If Zurich is the Sophisticate and Innsbruck the Whimsical, then Salzburg is the Classic Beauty.
It is absolutely my favorite of the three. Salzburg feels pristine, full of character and so put together.
Salzburg is a classic European city on a river (Salzach River),
full of Baroque Architecture and surrounded by the natural beauty of the majestic Alpine Mountains.
You feel like you are in the middle of a magic wonderland.
I can certainly see why this city with a population of 150,000 welcomes about 7 million visitors each year.
We felt so welcomed. From the hotel staff to the taxi drivers,
they all expressed pride in their beautiful city and and delight in sharing it with the world.
We spent hours strolling along the Aldstadt or "old town." It's such a comfortable city.
We felt no need to get out the maps and guidebooks.
We just wandered around and soaked up all of the beauty
The centerpiece of the city is the Hohensalzburg Castle (more of that in another post).
Spread out from the castle are narrow medieval streets full of shops and restaurants.
Getriedegasse Street is the main pedestrian street.
At one end you will find the Kirche St. Blasius built in 1330 as a hospital chapel.
If you continue walking along, you will find the house
There are several museums dedicated to the famous son of Salzburg, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
TE and his iPhone found the most interesting restaurant for our Anniversary Dinner.
Here is what Fodor's has to say about Stiftskeller St. Peter Restaurant.
"Legends swirl about the famous St. Peter's Beer Cellar. Locals claim that Mephistopheles met Faust here, others say Charlemagne dined here, and some believe Columbus enjoyed a glass of its famous Salzburg Stiegl beer just before he set sail for America in 1492. But there is no debating the fact that this place—first mentioned in a document dating back to 803—is Austria's oldest restaurant."
It was pretty awesome and the food was great.
When you visit be sure to take a trip to the ladies room and have a snoop.
There are little, private alcoves and banquet rooms that are fantastically decorated.
I found one with a huge doggie bed in the corner and decorated with puppy ornaments,
just in case you want to bring Fido out for some fine dining.
On the way back to the hotel, we visited the Salzburg Cathedral
built in 1181 which still contains the baptismal font were Mozart was baptised.
All major European cities contain these amazing and beautiful cathedrals.
I hope that I never lose that feeling of awe every time I step foot into one.
I instantly go quiet. I don't just mean the automatic tendency to whisper.
I also mean that my heart and my mind go quiet and calm. Every thought a soft whisper.
It amazes me how a space can be so soothing.
I think that the City of Mozart is probably my favorite European City so far.
There are so many left to explore. I'm not sure how they will compare to Salzburg.
I know what you mean about stepping into a place and feeling the stillness. Believe it or not, it happenened to me in one of the busiest places I've ever been to. Las Vegas, Nevada. Four of us rented a van and were getting out of the town. We went to a place called "valley of fire". We drove forever and chattered constantly and when we turned the corner to the valley of fire, there was an instant stillness in the van. I don't think we were even breathing! Nature does that to me.
ReplyDeleteCindy Bee
I absolutely loved Salzburg. I visited in 1987 (!) as a high school senior, and knew I wanted to take the family now that we are here. We had a wonderful visit, although the majestic mountains were hidden by a blanket of fog and mist last Easter. I love your photos!
ReplyDeleteI also love visiting all the cathedrals and feel an amazing sense of history everytime I enter one. (Although my experience is a little more distracted due to 2 kiddo's.) This weekend we visited Winchester cathedral and actually stayed for the service. It was cool to imagine almost 1000 years of worshippers gathering there.
I love how you said, "Every thought a soft whisper." It is such an amazing feeling to have that hit you, isn't it? Salzburg looks incredible. I love that the mountains tower over the city to just add to the sights of the city. x
ReplyDeleteSo much gorgeousness, thanks for the virtual tour. :)
ReplyDeleteSalzburg looks amazing! I have added it to my growing list of places I want to visit (it is getting long!). It is so nice that your heart and your mind go quiet and calm - beautiful. Love your photographs - they are breath taking.
ReplyDeleteWow, what incredible photos! I think I'd love Salzburg too and I just love the sound of the Stiftskeller. I now realise why it is best to visit these places in winter - you get to take amazing low-light photos! The interior of the cathedral is just lovely.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous post Selena. Your photos are amazing, especially the ones taken of the cathedral at night. I would love to visit Salzburg and would definitely try visit the Stiftskeller too.
ReplyDeleteHi Selena! Glad you found my blog. Thanks for commenting! We went to Salzburg several years ago, didn't get there while living in Vienna last year. It's a beautiful town, I think I prefer it over Vienna!! =)
ReplyDeleteOh, how wonderful. And I love the bathroom snoop -- best tourist trick ever! I've seen so many places by 'getting lost' on the way to the toilets, lol. My 'must see' list of places is too long, but how could Salzburg *not* be on the list after reading this cool post?
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