The beautiful city of Salzburg is famous around the world for its historic city centre and picturesque setting in Alpine surroundings. Every year thousands upon thousands of visitors arrive in Salzburg to enjoy a cultural break – be that admiring the baroque architecture in the UNESCO Altstadt (Old Town), paying tribute to classical composers such as Mozart by attending concerts and summer events, or in winter, visiting the quaint Christmas Markets centred around the cathedral and the Residence.
Salzburg has plenty to offer and I was so excited to be heading back to re-explore after many, many years! Read on to find out how I spent 48 hours in Salzburg..
***
After a long train journey from Brussels, via Cologne and Munich, we finally made it to Salzburg and were keen to get to our hotel for the next two nights, the Mercure Salzburg City. It was already close to 18:00 and so after a speedy check-in and dropping our bags off in our room we were able to make our way into town.
We started with a trip to the Mirabell Schloss and Gardens to recapture a little of the magic of the Sound of Music with the gardens having been prominently featured in the song ‘Do-Re-Mi’. It was a lovely place to start our visit to Salzburg, as not only were the gardens in themselves a sight to behold, the backdrop of the Schloss (Palace), the Hohensalzburg Fortress and Salzburger Dom (cathedral) created a real fairy-tale picture. Entering the gardens from the northern end we could see the gardens spread out before us, as were the now famous steps on which Maria and the children performed the ‘Do-Re-Mi’ sequence. Just below was the Pegasus fountain and to the right, up some steps, a fascinating area, the Zwergerlgarten (Salzburg Dwarf Garden) with an assortment of carved-stone dwarfs, some grotesquely deformed. Lots to see and explore!
The walk through the gardens continued past the rose garden and orangery until we reached the Grand Fountain with statues representing the four elements, fire, air, earth and water, where it was once again time to look around and enjoy our beautiful surroundings!
Leaving the gardens via the southern entrance towards Makartplatz, we found the Tanzmeisterhaus, the familial home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Next to the Tanzmeisterhaus we also spotted the Doppler Haus, the birthplace of the physicist Christian Doppler. Whereas the gardens and Schloss had been visually stunning, these two houses reflected the scientific and musical heritage of this old city almost at the crossroads of European culture.
It was soon time to think about dinner and we began the search for some good, typically Austrian food (with something particular in mind… Spätzle!) We decided that our best bet was somewhere across the river in the Old Town so we crossed over the Salzach river, via the Staatsbrücke, and into the narrow streets and alleyways of the historic Altstadt, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. After many twists and turns we finally emerged back into the open at the university square (Universitätsplatz) where we were faced by the imposing façade of the Baroque Kollegienkirche, which was one of many venues across the city hosting the annual summer concerts.
After a quick look around at our surroundings, and after studying a few different menus we settled on the Zipfer Bierhaus on Sigmund-Haffner Gasse, a traditional, no-nonsense ‘tavern’ with plenty of atmosphere. The food was just what the doctor ordered, and the beer was fresh from the tap. The staff were friendly and efficient, and our waiter was more than happy to pass on useful information about the city and its surroundings. We could not have chosen better!
Once our stomachs were full, we decided to move on, so with the evening closing in and the street lights glowing against the darkening skies we strolled back along the narrow streets passing Mozart’s birthplace on the way to the Staatsbrücke. Once across the river we walked via Linzer Gasse Platzl to Linzer Gasse, with its shops, restaurants and hotels and took the opportunity to investigate what was on offer in the assorted windows and doorways. There was plenty to grab one’s attention and it seemed that this was a popular activity as there were plenty of people doing the same, just promenading, enjoying the peace and quiet, not to mention the cooling breeze of the late evening. Half way along we passed St Sebastian’s church with its striking onion-dome tower, obviously a focal point for the local communities, both past and present, rich and poor. Before long we were back at the hotel ready to call it a day and recover from the travelling. No 5 o’clock starts in the morning. Wonderful!
***
After a good night’s sleep and a leisurely breakfast, it was time once again to head out into the world and explore a little more of Salzburg. We were now getting our bearings, so it did not take us long to get to the river and across to the old town, where the shops were starting to open up and the tourists were emerging from their hotels, ready to soak up the atmosphere of this remarkable city.
Our first stop of the day was the Festung Hohensalzburg, a fortress placed strategically atop the Festungsberg and overlooking the city, so that provided us with direction and an opportunity to once again inspect the Old Town, this time at a more leisurely pace and in greater detail.
The first part of the ‘tour’ was a re-tracing of our route the night before, to get a better look at Mozart’s birthplace. From there we made our way through to University Square, where we were able to admire the Collegiate Church in all its grandeur and then walked along Churfürststrasse in the direction of the Alter Markt and Residenzplatz. Always above us was the Festung, dominating from on high this old quarter of Salzburg. The Alter Markt or Old Marketplace was lined on three sides by rather grand merchant’s houses, in various pastel shades, and in the centre the St Florian fountain. Another picturesque corner, with history, colour, atmosphere and panache, rightly justifying a few more photos and also, home to Salzburg’s smallest house.
A short distance away was the large, stately square of the Residenzplatz, the site of the Salzburger Dom or cathedral and to the west and east the Old (Alte) and New (Neue) Residences (two former residences of the prince-archbishops of Salzburg). The square has at its centre the Residenzbrunnen (fountain), the largest Baroque fountain of its kind outside of Italy, and in the bright early morning sunshine it looked glorious.
There were so many eye-catching sights and we were intent on seeing as many as possible so next stop was Mozartplatz with of course the expected Mozart statue, depicting, in bronze, the youthful musical genius.
Our wanderings continued around the back of the Neuen Residenz (now Salzburg Museum – chronicling the history, both artistic and cultural, of the city and surrounding region) along Kaigasse to the junction with Herrengasse where we saw a sign for the Festungsbahn, our desired destination. Above us we could see the ramparts of the fortress towering above the streets and houses – a formidable presence!
We finally reached the Festungsbahn, our access to the fortress above. The Festungsbahn (funicular) delivered us the level of the Hasengraben bastion from which could scan the city’s skyline and pick out many of the landmarks of the Old Town and also across the river to the Kapuzinerberg with its Capuchin monastery, founded at the turn of the 17th century. Mounting the steps up the side of the Glockenturm (bell tower) we entered into the complex comprising the state rooms (Regency rooms, Golden Hall and the Golden Chamber), a variety of ‘museums’ (including a marionette museum) and the ‘magical theatre’. Exiting through the castle keep we emerged onto the main courtyard which housed the small St George’s chapel, the Chaplain’s quarters, the cistern, the arsenal, the cable-hoist (Reiszug) and various other storage buildings and facilities. After a good look around we headed to the café for a well-deserved drink!
Soon enough it was time to circle back to the Festungsbahn ready for our journey back down to the town. We had just about enough time for one final look around the Old Town before we walked across the now familiar Staatsbrücke and along Linzer Gasse, back to our hotel. The afternoon’s activity was already planned as I had taken the liberty of booking us onto the The Original Sound of Music Tour, something I felt my boyfriend had to experience!
The tour took us on a whistle stop tour of the main filming locations including Leopoldskron Palace, the location for the Von Trapp’s lakeside terrace and the boating scene, Hellbrunn Palace, the current home of the gazebo used in the filming of ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ and the beautiful lakeside village of Mondsee, where we visited Mondsee cathedral or St Michael’s Basilica (used for the wedding scene in the film) and had just about enough time to sample some traditional Apfelstrudel in the Café-Konditorie Braun. The tour bus then retraced its route back into Salzburg ready for the final stop, the Mirabell Gardens. For an in depth review of our tour, check out my post on the Original Sound of Music Tour.
The end of our time in Salzburg had quickly come around and, after a final plate of Käsespätzle (when in Austria..), it was time to pack our bags and think about our onward journey the following day.
***
I really hope you enjoyed reading this post about my trip to Salzburg. If you are considering a trip, I would definitely recommend spending at least 48 hours in Salzburg as there is so much to do in the city and slightly outside. Until the next time, V x
