**** Not much food in this one. You might want to drop by for something more substantial to eat tomorrow
Our train was set to leave Vienna at 0930am, so we got up bright and early, checked out and headed off to the Vienna Train Station.
As I've mentioned several time before; I really enjoy train travel. It's much more relaxed and comfortable. A mere 2 1/2 hours later we were arriving at Salzburg Hbf. From here it was a nice walk to the "hotel" we were staying at. I use quotes, because we were staying at Gästehaus im Priesterseminar Salzburg. We really didn't want to stay in the old town, but wanted a place within walking distance to everything and I thought the New Town area would work out fine. In case you do recognize the name; this guesthouse is located in Salzburg Seminary….yep, that's right. No television, but you do get a Bible and a cross over your bed.
The beds were comfortable and we weren't going to be spending too much time in our room anyway.
Though I kept on looking up in the air and over my shoulder….the Missus asked me why and I told Her, "I'm waiting for lightening to strike us down….."
It was a beautiful day as we headed down along the Salzach River. Since we had basically one day in Salzburg, we went with the walk in Rick Steve's Guidebook for this first walk.
And crossed over to the Old Town on the Mozartsteg.
From here we walked over to Mozartplatz.
So, have you noticed the name??? Yes, Mozart was born in Salzburg and spent his younger years there, before moving permanently to Vienna when he was 25. Thus you'll "see" Mozart everywhere, along with being the setting of a famous movie.
Without these two subjects….well, I don't think all these tourists would be here…..
There was quite a bit of work occurring on the Residenzplatz, where the Salzburg Residenz, the Archbishops of Salzburg resided (thus "Residenz"), so we skipped on over to the Cathedral.
This wonderful Baroque church was built in just 14 years, replacing the original church which was damaged by fire in 1598.
We found the stark white interior to be quite striking as all the murals seemed to "pop' and come to life. It just seemed so aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Hard to believe that in 1944, a bomb damaged the dome which wasn't repaired until 1959.
Both Mozart and Joseph Mohr, whom you might know from a little song he wrote titled Silent Night were baptized in this Cathedral.
Though, like I mentioned, it was the murals, especially those on the domes that really caught our attention.
Right around the corner is the Kapitelplatz, a spacious square dominated by this…..
A work by Stephan Balkenhol named Sphaera, a male figure standing on a golden ball…..looking off toward a female figure in a crevice up above.
As grand as this figure was; the one that made the biggest impact on us, was this ominous, scary sculpture named Die Pietà; which I was told meant "Coat of Peace"……it just looked really spooky to us.
On the far end of the square is the "Neptune Fountain" which is quite impressive, considering that it was actually built to be a horse bath….man, horses bathing here must've been something to see….
Right down the street is St Peter's Cemetery.
If you're a Sound of Music fan; this is where the Von Trapp family hid as they made their escape from the Nazis.
It was a beautiful sunny day when we visited.
There are three churches surrounding the cemetery.
We took a peek in Saint Mary's Chapel.
Which was a tiny, but quaint little Gothic chapel right in the cemetery.
We felt a strange kind of eeriness, walking thru the cemetery, even though it was a bright and sunny day.
At the rear of the cemetery, you'll notice structures carved into the mountainside.
These are the "catacombs"….I know, we usually think of catacombs being underground, but in this case they reside in Mönchsberg mountain.
We paid the small fee to climb up some steep steps and were rewarded with some pretty amazing views.
And as an amazing bonus; there was this young lady playing the piano in one of the caves.
She was amazing! When she finished, both the Missus and I gave her an ovation….which surprised her. She didn't even know we were there and sheepishly told us "I'm sorry, I'm practicing for a performance tonight…."
It definitely added to the atmosphere!
From here we walked thru Universitatsplatz (Univesity Square) and ended up facing Mönchsberg Cliff and what might be the most fancy horse trough I've ever seen before.
From here it was a quick turn at St. Blasius Church and you end up on busy Getreidegasse, a busy shopping street.
It was quite interesting walking down the street; you'd see folks dropping by places like Zara and Tommy Hilfiger….then you'd pass a place like Mozart's birthplace.
It was quite busy wo we decided to pass on this one.
We enjoyed wandering thru the passages….and at #3 Getreidegasse, there was a whale rib hanging from the roof. you can read more about that here.
By the time we passed Louis Vuitton and Hermes we needed a break. The Missus had enjoyed the Cafes in Vienna. so, when I told Her that Cafe Tomaselli is the oldest cafe in Salzburg, if not Austria was block away; well, we just had to drop by for some coffee and a snack for the Missus.
Everyone wanted to sit outside, but we enjoyed the peace and quiet of the interior.
Service was quite nice and professional and the Missus enjoyed Her torte and I my coffee.
Café Tomaselli was established in 1703; it is said that Mozart was a regular here……I guess if it's good enough for Mozart…..
Café Tomaselli
Alter Markt 9
Salzburg, Austria
It was nice little stop. And I'd be needing that caffeine…..
Stay tuned!
what a beautiful area!
Salzburg is very beautiful Kat!
The cemetery would definitely be more eerie at night.
It would be indeed Junichi!
Cool looking buildings!
Salzburg was beautiful Soo!