Salzburg is steeped in history, resplendent with scenery, echoes everywhere with music, and has sold its soul to Mozartkugeln.

When counting up the most charming cities in Europe, Salzburg will sit near the top of most lists. The city was badly damaged by allied bombs during World War II, but exacting records and an abundance of city pride (and no small amount of wealth) bolstered the restoration of almost every significant battered building. Today, walking along the narrow streets in the city's center, you cannot detect which were rebuilt and which withstood the war relatively unscathed.

In our time, the city is best known for two things: It is the place where Mozart was born and lived until he was in his mid-20s, and it is also the site where much of "The Sound of Music" was filmed. (See if you can recognize some of the scenes from the movie in my photos.)

But until Napoleon invaded in 1803, the city of Salzburg was for a thousand years a royal city that ruled over an independent country of Salzburg.The region was a "bishopric," ruled by a series of Prince-Archbishops appointed by the Pope.

Perhaps this arrangement helps to account for the unseemly treatment offered to Protestants, even after the counter-reformation. They were summarily exiled by the thousands. This proved to be extremely shortsighted, however, because Salzburg (which literally means, "salt castle") depended on the mining of salt, copper and silver, and the miners were largely Protestant. The Salzburgian economy took decades to recover.

These days, the most instinctive thing to do in Salzburg is to gawk. It's easy and fun to join the crowd in doing so. The town's architecture and scenery are its biggest tourist assets. In addition to just wandering, I began my first full day here visiting the two primary Mozart sites: The house where he was born, and the home where he lived with his parents until he moved to Vienna.

Mozart's visage is inescapable in Salzburg. It dangles from shop signs, through display windows, on product packaging, etc. The man has become the Salzburgian Ronald McDonald. But at least there is music to enjoy along with the candies.

But the most eye-catching element of the city is the enormous fortress built to defend it. The Festungsburg stands high over the city on Mönchsberg, and from there the rulers could gain a commanding view of the surrounding valley and river. These ramparts could easily fend off any attacker, so it's easy to see how the city could remain impenetrable for a thousand years. When Napoleon finally captured the city, he needed an army equivalent to the entire population of Salzburg.

Nowadays access to the Festungsburg no longer requires climbing to the mountain's peak. A funicular railway leaves every 5-10 minutes and sweeps travelers quickly up the mountain. I spent a good portion of the afternoon atop the hill exploring the castle and its exhibits.

Because the days are extraordinarily long here in late May, I was able spend the later afternoon in Mirabelgarten, which stretches adjacent to the former summer palace for the Prince-Archbishop. It's filled with flowers, statuary, and tourists. And I ended my day eating Spinatnocken in Biergarten die Weisse near my hotel. (Bavarian food tends to be heavy.)

On my second day in Salzburg, I wanted to see more of the countryside, so I rented a bicycle at CityBike and pedaled up-river and circled around Mönchsberg. The rental was automated and dirt cheap, although admittedly the bicycle was very basic. But the Salzach River valley is largely flat and easy to traverse, and I had no trouble heading off for several miles.

The afternoon I spent exploring the Salzburg Museum, which describes much of the region's history. The interweaving of church and state here is quite foreign to modern Western expectations.

The day ended with a calamari dinner at a delightful Italian restaurant, Pasta e Vino, where it was clear we were both speaking German as a second language.

I'm off to Munich soon. More when I get there.