As one of the official host cities for Euro 2008, Salzburg is gearing up for a summer of sporting fun. Book your place in history now with Salzburg car hire. Not only will you avoid packed train stations and oversubscribed taxis, you'll also have plenty of travel options if your team gets the boot early. Salzburg is a beautiful city that certainly merits exploration. Perhaps best known for its ?Sound of Music? association the city is rich in cultural attractions and natural beauty spots. With car hire in Salzburg, your travel options are endless. You're free to discover the rolling green hills as well as the manicured football pitches, the songs of the silver screen, as well as the chants on the terraces.

With this in mind, you'll find the following guide useful on your travels through Salzburg and Austria.

Salzburg Mini Guide:

Salzburg is Austria's fourth largest city and is the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. The city's old town, with its beautiful Baroque architecture is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Things To See/Do in Salzburg:

As one of Europe's most scenic and cultured cities, visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to interesting things to see and do. A number of themed tours are in operation in the city; from kitsch ?Sound of Music? excursions to highbrow Mozart based tours. You'll find the city centre is quite compact and can easily be explored on foot. Walking through the city, the impressive Hohensalburg Fortess is guaranteed to grab your attention. Towering 394ft above the city, the fortress is open to the public, allowing tourists to walk around the outskirts and courtyards.

In Salzburg, there's no avoiding Mozart's musical legacy. The birthplace of Mozart, now a museum, is one of the city's most popular tourist draws.

Eating Out in Salzburg:

Salzburg's dining out scene offers something for every budget and palate. While in town it's worth sampling traditional hearty fare such as ?Groestl?, a dish of pan-fried onions and potatoes, ?Schluzkrapfen? spinach stuffed pasta pockets and ?Salzburger Nockerln?, a type of souffl? coated in vanilla sugar. Austrians love their grub and a meal usually consists of two to seven courses including an appetiser and dessert.

Day Trips/Events in Salzburg:

Salzburg and its surroundings offer excellent scope for hire car touring. A day-trip to Hellbrunn Palace is strongly recommended. Located just 5km from the city centre, the palace is one of Austria's most captivating attractions with its fairytale appearance, grottoes and fountains. Meanwhile, another must-see is the town of Werfen with its impressive ice caves. Situated 40km from Salzburg, Werfen boasts a number of natural attractions including stunning ice-formations and a system of caverns stretching over 42km.

Salzburg's events calendar definitely matches its reputation as the home of the sound of music. The city's Salzburger Festspiele, Salzburg Festival is the highlight of Salzburg's events calendar. The annual bumper music festival takes place over a five-week period, starting in July and celebrates classical music, especially the works of Mozart.