Every year, Salzburg stages more than 3,000 cultural, sporting, and civic events.  It is a city built to perform, an old-world stage known far and wide for the sheer power of its beauty and for its stature as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The design of the city—from the intimate charm of its winding streets and passageways to its broad squares and enclosed plazas, from the dazzling allure of its classic baroque architecture to the majestic prominence of its 900-year old castle—creates an extraordinary event atmosphere can enhance any performance.  In its vision for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Salzburg plans to elevate its showcase Old Town into the magical realm of A Hero’s Welcome for the Olympians and Paralympians of 2014. In the experienced hands of the creative talents of Salzburg, this setting will be transformed into an enchanting Olympic experience—for the athletes, the Olympic Family, the spectators, and the worldwide television audience.

A Musical Note
In 2006, Salzburg is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of its most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  The world-renown Salzburg Music Festival will be dedicated to celebrating his music this summer.  All 22 of the operas composed by the genius will be performed in Salzburg this year.

A few facts about Salzburg
The city sits at 1,300 feet above sea level and occupies 65,64 square km.  It is the capital of the province of the same name and is located on the northern slopes of the Alps, almost at the north centre-point of Austria. For centuries, Salzburg has been an historic crossroads for traditional European trade-routes, north-south and east-west.  As a result, Salzburg developed as a transportation center and today enjoys the benefits of an advanced and expanding high-capacity autobahn and rail transportation infrastructure that is unusual for a city with a population of only 150,000 residents.  W.A. Mozart International Airport, the largest and busiest winter charter airport in the European Union, sits near the heart of the city as well.