The hills are alive in Salzburg, with the sound of Mozart, the von Trapp family, and music programs! The high note to most any performance, too, is that the guides and programs can be picked up for a song, or for free.

Note-worthy souvenirs

Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is home to numerous music festivals, classical concerts, and innumerable musical performances.

The Slazburger Festspiele (Salzburg Festival), from late July to the end of August, is the year’s biggest musical celebration. Events take place daily in locations around the city and music ranges from the delicate and regal sounds of the pianoforte to the more pedestrian picks of the electric guitar. And, drum roll… all the programs have, err, programs! Take a few home so you’ll never forget the sounds of Salzburg.

You can also grab copies of concert schedules, guides, flyers, and pamphlets inside the Schloss Mirabell palace as well as in the Domplatz (Cathedral Square).

Cheapo tip: Don’t forget to take note of the unique street musicians in Salzburg. Most artists sell their own CDs for less than €10.

While you’re at it…

Rock some Amadeus! Take home a few Mozartkugal chocolate balls. First concocted in 1890 by Paul Fürst, the kugal is a ball of green pistachio marzipan covered in a layer of nougat, then dunked in dark chocolate. Das ist sehr lecker! Fürst has four confectionaries located around Salzburg. Ten pieces cost $12 USD.

Photo above by LinksmanJD; A kiosk advertises musical concerts in Salzburg.

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Photo courtesy of AndreJenny.com

Ah, Vienna - land of sacher torte, carriage rides, and Mozart! The ringed city, we think, is best viewed on foot. While traditional tram rides provide a respite from hoofing it, if you want to experience the true Vienna, consider a themed walking tour.

While tours through travel agencies could cost you anywhere from €10-20 or more, there are a slew of easy-to-navigate walking tours available for free on-line.

Free Mozart walking tour-

Our favorite walking tour comes courtesy of the Vienna Tourism Board. Retracing the Footsteps of a Genius: A Mozart Walk, is available for free as a downloadable PDF file.

The tour kicks off at The House of the Teutonic Order, where Wolfgang got his start after leaving Salzburg for the big city. The trek continues with visits to mainstays like Mozart’s deathplace at 8 Rauhensteingrasse, a building which now houses a department store, and the memorial to Mozart in Burggarten. Make sure you snap some photos of the noble sculpture of Amadeus here, especially if you visit during warmer months when the floral landscape is in full treble-clef bloom!

The Vienna Tourism Board’s tour ends with an optional second tour (also available in the PDF format) of Schonbrunn and its surroundings.

South of the Ring Vienna tour-

And, if you still can’t get enough of Mozart’s Vienna, try Frommer’s “South of the Ring” tour. This walk, while not all about Amadeus himself, does pass some of his old haunts and eventually leads you to Freihaus and the Theater an der Wien, where Mozart’s “Magic Flute” first premiered.

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in Vienna.

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In London, it’s no big secret that that many activities surrounding Trafalgar Square are free. You can view the paintings at the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, or hang out in the square and check out its sculptures without paying a pence.

Lunchtime concerts at St. Martin’s in the Fields

However, an oft-overlooked freebie occurs several times a week at the nearby church of St. Martin’s in the Fields. On most Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, St. Martin’s offers its guests free lunchtime concerts. Music ranges from classical to experimental, often featuring special performances.

Doors open at 12:30 and the concerts begin at 1 PM. (Although the concert is free, St. Martin’s suggests a donation of £3.50 to cover costs.)

Find a list of schedule of concerts, including the (more expensive) evening and jazz concerts, on the St. Martin’s in the Fields website.

And, when the concert culminates, hop over to the National Gallery and get your art on! Stay tuned tomorrow, Cheapos, for more free tips. Next stop: Madrid.

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Ok, it’s no secret. We love free music. And, the annual Fete de la Musique in Paris is one of the best ways to see tons of musical acts, bands, and performers without paying a euro cent.

The fete, which got its start in 1982, is a “come one, come all” sort of affair. Anyone can perform throughout the 24-hour event, where you can expect to see professional and famous musicians rubbing shoulders with up-and-coming artists. Heck, if you’ve got a sousaphone gathering dust, get it out!

The best part? The acts take stage all over the city. That means you can hear guitar riffs under cover of an old train station or get your groove on Seine-side.

The Fete happens on June 21st, summer solstice, a Saturday. Public transport is always discounted to allow for all day location hopping, but we recommend grabbing a good map and just hoofing it.

A few acts to follow:

For club style beats and disco dancing, hit up Biz’Art at the Quai de Valmy or head to Le Batofar, where you can see DJ Lord Finesse.

Classical music aficionados and opera goers will love Pic’Pulse at Notre Dame des Champs or the line-up planned at the Musee de la Franc Maconnerie.

Nearby hotels:

• Hotel Bellevue et du Chariot, Doubles €68
• Hotel Rivoli, Doubles €40-50
• Grand Hotel Jeanne d’Arc: Doubles €84-97
• Hippodrome Montmartre: Doubles €75-86
• Hotel du Pre, Doubles €118-130

For more information on “Fete” in English, go here.

Popularity: 25% [?]

 
Sebastien Tellier is representing France in Eurovision this year.

It’s sunny again today! Here are some of the things we’ve taken a shine to this week:

On Wednesday, Amsterdam became the World Book Capital for one whole year! Thanks to Trippist for reading up on this, and getting us excited about the city-wide book fair scheduled for May 18th!

Meanwhile in Paris, Heather Stimmler-Hall recounts in her “Secrets of Paris” blog her tale of wine dating on the 56th floor of the Tour Montparnasse. What is “wine dating,” you ask? It involves tasting three types of wine, mingling with available Frenchmen, cold cuts, and a towering view. Sign us up.

And then there’s the flight news! Less Than a Shoestring got us all knotted up about UK and Irish airports charging surprise, unavoidable airport taxes. And from a vending machine, no less!

Meanwhile, BudgetTravel alerts us to Cheapo-friendly fares in May from NYC to Rome, Naples, and other Italian cities on Eurofly. Fares are from $499 and don’t include $75 in taxes.

And finally, thanks to Alex of Spendthrift Shoestring for swinging by the office to play us some official entries in the Eurovision 2008 contest. We’re especially excited about Sebastien Tellier (pictured above on a boat), Jelena Tomašević, and, of course, No Angels.

What a way to kick off the weekend!

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Photo by dapop

France’s annual Fete de la Musique takes place on June 21. It’s one of our favourite festivals, a night-long feast of free live music and dance. This year, if you don’t feel like getting down with the crowds you can follow the whole thing from your computer at www.21juin2007.net, a special 24-hour internet radio broadcast from all over the world, complete with videos. For the first time, New York joins the roster of places (in more than 110 countries!) taking part.

Practical details: A special “Forfait Fete de la Musique” public transportation ticket will be on sale for €2.50, allowing unlimited use of the Ile de France network from Thursday, June 21 at 5 p.m. until Friday, June 22 at 7 a.m.

The program is available on the Fete’s site and it’s massive. In the Ile de France region alone there are 452 scheduled events.

Here are a few suggestions for Paris:

1. M° Republique: Acid house DJ Ken Ishii will be at the helm for a huge open-air dancefest featuring Scratch Massive and Jonathan Katsav in front of the bar Aux Templiers, at 18 rue Caffarelli, 75003. From 6 p.m. until midnight.

2. For those with children, a good bet is the Cite de la Musique in the 19th arrondissement, which will be running concerts and musical workshops for children from 5:30 p.m. through 10 p.m. 221 Ave Jean Jaures, M° Porte de Pantin.

3. M° Menilmontant will host a gypsy festival inspired by the movies of Emir Kusturica.

4. In the 16th, M° Iena, in front of the Musee Guimet, dancers will perform a selection of beloved Bollywood song and dance routines from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.

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Photo by Stefan Tiess

Le Pop In is a must-see bar for anyone who wants to get to know the Paris music scene. Every weekend it teems with musicians and groupies. Fight your way across the packed front room and you can wander up and down flights of stairs to find small performing spaces tucked away at the end of narrow corridors, all crammed full of loungers and listeners.

There’s no cover charge, and you’re guaranteed to have a few good concerts of all varieties of music every night. Even if cutting-edge folk rock synthesis isn’t your thing, it’s worth going just to check out the Tokyo-esque fashion taste that prevails among the über-trendy regulars.

The Pop In is located at 105 rue Amelot in the 11th arrondissement. The closest metro station is Saint Sébastien Froissart on line 8.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Photo by oliviagiovetti

We overheard this brilliant aside from an American backpacker in a bar in Zizkov: “What the hell is up with all the puppets?”

It’s sort of a good question. Prague’s more touristy areas have marionette shops on practically every corner. The art of puppetry has been a popular form in Prague since the 17th Century. It was one of the first forms of theatre performed in Czech. Historically, the innocence of the marionettes and the naïveté of their puppeteers have allowed many censored ideas to reach the public.

The National Marionette Theatre (Zatecka 1 in Stare Mesto) performs Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni twice daily. With a theatre bar that allows you to bring your Pilsner into the performance, this Giovanni is a burlesque send-up for those who love and loathe opera alike. Sit in the front row if you don’t mind getting wet.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Photo by larcenette

July 6 through 8 marks the 9th annual Solidays festival in Paris. Solidays is a giant reunion of rock, hip-hop, and metal, all designed to raise money to fight AIDS. It’s held at the racetrack of Longchamps, and the first day’s lineup includes Ms. Lauryn Hill, JoeyStarr, and our personal favorite, No One Is Innocent.

On the July 7, participating groups include Sean Lennon, Sum 41, and Zenzile. On the final day, the man everyone’s been talking about recently, Abd Al Malik, will play, along with Trust, Mass Hysteria, and others.

Tickets are expected to go very fast. Prices aren’t outrageous by any means. A three-day pass is €44, a two-day pass runs €39, and a day pass will set you back €29.

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Photo by vxla

Summer in Budapest means long, warm nights, which the city uses to best effect to host some excellent outdoor theatre performances. The most extravagant summer performances are on Margit Island, the luscious green spot in the middle of the Danube.

This year, the season’s first performance on the island stage is on June 10; the program closes out on September 15, 2007. The performance series features music and dance for every taste, from Aida to Riders on the Storm, and from a musical versions of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Dracula to the Budapest Klezmer band.

Tickets can be ordered from the box office on the island, or online. Ticket prices start at HUF2500 (€9.90; $13.20).

For pre-theatre or post-theatre drinks or dinner the island boasts some good, atmospheric terraced cafes and restaurants.

Popularity: 5% [?]