Salzburg

Salzburg's compact old town sits between the Salzach river and the cliff crowned by Hohensalzburg Fortress, so a weekend falls naturally into fortress, cathedral, Mozart's birthplace on Getreidegasse and long breaks in the coffee houses. The lanes get busy with day-trippers by midday, but the evenings are relaxed, and the huge Augustiner beer hall in Mülln, with its garden under chestnut trees, is where locals actually go. Avoid the summer festival weeks unless you have tickets, when hotels fill fast.