We arrive in Salzburg, Austria under sunny skies. We have been incredibly lucky with the weather since our arrival in Germany 13 days ago. Our Hotel,
The Crown Plaza - Pitter has just been renovated and is lovely. We check our bags and head out along the river to cross the bridge into the old town.
Salzburg is most famous today as the birth place of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and as the film site for "The Sound of Music" To say Salzburg is beautiful is a gross understatement. Built between jagged cliffs and the river Salzach, this area was first settled and mined for
salt in about 300 BCE, and it became a city in the 13th century. The salt trade (the "white gold" of its time) made Salzburg an extremely wealthy and powerful city. Because of this it became the seat of the Roman Catholic church for the region, ruled over by the Prince Bishops from a fortress built on a high rocky pinacle above the town.
After enjoying a coffee in Mozart Square we took the very steep and fast (40 second) finicular railcar up to the mountain fortress. We climbed the battlements for a breathtaking view of the city and surrounding country side with the snow covered alps in the background. The fortress was added onto over the centuries and it is hard to tell where it begins and the cliff ends.
After our descent we stopped for a delicious ham and onion flamekuchen (an extremely thin and crispy flat bread cooked with various toppings like a pizza). We spent the afternoon exploring and visited the beautiful Mirabelle Gardens and fountains, then back to our hotel to check in.
After getiing settled, we set out again to see the city, but this time from a different angle. We boarded the Amadeus river boat for a 45 minute cruise up and down the Salzach.
Later we went for a long walk up and down through the lanes and alleys of the old town, and eventually settled at a patio at the Hagenauerstuben for a late supper. This restaurant is on the ground floor of the house Mozart was born in. The food was some of the best we have had on this trip. Tender sauteed pork medalions in a peppercorn sauce and beef stroganoff in a red pepper sauce. The food sounds rich but the portions were quite reasonable.
We took our time walking back along the river as it was a beautiful mild night.