Aug 11, 20193 min read

Travel Blog - Team Member on Tour in Austria (Part 2)

For all our readers, who haven't read part 1 of my Austria experience (see link in reference), let me introduce myself briefly. I am Inga, a Senior member of the team at Enviroblog.net (https://www.enviroblog.net/contributors), born in Germany and live in Australia for 34 years. Travelling to Europe is therefore on my agenda when possible. I recently returned from a trip to Europe with travel stories to tell. In this blog I will take you to Salzburg, the capital city of the State of Salzburg. It is situated in a level basin on both sides of the Salzach River near the northern foothills of the Alps and the Bavarian (German) border. The historic centre of the city, with its rich mix of art and architecture, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

Now come along; enjoy the story with idyllic pictures!

View to the “Fortress Hohensalzburg” The Makartsteg is a bridge over the Salzach River in Salzburg′s city centre. Several bridges link the two sides of the river. Historically, ferry services were similarly important for centuries. Today, there are no ferries left in the city of Salzburg, but the number of bridges is at a historic record level: No less than 12 bridges can be found within the city limits alone.

Salzburg means "salt castle", referring to its massive fortress and the white gold from the mountains in the South. Its approximately 150,000 residents make it the fourth biggest Austrian city.

After a few bleak decades in the 19th century, Salzburg is now again among Austria′s richest provinces. This is mainly due to tourism (skiing in the south, some hiking, all-year-round sightseeing tourism in the city, plus the Salzburg Festival). Other major industries are metals and associated high-tech businesses; beer with “Stiegl” being the biggest brewery of Salzburg, fashion including traditional clothing and luxury items. There are four universities in Salzburg city.

The surrounding Salzkammergut has an abundance of lakes, green landscapes, stunning mountain peaks, National Parks and local culture at its disposal.

The city′s magnificent Baroque town centre can easily be explored by foot. A classic music festival (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzburg_Festival), the city′s most famous son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the heart-warming musical “The Sound of Music” created the area′s fame and popularity with music enthusiasts all over the world.

Mozart’s birthplace is also situated in the historic district of Salzburg

I can honestly say that one day only in this beautiful city is definitely not enough as there are so many attractions waiting to be explored. For example: the Fortress Hohensalzburg high above the Baroque towers of the city would take a whole day to visit. The castle remains a visible landmark to this day and is an unmistakable feature of Salzburg’s world-famous skyline.

Despite only having the one day available, we made the most of it and nevertheless enjoyed our time tremendously. We decided for a day-ticket with “Salzburg’s sightseeing buses hop on hop off” to explore the highlights with 12 convenient stops; covering all the main attractions with information on board in 13 languages. What a memorable experience! Following are some more of the highlights.

Hellbrunn Palace is an early Baroque villa of palatial size, near Morzg, a southern district of the city of Salzburg, Austria. It was built in 1613–19 by Markus Sittikus von Hohenems, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, and named for the "clear spring" that supplied it. Wikipedia

The main building of Schloss Hellbrunn Castle or the Hellbrunn Palace (which is more of a manor and pleasure ground than a proper palace, to be quite honest, but nevertheless one of the top-attractions of Salzburg and clearly recommended by us), was built between 1613 and 1615. It is a rectangular court with two pavilions on the front corner. The three storeys are divided in the façade by so-called "Kordongesimse" decorations. A long alley connects Hellbrunn with the city of Salzburg.

The "Ziergarten" or "pleasure garden" behind Hellbrunn Palace was built in its core in the 17th century. Its centre is marked by a main pond with a rectangular island, which is flanked by two minor ponds.

Next stop is back in the city.

Between the Festival Halls and the Pferdeschwemme is a tunnel connecting the Altstadt town centre with other city districts. This tunnel is called Neutor or Siegmundstor and was built between 1764 and 1767. The tunnel is 135 metres long and oriented in a gentle angle to allow water to run out and light to penetrate deeper into the mountain.

Residenzplatz is a large, stately square in the historic centre of Salzburg in Austria. Named after the Residenz building of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg, adjacent to Salzburg Cathedral, it is one of the city's most popular places to visit. Wikipedia - and Residenze Fountain

Strolling around we discovered plenty of traditional shops offering unique local products. I much enjoyed the atmosphere, and relaxing over a cup of coffee in one of the lovely cafés is practically a must.

It is also an opportunity to taste the most famous “Mozart Balls” or Mozartkugel, a delicious sweet that originates from Salzburg. It contains a core of pistachio, marzipan and nougat and is coated in dark or milk chocolate

Surely a day to remember.

I hope you enjoyed reliving my time in Salzburg, Austria with me. Join me again for reflections and photos from the unique Heligoland archipelago situated in the North Sea, Germany.