The Hohensalzburg Medeival fortress, one of the largest in Europe, overlooks Salzburg and is over 900 years old. It was originally built to guarantee the safety of the archbishops, while also serving as a barracks and a prison. It is quite imposing as we walked up the steep hill for a visit. There is a funicular but who would want to use that? The views from the highest fortress tower are the highlight of the adventure. The museum has a few interesting artifacts; but, it is underwhelming to say the least.
After walking down from Hohensalzburg, we visited St. Peter’s Cemetery. The cemetery, dates back to the 700’s, and its catacombs are some of the oldest in the world. It is a very beautiful and peaceful spot within the bustling Old Town area. The Von Trapps hid from the Nazis in this cemetery. Also, close by is the Nonnberg Nunnery where Maria from the SOM lived.
Next, we meandered by Mozart’s birthplace apartment. We decided not to take the house tour which only included a few rooms of furniture and a small museum. We then strolled over to the Mirabellgarten. These colorful gardens are lovely with many exquisite patterns of flowers on show. Yes, it is where the children learned to sing “Do-Re-Mi” in the Sound of Music
We considered area tours but most are centered around “The Sound of Music”. There is Hallein Salt Mine in the area (hence the name of the town) but we felt that since we had visited one in Kraków, we would pass on a salt mine visit here. The other area attraction are the Ice Caves which is additional hour outside of Salzburg. We could not see both in one day; so, we chose to explore the town of Salzburg.
A very curious fact is that Salzburg’s most prominent citizen today is quite a contrast to Mozart. He is the energy-drink tycoon Dietrick Mateschitz, a.k.a. Mr. Red Bull – one of the Red Bull founders. We were told that he has a mysterious mansion at the edge of town and owns several chic Salzburg restaurants and cocktail bars, and employs 6,000 people. Apparently, his personality is like the beverage that made him rich and powerful. He is known as the “high-energy, anything’s-possible cultural Terminator”!
