SALZBURG

The most Austrian of cities, Salzburg is an instant heart-stealer.

- KERRY WALKER

It's backdropped by the Mönchsberg, a mount rising like a gentle giant above the old town's alleys and abbeys, plazas and palaces. Topping it is a 900-year-old fortress straight out of a kids' story, while the mountains on the horizon remind you that the Alps are but a yodel away. The hotel scene mirrors the city itself: petite, characterful and surprisingly varied, skipping from revamped medieval inns to affordable palace stays. If you're visiting, book now: in 2025, Salzburg will celebrate 60 years of The Sound of Music with performances, exhibitions and tours of filming locations.

Best for romantics

HOTEL SCHLOSS MÖNCHSTEIN

This 16th-century castle hotel is so romantic, you half expect a Disney princess to waft out of the door. Perched atop Mönchsberg, it surveys Salzburg from on high, the baroque city unfurling below and the snow-dusted Alps etched on the horizon. The building is powderpuff pink and whimsically turreted, and rooms are modern-classic, with parquet floors, champagne and cream tones, chandeliers, reupholstered antiques and the occasional hint of ruby red.

There's a sense of leaving the city behind here, whether you're drifting in the spa's outdoor infinity pool or wandering the castle's prettily wooded parkland. The clincher is the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, Glass Garden. Centred around a hand-blown glass sculpture by American artist Dale Chihuly and topped by a striking glassvaulted ceiling, it serves season-led tasting menus featuring the likes of dove breast with pumpkin and Périgord truffle. ROOMS: From €414 (£345), B&B. monchstein.at