Salzburg

I just got back from Salzburg, which despite of being rather small, offers a plethora of things to see and do.

How to get there

Salzburg has its own airport, and there are a few low budget airlines that fly to the city on a regular basis. Vienna is much further from Salzburg (250 km/155 miles) as Munich in Germany is (115 km/70 miles), so if you are flying in from a different continent, it would be much easier to fly into Munich and take the train from there if you are only planning to visit Salzburg.
I took the train from Brussels via Cologne and Munich, which takes about twelve hours, but the German ICE trains are very fast and comfortable (dare I say, much better than Thalys). The last stretch of the journey - Munich to Salzburg - is done by regional train, but don't let this put you off. Most tourists come to Salzburg that way, and you get to see the sights along the way. You can also take the City Night Line train from e.g. Germany to Salzburg, but it is quite costly.

Accomodation

Salzburg has quite a few hostels, pensions, b&b's and small hotels - all suitable for a small budget, with prices starting from €16 (Muffin Hostel). If you are willing to spend some more money, there are plenty of swanky hotels around the Mirabellplatz, such as the famous Sacher Hotel - where the Sacher Torte comes from.
I stayed nearer to the train station, where you will also find the main bus station. It is about a twenty-minute walk into the city centre from there.

Transport

The city has a great bus network, that will literally take you anywhere. A single fare is quite expensive at €1.80, but you can buy a Salzburg Card (more on that later) that lets you use all public transport for free.
As Salzburg isn't that big, you can do most of it on foot - but renting a bike is a great option, and Salzburg lends itself perfectly to exploring it and its surrounding countryside by bike.
Another great idea is a bicycle tour, I would definitely recommend taking one on your first day in Salzburg, to get acquainted with the city. I did the Fräulein Maria's bicycle tour - it will take you through the heart of the city all the way to Hellbrunn and back, cutting through beautiful countryside on the way. As a bonus, you also get to go past a lot of locations where the film Sound Of Music was shot, and you get a history lesson thrown in on the real Fräulein Maria and the city of Salzburg.

The Salzburg Card

This is probably the best way to explore the city and its surroundings. The card includes just about anything and everything, from public transport, boat trips, museums, cable cars...Nearly all of it is free when you use your Salzburg Card, including the guided or audio tours you get at most museums. For the whole package, go to this website. You can get a card for one, two or three days. I took the three-day one, and it saved me about €60 (on top of the €37 the card cost).
You can get your card at all hotels, or at the tourist information centre (e.g. the one on the Mozartplatz), where you can also get a map of Salzburg, bus timetables and a booklet that describes all attractions (price, opening times...) included in the Salzburg Card (free and discount).

Things to see and do

Mirabell
The first thing I did was the Fräulein Maria's bicycle tour, which starts from the Mirabellplatz every morning at 9.30. The park and gardens surrounding Schloss Mirabell are well worth a visit, and so is the Baroque Museum just inside the main entrance. It is a fairly small museum, holding paintings (mostly sketches) and sculptures from the 1600s right through to the 1800s, including names such as Rubens, Altomonte, Rottmayer and even Bernini.

Mozart
Among the most popular attractions are Mozart's Wohnhaus and Geburtshaus. The latter is situated in the famous Getreidegasse - Salzburg's main shopping street - while the former can be found at the Makartplatz, right next to the Mirabellplatz, across from the Makartstieg (one of the bridges that will take you into the city centre).
Of the two, I liked the Wohnhaus best, where you get a very good and informative audio tour, whereas the Geburtshaus doesn't provide one and on top of that is pretty small and crowded, but worth a visit nonetheless.

Residenz
The absolutely gorgeous Residenz - comprised of the galery and 'Prunkräume' or state rooms - at the heart of the city is probably one of my favourite places in Salzburg. It was the home of the Prince-Archbishops from the 1600s, and as it was designed to impress, lets you see all the former glory of of the archbishopric.

Natural History Museum
This is a very large museum which can easily take up the better part of half a day to visit thoroughly - especially if you have children with you, as its a very interactive museum. If the weather isn't that good, this is the perfect place to hide from the rain and learn about a multitude of topics, from geology to the human body.

Dom St. Rupert (the cathedral)
The visit to the Dom is free, but the museum underneath the Dom is only free if you hold a Salzburg Card. Right in front of the Dom you will find a statue of Maria, and if you stand underneath the middle arch opposite the cathedral facing the statue, it looks as if the two cherubs holding a crown carved above the door of the Dom are really holding the crown above Maria's head.

Festung Hohensalzburg and the Mönchsberg
The fortress on top of the Mönchsberg is probably Salzburg's most famous landmark, towering high above the city. You can get there easily with the Festungsbahn (a funicular), or a little less easily on foot. I decided to go up with the funicular (also free with the Salzburg Card), and come down on foot, a short but steep walk into the city centre.
The Festung holds a lovely museum, where you can also visit the beautiful Festungzimmer. Here, the Mozart concerts and dinners are held. You can also have a short guided audiotour of a part of the Festung, which offers you the chance to go up to the top of one of the towers. The views from the top of the Festung provide an all-round panorama view of Salzburg and the countryside.
If you go up the Mönchsberg with the lift, you can take a relaxing walk in the woods at the top, or if you feel quite fit, walk down to the other side (Reichenhallerstrasse) and all the way to the Stieglbrauwelt - Europe's largest beer museum. I didn't find it that good, but you do get a gift at the end of the tour, and free beer tasting. To get back to the city centre, you can take bus 1 from the nearby Brauhausstrasse.

Stift St. Peter, the Friedhof and the Nonnberg
You can visit the small Stift St. Peter, next to which you will find the oldest bakery in Salzburg. The cemetery or 'Friedhof' just around the corner is really beautiful, and also holds the catacombs hewn out of the rock, which predate christian times. Among others, Mozart's sister Maria Anna (or Nannerl) is buried at the Friedhof.
If you walk up the hill from the cemetery to the Nonnberg, you will pass the Stieglkeller, where they serve traditional Austrian dishes and, of course, Stiegl beer.
On the Nonnberg you will find the Benedictine convent where the real Maria was a nun, and the church where she eventually married captain von Trapp. It is a picturesque corner of the city, with lovely views over Salzburg.

The Amadeus boat trip and Hellbrunn
Right next to the Makartstieg you can take the boat up and down the Salzach river, or you can use it to get you to Hellbrunn (which I did). If you go to Hellbrunn, there will be a shuttle bus waiting for you at the end of the boat trip to take you right to Hellbrunns entrance. The bus fare is included in the boat trip price (or free, just as the boat trip, if you hold a Salzburg Card).
Hellbrunn was built by Marcus Sitticus - omnipresent in Salzburg - in the 1600s, and includes large public gardens, a Schloss, a summer house and the famous water works or 'Wasserspiele'. All of these are worth a visit, especially the water works - you get a guided tour and a whole lot of fun thrown in with it. On hot summer days, the water works are the best place to cool down.
Hellbrunn is quite a way out of the city centre, but easily reachable by bus (25 or 840, but the 25 runs more regularly from the train station all the way to the Untersberg) or bicycle. It is definitely one of the must-sees in Salzburg.

Untersberg
On top of the 1900-metre high Untersberg, there is a nature and wildlife reserve. On good days, you can spend hours walking here. To go up, you can take the Untersbergbahn - a cable car that will take you up 1700 metres (about a mile). It is very pricey (€19 return fare), but free if you have Salzburg Card. You can get there by bus (25 or 840).

Places to eat

Eating out in Salzburg isn't actually that expensive - contrary to what you might hear.
If you are looking for a healthy snack, you can go to one of the Indigo restaurants (more like a take-away, but you can eat in as well). They do sushi, noodles, salads, soups...
Nordsee is also a good one, it's an all-fish restaurant/take-away, I believe there is one in the Getreidegasse.
If you have a sweet tooth, why not go to the Demel Hofzuckerbäckerei at the Mozartplatz, where you enjoy lovely cakes and pastries.
For lunch or dinner, I definitely recommend Nagano, a Japanese restaurant just off the Getreidegasse. You can choose from a multitude of sushi, noodle or teppanyaki dishes. It is very good value for money - we paid just over €50 for three people.
Another popular restaurant is Zum Mohren in the Judengasse. It serves Austrian, Italian and Indian dishes - might sound like a weird combination, but it was very good.
Restaurant Da Pippo, close to Zum Mohren and just off the Alter Markt, does really nice Italian food and also has a terrace area on the Alter Markt, where they do mostly lunch (the menu is a little different if you eat inside).
For classic Austrian dishes, I have been told the Stieglkeller serves up hearty traditional food.
You can also enjoy dinner concerts at the Festung, for more information on those you should enquire with the tourist office or the Festungspiele office at the Getreidegasse.

For more information on Salzburg, go to the official tourism website of the city. Other sights in the city's surroundings include the salt mines (Berchtesgaden, Hallein...) and the Eisriesenwelt - the largest ice caves in Europe.

Barcelona

The city of Barcelona is very high on my list of favourite destinations. It is a buzzing hub where - somewhat paradoxically - relaxing is easy. The city has attained a high score on the yuppie hip meter, but it is just as enjoyable for old folk and young students alike. Every couple of years I find myself drawn to it, there is something in the vibrant Barcelona mix that makes it incredibly addictive.
Barcelona has just about everything you could wish for: architecture, history, museums, nightlife, beaches, hills... It is terribly difficult having to choose between all the dishes on the city's menu, so I hope to make the choosing a little bit easier.

Getting there

Quite a few low budget airlines offer flights to Barcelona at reasonable prices (last time I paid sixty euros all in return). Most fly to Girona, a little over a hundred kilometres from the city. Three transport options are available once at Girona airport: car hire, train or bus (Sagalés). By far the easiest way is by bus - Ryanair flight times coincide with bus schedules. It is also a fairly cheap option: nineteen euros for a return fare; the ride is about an hour and ten minutes. Be sure to take the bus that goes directly to Barcelona, not the one that goes through Girona first! Also take note that tickets must be purchased either at the airport or online, as the airlines do not sell them.
The bus goes to the Estacio del Nord, from where it is a short walking distance to the city centre. If you have a lot of baggage, there are usually a few taxis around and fares are relatively inexpensive.

Places to sleep

It of course depends on what you are looking for, but I always go for the cheapskate option: a hostel. The best one in Barcelona in my opinion, is Kabul Hostel on the Plaça Reial, smack bang in the city centre. It is ridiculously good value for money - especially if you go for a dorm bed - prices starting from about sixteen euros per night (including free breakfast and dinner); check out the website for details.
I keep referring to hostelworld, but this website offers a great range of all types of accomodation; if you are with a large group and want to stay on for quite a while, it would be a good idea to rent an apartment.
Another good option would be free lodgings. Yup, free. This requires some googling, but there are people who let you apartment-sit while they are away, or just let you stay at theirs for a couple of days without having to pay for lodgings. I myself haven't tried this yet, but I think it is well worth looking into.
For those of you wanting to stay outside of the city, there are quite a few campings around Barcelona, a quick search on the web comes up with campings as close as twelve kilometres to the city (camping Tres Estrellas).

Getting around

Barcelona has a brilliant public transport system: very user-friendly and not too expensive. Most of it is operated by TMB, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona. I would strongly recommend buying a tourist and leisure ticket: they go from ten euros for two days to a little over twenty euros for five days. These tickets allow you to travel on the TMB metro and bus network, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat urban lines, Renfe's Rodalies train network and the tram. It excludes the tourist buses and funiculars. You can purchase tickets on the TMB site or at the metro stations. I suggest buying a map of the city with a metro map included, which makes it very easy to find your way around.
The city also has quite a few information kiosks, where they speak English and/or French; very convenient if you find you are not such a dab hand at reading maps.
One note of caution: mind your handbags and rucksacks, as in every city, tourists are an easy target and the metro is one of the pickpocket's favourite stomping grounds.

Things to see and do

I have chosen the Plaça de Catalunya (PdC) as a starting point for its central location; a lot of buses leave from/come through here, and the metro station provides good connections to other stations.

The city's famous Ramblas start from the Plaça and go all the way down to Mare Magnum; here are a few higlights:

- Plaça Reial (left hand side coming from PdC): pretty square, Hostel Kabul is located here. An absolute must if you want to lunch or dine at a good restaurant, is Les Quince Nits, very popular and not too expensive but quite a long queue if you don't show up a bit early!

- La Boquería (right hand side coming from PdC): market halls offering a plethora of fresh fruit, vegetables, dried fruits & nuts, meat & fish...If you are a bit peckish, pop down and treat yourself to a delicious fruit salad or an all-fruit smoothie.

As mentioned above, at the end of the Ramblas (Columbus's column) you will find Mare Magnum, a shopping and cinema centre (there is even a club on the top floor).
If you cross Mare Magnum and walk to the beach of Barceloneta, you can go left to the pretty Palau del Mar and a bit further to see famous Frank Gehry's Fish. If you go right, you can walk to the cable car tower. Here you can take the cable car to Montjuïc, one of Barcelona's hills. It offers beautiful views of the harbour and the city. At Montjuïc, you can visit the Olympic Complex and go for a stroll in the park halfway up the hill. To go down, there are two options: walking to the Plaça de España (best option, as you will pass the palacio and quite an impressive set of steps) or taking the funicular. From there you can take the bus or metro back into the city centre.

Starting out again from the PdC walking towards the sea, you will pass the Barri Gòtic and El Call, the old city centre - be sure to visit the cathedral. You can spend quite a while here shopping, dining, sauntering...
With your back to the PdC, you can go left to the Parc de la Ciutadella to relax after all the walking you have been doing. You are likely to find acrobats and hippies playing guitar, entertainment and relaxation at the same time!

At the other side of the Ramblas, opposite the Barri Gòtic, lies El Raval. This cool quarter has undergone quite a bit of rejuvenation, but it would be best to avoid this area late at night (that goes for most of Barcelona's little streets). Things to visit here are the Palau de la Virreina and the Museo d'Art Contemporani.

North of the PdC lies the Passeig de Gracia. There is so much to see and do there, that it would be best to take a look on your map and decide which museums and casas you would like to visit. One of the most famous casas is Gaudí's Casa Milà, definitely worth a visit.

One of the city's must-sees is of course the Sagrada Familia, a stunning piece of architecture. Keep in mind that if you are going to visit it (as in going inside), you might be queuing for the better part of an hour.
It is easily reachable by metro and not very far from Domenech's Hospital de Sant Pau, also an architectural highlight.

From the Sagrada, you can go on to Parc Güell, an absolute jewel of a park. It is a bit of a walk from the nearest metro station, but they help you out with signs everywhere. If you go up by the way indicated from the Lesseps station, you get a bonus thrown in: escalators! It saves you the very steep climb but lets you enjoy the views.
If you don't feel like walking too much, you can take bus 24 (Paral.lel - Carmel) from the Passeig de Gracia. It takes about thirty minutes, but it stops very close to the park (eighteenth stop).

On the other side of Barcelona, opposite Montjuïc, lies Mont Tibidabo. You can go up there by bus and tram, but it would be good to check if public transport will run during your visit. I believe they have made some changes since February 2007, or that at least is what this article tells me.
Tibidabo offers some beautiful views of the city (especially at dusk), and entertainment for everyone at the amusement park.

Finally, for those of us who enjoy the nightlife, you can go down to Vila Olimpica (metro station by the same name) where you will find a short stretch of club after club, with free drinks galore. Cocktails start from three euros, tipsyness from six and major window-humping, backing up and stranger-snogging from fifteen. Making your way back is best done by taxi, but one word of advice (sounds rather dumb, but please take it to heart, I speak out of experience): make sure at least one of you is sober enough to know where you are going, the area is rather seedy.
You will also find a quite few clubs spread throughout the city; Fellini's on the Ramblas is very popular, so is Jamboree right next to hostel Kabul.


I think that you are all set to go, enjoy your citytrip!