Salzburg, city in western Austria, capital of Salzburg Province, on the Salzach River. Industries include tourism, the production of beer, and the manufacturing of metals, chemicals, and textiles. At Salzburg the Salzach River passes between two lofty masses of rock, one of which, the Mönchsberg (523 m/1716 ft high), bears an 11th-century fort. Originally a Celtic settlement and later a Roman trading center called Juvavum, Salzburg has been an archbishopric since about 800; a 17th-century cathedral in the Italian Renaissance style is in the city. Salzburg was incorporated into Austria in 1814.
Salzburg was the birthplace of the 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is also a well-known resort and the site of internationally famous annual music and drama festivals. It is the seat of Salzburg University (1622) and the University of Music and Dramatic Art in Salzburg (1914). The mining of salt has historically been important to the city, which takes its name from the German words salz (salt) and burg (castle or fort). Population (1991) 143,978.
