salzburg
Day minus 1 - Saturday - June 11, 2016
We finished our "Best of Switzerland" tour in Bern and took a train from Bern to Salzburg. We had to switch trains in Zurich with 12 minutes to catch the next train to Salzburg. I was a little worried with only 12 minutes to switch trains, but it was really quite easy and we had no problems. Salzburg is Austria's fourth-largest city with a population of 150,000. Of course it is famous for the birthplace of Mozart and the "Sound of Music". It is visited by eight million tourists each year.
We arrived later in the afternoon, so we took an easy walk exploring some of Salzburg and then had dinner (pictures below) and were off to bed.
We arrived later in the afternoon, so we took an easy walk exploring some of Salzburg and then had dinner (pictures below) and were off to bed.
Day 0 - Sunday - June 12, 2016
This morning we headed to the Salzburg Cathedral to take in some music. The music presentation at the Cathedral did not dissappoint us. It was great with a huge orchestra and choir. Salzburg of course is the birthplace of Mozart and known for music. Mozart served as the organist for two years at the Salzburg Cathedral and he composed several Masses that are still played today. The Salzburg Cathedral was one of the first Italian Baroque buildings north of the Alps. The dome is 230 feet high. The original church was consecrated in 774 by St. Virgil, an Irish monk who became Salzburg's bishop. It burned down in 1598 and the church standing today replaced it in 1628. Some pictures are below.
We then found an intimate piano concert performance with one piano player and one singer. The piano was a replica of the piano that Mozart used. This was really a great intimate experience. A few pictures follow.
Day 1 - Monday - June 13, 2016
What a great way to start the day! Mirabell Gardens and Palace was a delightful place to visit with beautiful flowers, fountains, and statues. These garderns were laid out in 1730 for the prince-archbishop. They have been open to the public since 1850 thanks to Emperor Franz Josef. He opened them to the public because he feared the repercussions of the popular revolutions of 1848. Take a look at a few of the pictures that follow.
After Mirabell Gardens we decided to climb up to Hohensalzburg Fortress. It was a bit of an effort but a fairly quick climb. Hohensalzburg Fortress was begun by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg to show the power of the Catholic Church. It is built on a rock 400 feet above the Salzach River. The fortress was never really used. Nobody attacked the town for over 800 years and the city was never taken by force. But when Napoleon stopped by, Salzburg peacefully surrendered. For a brief period the fortress was used for a military barracks. It was opened to the public in the 1860s by Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef. It remains one of Europe's mightiest castles offering incredible views and dominating Salzburg's skyline. Take a look at a few of the fortress pictures below.
A great way to end the day is with a traditional Austrian meal at the Saran Essbar Restaurant - sausage and wiener schnitzel and some dessert. Here are a few pictures below.
Day 2 - Tuesday - June 14, 2016
This morning we took the minibus Sound of Music tour with bobstours.com. We started our tour in Salzburg seeing the various sights where the Sound of Music was filmed. From there, we travelled outside of Salzburg to see their lakeside home in the movie and then the famous gazebo. We then travelled a beautiful stretch of the Salzkammergut Lake District where more scenes in the Sound of Music were filmed. Our guide played many of the songs in the movie and we really enjoyed the tour. Some pictures from the tour are below.
After returning from the Sound of Music tour, we had some time to explore more of Salzburg. Below are some pictures.
Tomorrow we leave Salzburg and drive to Hallstatt.