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Salzburgerland is a fairly recent "acquisition" of Austria: until 1816, it was an independent principality ruled by powerful Prince Archbishops. The first of them, St. Rupert, had founded Salzburg on the ruins of the lost Roman city Iuvavum. Originally under the control of Bavarian rulers, Salzburg gained independence in the Middle Ages and gradually increased its wealth and power, peaking in the Baroque days of the 17th century.
Today it attracts enormous amounts of tourists, especially in the summer the historic city centre can be crowded like an anthill. This "Altstadt" is the biggest UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site - essentially all of the old town is part of it. It gained this status because of its homogenous baroque appearance - three Prince Archbishops  in particular, Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, Markus Sittkus and Paris Lodron had caught the building bug.
They have transformed the Medieval city into a gem of Baroque architecture. You will not find a similar place anywhere in Europe: Marvel at the elaborate cathedral (Salzburger Dom), the castle Hohensalzburg (supposedly the biggest in Central Europe), and the scenic hills on the northern edge of the Alps.