Salzburg means “salt castle,” referring to its massive fortress and the white gold from the mountains in the south. It is the capital of a federal province of Austria with the same name. Its approximately 150,000 residents make it the fourth-biggest Austrian city; beyond that, it is, what many residents believe, Austria's most beautiful spot.

The city's magnificent baroque town center is rated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and can easily be explored by strolling along the charming alleys. A classic music festival, the city's most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the heartwarming musical "The Sound of Music" created the area's fame and popularity with music enthusiasts all over the world.

• Salzburg Cathedral
• Mozart Birthplace and Mozart Living Places
• Guide to ”The Sound of Music” locations
• Fabulous photos of Salzburg

Linz is the capital of the Austrian federal state, "Upper Austria," and is located on the Danube River in the eastern part of the province. The main attractions are the Ars Electronica, a museum of the new era, and the international street performance festival.

Shortly before, and during World War II, Linz became a major industrial area, manufacturing chemicals and steel for the Nazi war machine. Many factories were dismantled in the newly acquired Czechoslovakia, and then reassembled in Linz. Hitler had extensive architectural plans for Linz. He regarded it as his home town and wanted to turn it into the main cultural center of the Third Reich.

The Mauthausen-Gusen camps, the last Nazi concentration camps to be liberated, are located near Linz, with the main camp in Mauthausen just 15.6 miles (25 km) away.

• Mauthausen-Gusen camps
• ARS Electronica - Museum of the Future

Vienna is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. Vienna has a population of about 1.7 million (2.2 million within the metropolitan area), and is by far the largest city in Austria as well as its cultural, economic and political center.

Founded around 500 B.C., Vienna was originally a Celtic settlement. In 15 B.C., Vienna became a Roman frontier city guarding the Roman Empire against Germanic tribes to the north.

The Burgtheater is considered one of the best theaters in the German-speaking world alongside its branch, the Akademietheater. The Volkstheater Wien and the Theater in der Josefstadt also enjoy good reputations. There is also a multitude of smaller theaters, in many cases devoted to less mainstream forms of performing arts, such as modern, experimental plays or cabaret.

• Wikipedia
• The Burgtheater