Salzburg
Official UEFA football Euro 2008 website -
Salzburg
Matches - Tuesday 10 June, 20.45 - Group D : Greece v Sweden Saturday 14 June, 20.45 - Group D : Greece v Russia Wednesday 18 June, 20.45 - Group D : Greece v Spain
Tickets - Fair play if you've managed to bag yourself a ticket via the official UEFA ticketing website. For the rest of us it'll be the usual hanging around train stations, haggling with touts for overpriced, unwanted corporate cast-offs. The main train station is on the opposite side of the river to the Aldstadt in the new town. Be on alert for scousers in tracksuits. Stadium - Whether it's called the EM Arena, the Bulen Arena or the catchy Stadion Salzburg Wals-Siezenheim - who knows? - the ground holds 30,000 and is home to the Salzburg Red Bulls. Located near the airport, autobahn, shopping centre (and an Ikea for God's sake) a couple of miles north-west of the city centre, it's best reached by taking bus lines 1, 10 or 18 from town. Ultra Culture - Red Bull bought the Salzburg "franchise" in 2005 and promptly changed the name of the club from the historic SV Casino Salzburg to Salzburg Red Bulls, (plus the club colours, the name of the ground and the manager), unsurprisingly alienating a large chunk of the club's fanbase in the process. With shades of AFC Wimbledon in England, these fans set up their own club - SV Austria Salzburg - and are now steadily climbing the Austrian lower leagues. And good luck to them.
THE CITY
Overview - Surrounded by hills that are alive to the Sound of Music, Salzburg is also famous for giving the world Mozart and Red Bull - the latter now dominating the local football scene with devastating affect (see Ultra Culture above). Airport & Transfers - Salzburg Airport - 2 miles west of the city centre, linked by buses (1.80Euros) and trains every 10mins. Taxi's 10Euros. Nightlife - Wallop a few vodka Red Bulls down by the river, in the "strip" of bars on Rudolfskai on the southbank, or, if you're after something a bit more traditional, head to the cavernous Augustiner Bräu bierkeller, similar to those found in nearby Munich. All in all, things wind down not long after midnight though. Shopping - The main shopping street is fashionable Getreidegasse in the Aldstadt.
Further reading -
The Rough Guide to Austria (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
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