Traveling to Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg -  Do you enjoy Mozart?   Do you like "The Sound of Music" movie?      

When Jack and I got engaged at the University of Marburg, Jack's parents came over and took us on a trip, including Salzburg.  That was 47 years ago.  So Jack and I had a blast spending 4 days learning much more about Salzburg.  

The Hohensalzburg Fortress overlooks the town and has a fascinating history.

In the cathedral is the baptismal basin in which Amadeus Mozart was baptized!!

I thought it was exaggerated when folk got excited about Salzburg being the town of "Sound of Music".  But when we visited this quaint cemetary, I did get excited to be on the spot where the fleeing family meets Rolf in this cemetary and he decides to whistle!

This is the outside stairs at the music festival building where the Trapp family secretly ran away.  The music festival is still a huge event in this city.

The Salzach river plays an important role in the history of Salzburg.  It's one of the only cities that never experienced the plague and that's because the streets were flushed on a regular basis.

Untersberg is a short bus ride away and the highest funicular (6080 ft) we've ever traveled.  Fun!

The views were quite different on the various sides. Here we saw the Alps in the distance.

  We spent a couple of hours hiking and climbing. Oh Europe - no railing!  at least not everywhere.

The grass is very fragile and one is asked to stay on the trails, but some times the gravel is awfully slippery.

Another hill conquered!

Great museums - here in the folklore museum Jack stands beside a 200 year old Fastnacht (Mardi Gras) parade character.

A music room at Hellbronn Castle!

The Salzburg Museum is one of the very best laid out and curated museum we've ever visited.  We spent 6 straight hours there and it felt like less than 3 hours!

This old wood carved and inlaid room was brought intact from a tavern in the area.

Ancient musical instruments in the museum and performed on screen.  Amazing!

These paintings, by artists who were deemed degenerate by the Nazis, have been found hidden in basements and attics.  The Jewish artists did not survive.

We continue to be fascinated by the restoration that is involved in all these European museums.  In many places we've had access to observing workers in action.

In Salzburg they serve a variety of big pretzels, each yummy in its own way.

The fortress is enormous and here is a view from an inside court.

Another view looking down from the fortress.

You know it's a fancy meal when the dessert looks like this.  Ever so tasty!

This dinner at the fortress was followed by a lovely concert, with views of dusk over Salzburg.

Yes, we toured Mozart's birth house and residence.  What a genius he was and what a loss that he died so young!

Another monastery with a brewery - each one nowadays has a different kind of restaurant.  In this one the wait staff only bring beer refills.  You go to different windows for different foods, like at a food bazaar.  But then everyone sits at long tables together.

Mirabell Castle with beautiful gardens - see fortress in the distance

and a floor, which shows a map of Salzburg  -  crouching right on Mirabell Castle.