsbach was the largest basilica north of the Alps. The choir of the Franciscan Church Hall, construction was begun by Hans von Burghausen and completed by Stephan Krumenauer, is one of the most prestigious religious gothic constructions of southern Germany. At the end of the Gothic era the Collegiate church "Nonnberg", Margaret Chapel in St. Peter's Cemetery, the St. George's Chapel and the stately halls of the "Hoher Stock" in the Hohensalzburg Castle were constructed.

Renaissance and baroque

Inspired by Vincenzo Scamozzi, Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau began to transform the medieval town to the architectural ideals of the late Renaissance. Plans for a massive cathedral by Scamozzi failed to materialize upon the fall of the archbishop. A second cathedral planned by Santino Solari rose as the first early Baroque church in Salzburg. It served as an example for many other churches in Southern Germany and Austria. Markus Sittikus and Paris von Lodron continued to rebuild the city with major projects such as Hellbrunn Palace, the prince archbishop's residence, the university buildings, fortifications, and many other buildings. Giovanni Antonio Daria managed by order of Prince Archbishop Guido von Thun the construction of the residential well. Giovanni Gaspare Zuccalli, by order of the same archbishop, created the Erhard and the Kajetan church in the south of the town. The city's redesign was completed with buildings designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, donated by Prince Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun.
After the era of Ernst von Thun, the city's expansion came to a halt, which is the reason why there are no churches built in the rococo style. Sigismund von Schrattenbach continued with the construction of "Sigmundstor" and the statue of holy Maria on the cathedral square. With the fall and division of the former "Fürsterzbistums Salzburg" (Archbishopric) to Upper Austria, Bavaria (Rupertigau) and Tyrol (Zillertal Matrei) began a long period of urban stagnancy. This era didn't end before the period of promoterism (Gründerzeit) brought new life into urban development. The builder dynasty Jakob Ceconi and Carl Freiherr von Schwarz filled major positions in shaping the city in this era.^[15]

Classical modernism and post-war modernism

The Red Bull Hangar-7

Residential and studio house Lechner in the old town

Buildings of classical modernism and in particular the post-war modernism are frequently encountered in Salzburg. Examples are the Zahnwurzen house (a house in the Linzergasse 22 in the right center of the old town), the "Lepi" (a public baths in Leopoldskron) (built 1964) and the original 1957 constructed congress center of Salzburg, which was replaced by a new building in 2001. An important and famous example of architecture of this era is the 1960 opening of the Großes Festspielhaus by Clemens Holzmeister.

Contemporary architecture

Adding contemporary architecture to Salzburg's old town without risking its UNESCO World Heritage status is problematic. Yet some new structures have been added: the Mozarteum at the baroque Mirabell garden (Architecture Robert Rechenauer),^[16] the 2001 Congress house (Architecture: Freemasons), the 2011 Unipark Nonntal (Architecture: Storch Ehlers partners), the 2001 "Makartsteg" bridge (Architecture: HALLE1), and the "Residential and studio house" of the architects Christine and Horst Lechner in the middle of Salzburg's old town (winner of the architecture award of Salzburg 2010).^[17][18] Other examples of contemporary architecture lie outside the old town: the Faculty of Science building (Universität Salzburg – Architecture Willhelm Holzbauer) built on the edge of free green space, the blob architecture of Red Bull Hangar‑7 (Architecture: Volkmar Burgstaller^[19]) at Salzburg Airport, home to Dietrich Mateschitz's Flying Bulls and the Europark shopping mall. (Architecture: Massimiliano Fuksas)