Before getting lost in the Altstadt (Old Town), visit Mozart’s Birthplace, the apartment on the long Getreidegasse alley, where the composer was born in 1756. See the miniature violin Mozart received at 6, intricate set designs from productions of his operas and an immersive installation exploring his “Jupiter” Symphony, his 41st and last. Admission €15, or free with a Salzburg Card. Then, if you’re inspired by the locals in ​​traditional Austrian wear, head to Salzburger Heimatwerk, a tailoring and dressmaking workshop for nearly 80 years. Its wares aren’t cheap (the dirndls are in the €1,000 range) but last a lifetime. If you need a pick-me-up, enjoy a “kaffee und kuchen,” or coffee and cake (about €5 each), at Tomaselli, an elegant coffee house since 1703, adorned with dark wood and oil paintings. Or visit 220Grad Rupertinum, one of Salzburg’s modern specialty cafes.

There are many places in Salzburg to enjoy a Wiener schnitzel, Austria’s national dish, but at Meissl & Schadn you can choose how you like the thin, breaded veal cutlet to be fried to golden perfection: in clarified butter, pork lard or vegetable oil. Schnitzels, including a baked celery version for non-meat eaters, from €22 to €26.90. Sides are taken as seriously as the escalopes, too. In addition to classics like wild-cranberry jam, potato salad, cucumber salad and parsley potatoes, you can also order your schnitzel to come with Wiener Garnitur, a condiment made from mashed-up hard-boiled egg, parsley, capers and anchovies (sides, €3.30 to €6.50). If you have room for dessert, check out the exceptionally refreshing gelato at Moritz Eis (€3.50 a scoop) directly across the street.

For better or worse, “The Sound of Music,” the 1965 musical film set in Salzburg, rivals Mozart as the city’s best-known cultural export. Skip the themed tours and save your money by visiting many of the filming locations and real-life historical sites on your own for free. From the DomQuartier, it’s an easy walk to the eighth-century Nonnberg Abbey, where the real-life Maria Kutschera spent two years as a novice before she left to become the von Trapps’ governess. Back in the Altstadt, see the Pferdeschwemme, the distinctive 17th-century horse pond that the von Trapp children marvel at during a carriage ride in the film. Cross the river and continue to the impeccably manicured Mirabell Gardens, whose Pegasus fountain; dwarf garden, featuring stone gnomes; and hedge tunnel were all immortalized in a montage in the Oscar-winning film.

Understandably, St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, a restaurant that may be more than 1,200 years old, was starting to show its age about a decade ago. Under its current owners, the restaurant, which claims to have first been mentioned in documents in 803, gets a makeover yearly to keep things from getting stale. On warm evenings, sit in the outdoor arcade under domed vaults carved from a mountainside, amid a riot of plants, neon lighting and contemporary art. Its historic dining rooms are beautiful, too, with features like elegant moldings, hardwood ceilings and floors, and walls painted deep green or blue. Try local dishes like tafelspitz, boiled beef served with horseradish and thick bread sauce, among others with Mediterranean and Asian influences, such as blackened tuna with sesame and wasabi. Mains, €25 to €40.

Every summer, the Salzburg Festival turns the city into the world’s stage. One of the festival’s main venues is the Salzburg State Theater, a 700-seat playhouse whose jewel-box 19th-century, neo-Baroque auditorium, adorned with gold leaf and red velvet, recently reopened after extensive renovations. Gaze up at the large crystal chandelier and a grand ceiling painting. Outside of the festival, the State Theater puts on roughly 400 performances each season, which runs September through June. Fall highlights include Gioachino Rossini’s opera “Il Viaggio a Reims,” a ballet about the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and the 1960s musical “Hair.” (Tickets range from €8 to €88.) There’s plenty to see in Salzburg year-round, too: Mozart Week in winter, along with the Salzburg Easter Festival and the Salzburg Whitsun Festival in spring, means you’re likely to find a great performance whenever you visit.

Ugly Duckling, which opened in 2023 with a big U-shaped counter and a come-as-you-are vibe, is the latest project by Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti, owners of the nearby Spanish-French brasserie Chaval. Breakfast sandwiches come on housemade English muffins. The No. 2, which includes two fried eggs, house pork sausage, American cheese and ketchup, is a popular order ($11.75). You might need a fork to finish the Como Se Dice Buongiorno ($12.75): fried egg, hash brown, prosciutto, jalapeño, arugula and garlic aioli on an English muffin with everything-bagel seasoning.

You can explore the island by foot, but a bike is handy to make the nearly four-mile loop around the perimeter. Bring your own on the ferry for an extra fee ($7 adult, $3.50 children), or rent one from Brad & Wyatt’s Island Bike Rental ($20 for two hours, $30 for four hours — rentals are first-come, first-served, no website). You’ll find great spots for exploring the rocks on the east side of the island, with views of the Atlantic Ocean. Before catching the return ferry, circle back to Il Leone for salad and pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven and eaten at a shady picnic table. The menu typically includes at least one pie that follows the harvest, highlighting Maine-grown garlic scapes, heirloom tomatoes or squash blossoms (pizzas start at $17.95).

Think of an indoor flea market and you might imagine rows of booths, some full of beauty, others full of dust. Back on the mainland, Open House instead arranges furniture in cozy living-room vignettes throughout its 10,000-square-foot shop on Congress Street, which has a large selection of vintage clothing and handcrafted goods. Items range in price from $5 for packable trinkets to a few thousand dollars for midcentury-modern antiques. And the owners welcome browsers — no stuffy gatekeepers here.

Portland’s go-to venue for summer concerts by nationally touring artists is Thompson’s Point, an outdoor stage near the bank of the Fore River. Included in the 2024 lineup are Goose, Counting Crows and Dark Star Orchestra. But One Longfellow Square, in the West End with 180 seats, has a cozy feel that lends itself well to the folk and roots music that makes up most of its shows. Ticket prices vary but start around $20. Just half a block away is Blue Portland Maine, which hosts jazz and more. Half the shows are ticketed, with prices between $10 and $20, and half are free with a hat passed for the artists.