The narrow and winding streets of Salzburg’s historic center, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is where one really senses the charm of a cultural metropolis. This is particularly true of Getreidegasse street, where the birthplace of Salzburg’s most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is located.
Among the peculiarities typical of the city of Salzburg are the so-called "Durchhäuser": old passageways through buildings that one can use as a shortcut. These passages are also a convenient way to reach the city’s main cathedral, the Salzburger Dom, and the splendid Domplatz, where the annual performances of Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s "Everyman" are held as part of the Salzburg Festival, the social high point of the city’s summer cultural calendar.
Perched majestically above the city on the Mönchsberg is Hohensalzburg fortress, Central Europe’s largest fully preserved castle. While the Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg occupies an equally lofty position on the hill, its contemporary design offers a stark architectural contrast to the fortress. Thus a mere glance at the Mönchsberg shows you the symbiosis of tradition and modernity omnipresent in this city: on the one side the fortress as a superb example of medieval building history and on the other the museum representing modern architecture with its clear, simple forms.
