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.
