Stadium: Wals-Siezenheim Stadion
Capacity: 30,000
Built: 2003 (expanded 2006)
Matches:
10th June: Greece v Sweden
11th June: Greece v Russia
15th June: Greece v Spain
Salzburg's Stadion Wals-Siezenheim was expanded from 18,200 seats to a 30,500-capacity venue in 2003. The local club - who were UEFA Cup finalists in 1994 - are now known as Red Bull Salzburg having been bought out by the energy drinks company in 2005.
An artificial turf pitch has been replaced by natural grass for the tournament.
The City
Salzburg
Music dominates the tourist agenda in Salzburg, which will be going Greek for three Group D games.
Austria's oldest city is the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for various scenes from 'The Sound of Music', but there is more to this World Heritage site than its famous sons and singing nuns.
Salzburg's Alpine location makes it a haven for winter sports enthusiasts - it is currently planning a third bid to host the Winter Olympics - and the sizeable student population ensures the nightlife is rarely dull.
From its position close to the German border, the city is just 90 miles from Munich while the journey to the Austrian capital Vienna takes twice as long.
Transport
Salzburg's airport is located on the west side of town, not far from the football stadium itself. The number 2 trolley bus runs regularly to the central train station, from where the journey to Vienna takes just under three hours.
If you want to soak up the atmosphere in the official Fan Zone at Residenzplatz in the heart of the Old Town, it's a 15-minute stroll due south from the station across the river Salzach. The whole area will be pedestrianised and routes will be clearly marked.
Special shuttle buses will be running from the Fan Zone to the Wals-Siezenheim Stadion on matchdays, but you can also take the number 1 bus or the S3 S-Bahn train from the centre of town to get out there.
After the game, local train and bus services will run until 1.45am and if you're travelling on to another host city, there will be extra long-distance trains running too.
What to Visit
Standing firm atop Festenburg hill is the Hohensalzburg, one of Europe's largest medieval fortresses. Originally built in the 11th century, an outer wall and towers were added in 1462 and since then the castle has been used for various military purposes, most recently as a prison in the 1930s. Since then, a major refurbishment and the introduction of a cable car has made it popular with the tourists.
The 17th-century Salzburg Cathedral is a magnificent example of early Baroque architecture and represents an essential trip on the Mozart tour, as the font in which the great composer was baptised is still in situ. He was born in 1756 at Number 9, Getreidegasse, a busy shopping street, with the house itself now turned into a museum. Mozart's childhood violins and the family portraits are among the exhibits on show.
The whole Old Town has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for the last 12 years, but for many visitors to Salzburg its greatest legacy dates back only to 1965 and the filming of 'The Sound of Music'. Scene locations from the musical include the Benedictine convent at Nonnberg, the Mirabell Palace gardens and the Pavillon at Hellbrun, moved from its original site at Leopoldskron.
Two out-of-town trips are also worth a mention. Untersberg mountain is a 10-mile bus journey away to the south and offers stunning views of the Alps, easily accessible thanks to the nine-minute cable car journey which takes you almost to the top. West of here, just over the German border, the Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden was built in 1939 as a mountain retreat for Adolf Hitler and a place for the Nazi leader to entertain dignitaries such as Mussolini.
All the history should not distract from the football however and if you want to take a closer look at reigning European champions Greece, who will play all three of their Group D games in Salzburg, the squad are staying at the Arabella Sheraton in Hof bei Salzburg, and will be holding some public training sessions at the Aug sports centre in Seekirchen.
Food & Drink
Salzburg's speciality three-course meal would have to start with Erdapfelkas (creamy mash spread on wholegrain bread), with a main dish of Kasnocken (cheese dumplings) followed by Nockerln (meringues). Wash it all down with a crisp pint of Trumer Pils, enjoyed by the locals for over 400 years. A second Trumer brewery has recently opened in California in a bid to conquer the US market.
The Augustiner Braustubl is an atmospheric beer garden just east of the hospital that also has a food court - useful for those on a budget - but if you can afford to push the boat out in search of authentic Austrian cuisine, it has to be the restaurant at the Goldener Hirsch hotel on Getreidegasse. More reasonably priced nosh can be found next door at Herzl Tavern, or try Andreas Hofer Stube on the other side of the Salzach river.
Time for another beer - and where better than the Steiglkeller on Festungsgasse, to the south east of the cathedral. It's only open in the summer and as many as 30 people can fit round the massive tables to glug beer from the Steigl brewery, founded in 1492. Saitensprung is a trendier venue on Steingasse, while the best bar for live music is probably Republic on Anton Neumayr Platz.
If the excitement of the tournament has left you a bit exhausted by this stage, you won't struggle in search of a can of Red Bull. Although the energy drink originated in Thailand, it was a prominent Salzburg resident called Dietrich Mateschitz who repackaged it for a worldwide market, earning himself a fortune in the process. The 64-year-old entrepreneur is also a sports nut (he owns the local football club, as well as the New York Metrostars and two Formula One teams) and lives in a huge mansion on the Nonnberg hill.
Phrasebook
Do you have anything for vegetarians?
Haben Sie auch etwas fur Vegetarier?
I don't understand a word
Ich verstehe kein Wort
