October 10 - Salzburg

Last night we cruised from Regensburg to Passau which about 120km east.

Early this morning we hopped on a bus that took us to Salzburg Austria. Our trip along the way was interesting. The farms in what is known as the Bavarian Flat Lands had very rich soil. The farmers used their land to exclusively produce various vegetables and fruits. Pastures for cattle were pretty much non-existent. As we got into the foothills of the Alps, it then switched to over to pasture land for cattle, as the soil was not as rich.

Next, we passed through the town of in the town of Braunau am Inn where Adolf Hitler was born. The house is still standing due to an order issued late in WW2 the prohibited the US army from destroying civilian homes. In the late 80’s, skinheads held neo-Nazi rallies at this home until the mayor had a huge stone placed outside of it that reads “For Peace, Freedom and Democracy. Never Again Fascism. Millions of Dead are a Warning.”

After bypassing this portal to hell, we came upon the church where the Christmas carol Silent Night was first performed.

The roads in rural Austria are very narrow. Several times we had to stop the bus in order to let traffic through in the opposite direction, especially when coming into sharp turns. There are multiple round-abouts on our way to Salzburg.

As we got closer to Salzburg, we started to see the Austrian alps. Our excellent guide told us about a news story that had made recent headlines in the local papers. It seems that the majority owner of Volkswagen has his house on top of one the mountains. He decided that he would build an elevator shaft through the mountain, so that he could hoist his car up to the front door of his house without going along the windy road. It will cost him 50,000,000 €. That might be one of the craziest vanity projects I have ever heard.

Salzburg, a picturesque city found in northwestern Austria near the German border. It is renowned for its baroque architecture, its stunning Alpine backdrop, and as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Salzburg

The earliest settlements in the Salzburg area date back to the Celtic tribes that inhabited the region prior to Roman occupation. In 15 BCE, the Romans took control, incorporating the area into their empire. Under Roman rule, Iuvavum, as Salzburg was called back then, flourished. It become an important administrative and commercial centre due to its strategic location along trade routes connecting Italy and northern Europe.

The 17th and 18th centuries marked Salzburg’s golden age. The city became a hub of baroque art and architecture, thanks to the patronage of the church’s Archbishops. Salzburg’s most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was born here in 1756, and his legacy endures in the city’s music festivals and institutions.

However, this period was not without conflict. The city faced religious tensions due to the expulsion of Protestants in the 18th century and political upheaval during the Napoleonic Wars, which saw Salzburg briefly become part of the Austrian Empire, then Bavaria, and finally restored to Austria in 1816.

After its integration into the Austrian Empire, Salzburg experienced economic modernization and urban expansion. The arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century further connected Salzburg to the rest of Europe, boosting tourism and commerce.

The baroque city centre is largely preserved, leading to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Prior to that, Salzburg endured the hardships of both World Wars. The city was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938 and suffered extensive bombings in World War II. After the war, Salzburg became a centre for displaced persons and played a key role in Austria’s post-war recovery.

Of course, Salzburg is now most widely known as the location of the movie “Sound of Music.” Our first stop was at the Mirabell Gardens, where some of the scenes were filmed. These Baroque gardens are part of the Mirabell Palace complex and served as the backdrop for the iconic “Do-Re-Mi” sequence, where Maria and the children sing and dance around the Pegasus Fountain, the vine tunnel, and the grand steps.

Mirabell Gardens

We walked through a passage way that was adjacent to the city hall. There we saw another wedding taking place.

Wedding in Salzburg

We then crossed over the Salzach River, which splits Salzburg into two distinct districts. In the old town, we saw the apartment building that Mozart was raised in. Salzburg bylaws state that a heritage building must keep its original function on the ground floor of the building, which in this case is a grocery store. Our guide told us to look at the store front colours and the Auslegers, which means a projecting sign often decorative and mounted on a bracket extending from the building, to see what the store is selling.

Mozart's Family Apartment

After passing through the shopping district, we went into 3 different city squares, before we ended up at St. Peter Stiftskulinarium. This restaurant dates back to 803 AD and has vaulted ceilings, fine wood finishing and a classy ambiance. St. Peter’s is the citie’s main cathedral.

Our dinning room at St. Peter Stiftskulinarium

On the sidewalks you will see small bronze plaques with the names of the victims of Nazi crimes. A fitting reminder of what happens when dictators rule.

Marg did some shopping on the way back to the bus for the return trip. She bought some very fine chocolates and a Christmas ornament for our tree.

Thais evening we had a performance of local Schuhplatter dancers. Wow!  What an energetic performance.