Salzburg Festival

If "Salzburg is the heart of the heart of Europe," as the poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal noted, the Salzburg Festival is the steady beat. Since 1920, the celebrated event has filled this lovely Alpine city with some of the finest opera, drama and concerts on the continent.

From Mozart to modern, from classic interpretations to daring experimentation, only the best are invited to Salzburg each year. A visit to the festival combines high culture with the sheer pleasure of vacationing in one of the most scenic places on the globe. The surrounding lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut lend themselves to memorable excursions, and the city itself makes for beautiful memories -- Salzburg’s Hofstallgasse and the entire Baroque old city center form the Festival’s backdrop.

This year's festival is longer than usual: it starts July 20 and ends September 2, 2012.