Things to do in Bayerisch Gmain

In Italian, ‘mirabile’ means amazing. And the Mirabell Palace, tucked up between the Salzach River and the rising peak of the Kapuzinerberg, is certainly that. Built, as so many of Salzburg's palaces were, by one of the city's Prince Archbishops, it has been a lovers' hideaway, a Baroque glory and a neoclassical summer-home for the Emperor. The Palace remains a sumptuous temple to love inside—its famed Marble Staircase the ultimate prop for many weddings. But it's the outside that grabs the attention first. The Mirabell gardens are some of the most elegantly arranged in Salzburg.

Enjoy an action-packed vacation of year-round sporting activities at Saalbach-Hinterglemm Ski Resort. The resort sits in the Glemm Valley, which is part of the Austrian Alps. It’s encompassed by three striking mountain ranges, including the majestic Kitzbühler Alps. Make the most of the resort’s excellent facilities as you enjoy the various activities offered by the winter Ski Circus. Return in summer to hike, bike and swim amid a breathtaking landscape of alpine pastures, rugged peaks and fields of wildflowers.

In a city of dramatic vistas and astounding buildings, it takes a church of epic imagination to stand out amongst all the spectacle. Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) manages that challenge with consummate ease—a cathedral scaled to fit in among Salzburg's rearing mountains and fortresses, while quietly outshining them with its bold Baroque design. Best-known for its superb 70-metre high copper-green dome, the Dom has always been at the heart of city's religious and social life.

At one end: a sheer climb up, to a mountain of green and grey. At the other: a road that is swallowed by a building, before leaping across the Salzach River. And in between, a crowded corridor of ancient shops, busy boutiques and antique stores–all squeezed tightly beneath a narrow sliver of Salzburg's sky. Welcome to Getreidegasse, the merchant street that has had a thousand years of trade and barter echoing around its narrow alleys and iconic squares.

Salzburg definitely has grander (and more historically important) palaces than the Hellbrunn Palace. But it's unlikely you'll find any as playful as this 17th century Baroque villa. Not that the 'Schloss Hellbrunn' is lacking in architectural significance—it is one of the finest examples of the early Baroque styles in Austria. And its historical connections are pretty strong too—the Prince Archbishops of Salzburg built, and then used this palace, from 1612.