Stalking the Locals in Salzburg

To nap or not to nap.  That is the question.

After our Sound of Music Tour, we went back to the room to regroup.

The clean white sheets were calling my name and we had that discussion that we

often have on a travel day at about 2pm.

"Should we nap?"

I will admit that occasionally the answer is a resounding "Yes."  And those are some of the best naps.

But, not on this day.  We decided that we just couldn't do it.

It would be a shame to leave Salzburg without experiencing

the views from the Hohensalzburg Castle.

I'm so glad we got up and out, because what came later was one of the highlights of the trip.

A funicular took us up to the Fortress which was built in 1077

and is one of the largest fortresses in Europe.

It also has the distinction of being one of the few that was never conquered in her long history. 

There are several tours and attractions including a Fortress Museum and a Marionette Museum.

As it was off-season, not everything was open but the views from the top are not to be missed.

Austria takes my breath away with its majestic mountains and medieval rooftops.

  

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a travel bloggers meeting sponsored by BritMums.

It was an amazing day and I'm still buzzing with ideas and inspiration.

One of the guest speakers was from the Tourist Board of Costa Brava.

In his charming, Spanish accent, he passionately told us

"Don't just give me castles and cathedrals, give me a story."

When we travel, we try to hit the highlights of the city that we are visiting.

What will we regret not seeing or doing if we never get back to this place?

And in most big cities of Europe, that involves castles and cathedrals.

But, we also try to spend some time "stalking the locals."

Which led to one of the best evenings of our trip,

and hey, it involved beer.

Win. Win.

 

Our Sound of Music tour guide told us not to  miss the beer hall so we marked it on the map and headed that way.  It was late on a week night and once we got out of the main tourist district things quieted down.  After a bit of wandering, we found a small door that we thought must be the right place.

Matt tried it a few times but it wouldn't open.

We were about to just go back to the hotel when Matt tried that handle one more time and it opened.  

We followed the sound of laughter and smell of food through the halls

and eventually found the Augustiner Braustubl.

I'm sure in the high season many tourists find this place.  

It's highly rated on all the travel sights as one of the best beer halls in Europe.

But on this night, it seemed we were the only tourists there.
  

 This is a traditional Austrian Beer Hall

that serves beer brewed by Monks in a tradition dating back hundred of years.

We found a place to sit and Matt sent me off to figure out how to get a beer.

You should have seen my beaming face when I returned a short while later with two frothy mugs.

Success!  I did get in trouble and there was some back and forthing but I figured it out.  

Here is a video from Samantha Brown that gives you the basics.  Take a look.

I had no idea what the fountain was for, I thought maybe rinsing between pints.

And the part she doesn't show is where you go visit the man at the cashier booth

to pay for your pints.  Or in my case, ask about the wine selection and get scolded in German.

I think it was probably the best pint of beer I've ever had.

Matt was sent on a mission to find food

and soon after he proudly plopped this massive plate of meat down in front of me.  

"Um. What's that?"

"Pork knuckle."

"I'm not eating pig's feet."

"It's not trotter."

"Trotter?  I'm definitely not eating trotter...  What's trotter?"

"Pig's feet."

"See.  I'm so not eating that."

"It's the knee, not the foot"

"I'm gonna find something else."

 

I came back with a baked potato and a pretzel, 'cause you can never have too many carbs after a long day of exploring.  (I did taste the pork and it was pretty good.)

This was the coolest place.  In the photo below, you see cabinets lining the walls with plaques.

The locals keep their own mugs locked up in the cabinets for when they visit. 

But it was really all about the atmosphere.

There are several big halls, each open and well lit,

completely different from a small, dark British pub.

Large family groups were laughing and enjoying each others company.

It was festive but in a relaxed way. 

I can't recommend a trip to Austria highly enough. 

We are still talking about it and it's a definite favorite for us both.

The scenery, the train rides, the food and the people all made for a very memorable weekend.

And I promise to remember those wise words

and to not give you only castles and cathedrals as we continue our journey.

What has been your most memorable trip?

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The Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg

As an awkward prepubescent girl, my two idols were Olivia Newton John and Julie Andrews.

Don't laugh.  What young girl didn't want to be "hopelessly devoted" Sandra Dee

or "a problem like Maria"?  

I had the soundtracks to both movies on big, black vinyl disks.
I would hide away in my room and play them over and over again dramatically acting out each song.
You know you've done it, too.  Right?  Anyone?

 Before our trip to Salzburg, I made sure to express (over and over) to TE just how important
 The Sound of Music was to my childhood.  After all of the conditioning and begging, he was sweet enough to indulge me in the cheesiest of cheesy bus tours The Original Sound of Music Tour.  We purchased tickets the night before from the hotel (37 Euros each) and were assured that we would be picked up the next morning at 9am. 

It was a Tuesday morning during off-season, so we didn't expect to be taken to a large bus and to see every seat filled.  Great minds.  It was a surprisingly young crowd. too.

The bus was clean and comfortable with a bar for beers, sodas and water.   We settled in for a four hour tour of all the local highlights from the famous movie.  

The music from the movie was played all along the way and we were encouraged to sing along, though I didn't hear anyone else.  They were probably singing under their breath like I was.  It was still early.   

Along with some really bad jokes, our guide was full of information about both the 1965 Hollywood movie and the real-life story of Maria and the von Trapp family.  Most Austrians have never  seen the movie, but it brings millions of people from all over the world to Salzburg each year. The movie is very much a Hollywood creation and wasn't even shown in Austria until recently.

The tour was one of the highlights for both of us.  TE hasn't even seen the movie and had no idea how the sites we visited fit into it, but you really don't need to know anything about the Sound of Music to enjoy the gorgeous views of Salzburg and the surrounding lake district.

 

Our first stop was the Leopoldskron Lake for a view of the Leopoldskron Palace.   If you know the movie, this is the lake where the children took an accidental swim.  The back of the palace was used in some of the exterior shots of the von Trapp family home.  The famous gazebo was once on these grounds, but too many people were jumping the walls to get to it, so they moved it. 

It's now on the grounds of the Schloss Hellbrunn.  Unfortunately, it's all locked up so we couldn't go in and leap from bench to bench like Liesl in the Sixteen Going On Seventeen number.  This gazebo is much too small to be the one from that scene.  It was actually shot on a film set at 20th Century-Fox Studios.

The Schloss Frohnburg Palace was the main building used in the exterior shots of the Trapp villa and is now a music university.  Along the front of the Castle is an alley lined with trees along both sides.  This was where the von Trapp children hung from the trees on their adventurous day out with Maria. 

After a few stops around the city of Salzburg, we settled back into the bus for an hour long trip out into the Lake District stopping for views along the way.  Breathtaking.  Gorgeous.  Fantastic.  Magical. There has to be more words to describe such beautiful scenery. 

We had about an hour in the lakeside town of Mondsee to visit the Mondsee Cathedral where the Captain married Maria in the movie.  The real von Trapp couple were married at Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg. 

After visiting the Cathedral, we had just enough time for Schnitzel and shopping.  I've been wanting one of these beautiful Black Forest German cuckoo clocks for ages.  I think my mom had one when I was little and they're so beautiful.  On the bus ride back to Salzburg, the intro to So Long, Farewell came on.

There's a sad sort of clanging
From the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple, too
And up in the nursery
An absurd little bird
Is popping out to say cuckoo
(Cuckoo, cuckoo)

With my new little cuckoo clock resting on my lap, I might have had a moment.

I was suddenly that young girl again, completely charmed by a love story filmed in the most beautiful place and listening to music that carried me there.
Pretty special. Now I just have to figure out the best place to hang my little treasure.  

The bus dropped us off back in Salzburg right next to the Mirabell Gardens.  This was where many of the scenes from Do-Re-Mi were filmed.  Do you recognize the Pegasus Fountain and the steps from the song? 

If you are a fan of the movie, you will love this tour.  It was so much fun and exciting to see it all. 

I'm dying to watch the movie again.  It's been years since I've seen it.  

Have you seen The Sound of Music?  What's your favorite scene?

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*This is not a sponsored post.  We paid full price for the tour tickets.   And as usual, all photographs are mine unless otherwise noted.  

Salzburg, Austria City Break

If Zurich is the Sophisticate and Innsbruck the Whimsical, then Salzburg is the Classic Beauty.

It is absolutely my favorite of the three.  Salzburg feels pristine, full of character and so put together. 

Salzburg is a classic European city on a river (Salzach River),

full of Baroque Architecture and surrounded by the natural beauty of the majestic Alpine Mountains.  

You feel like you are in the middle of a magic wonderland.

I can certainly see why this city with a population of 150,000 welcomes about 7 million visitors each year.

We felt so welcomed.  From the hotel staff to the taxi drivers,

they all expressed pride in their beautiful city and and delight in sharing it with the world. 

We spent hours strolling along the Aldstadt or "old town."  It's such a comfortable city. 

We felt no need to get out the maps and guidebooks.

We just wandered around and soaked up all of the beauty

The centerpiece of the city is the Hohensalzburg Castle (more of that in another post). 

Spread out from the castle are narrow medieval streets full of shops and restaurants. 

 

Getriedegasse Street is the main pedestrian street. 

At one end you will find the Kirche St. Blasius built in 1330 as a hospital chapel.

If you continue walking along, you will find the house

where Mozart was born in 1756 which is now a museum.

 

 

There are several museums dedicated to the famous son of Salzburg, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

 

TE and his iPhone found the most interesting restaurant for our Anniversary Dinner.

Here is what Fodor's has to say about Stiftskeller St. Peter Restaurant. 

"Legends swirl about the famous St. Peter's Beer Cellar. Locals claim that Mephistopheles met Faust here, others say Charlemagne dined here, and some believe Columbus enjoyed a glass of its famous Salzburg Stiegl beer just before he set sail for America in 1492. But there is no debating the fact that this place—first mentioned in a document dating back to 803—is Austria's oldest restaurant."

It was pretty awesome and the food was great.  

When you visit be sure to take a trip to the ladies room and have a snoop. 

There are little, private alcoves and banquet rooms that are fantastically decorated.

I found one with a huge doggie bed in the corner and decorated with puppy ornaments, 

just in case you want to bring Fido out for some fine dining. 

On the way back to the hotel, we visited the Salzburg Cathedral

built in 1181 which still contains the baptismal font were Mozart was baptised. 

All major European cities contain these amazing and beautiful cathedrals. 

I hope that I never lose that feeling of awe every time I step foot into one. 

I instantly go quiet.  I don't just mean the automatic tendency to whisper.  

I also mean that my heart and my mind go quiet and calm.  Every thought a soft whisper.

It amazes me how a space can be so soothing.

I think that the City of Mozart is probably my favorite European City so far.

There are so many left to explore.   I'm not sure how they will compare to Salzburg. 

I hope you add Salzburg to your Must See List.




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Austria and Switzerland Winter Trip

Hi.  It's me. 

I'm back and feeling quite contrite. 

I'm sheepishly peeking out into the midst to see if I have any readers left. 

I hope I didn't really offend anyone with my little hissy fit or the photos.  

It was all very tongue in cheek and I promise I won't do it again.  

Much.

If you are reading this then you can relate or you have just forgiven me.

Either way, I'm glad you are here and I'm lovin' the comments you left.

Now as promised, I'm on to nicer endeavors.  

Let me tell you about our Anniversary Trip to Switzerland and Austria.  

 After much discussion, TE and I decided that instead of heading South in search of warmer temperatures,

we would just embrace the cold and make it a Winter Trip.

We flew out on Friday evening after work to Zurich, Switzerland. 

It was a quick two hour flight with only about 15 people on board.

After two nights in Zurich, we boarded a train to Innsbruck, Austria for one night. 

And our last stop was Salzburg, Austria for our last two nights.

We flew home on Wednesday afternoon

We pre-booked our hotels with advice from Tripadvisor.com and were happy with our choices.  

We aren't too fussy about hotels.  Location, cleanliness and good customer service are the things that we value.

The three that we picked all fit the bill very nicely.

 Zurich

 Innsbruck

Salzburg

All three of them were close to the Old Town Center and the river

which are common characteristics of each city.

We splurged a little on first class tickets for the three hour train journey from Zurich to Innsbruck.

Nice big comfy seats with lots of room and amazing views.

On a side note.  Did you know most trains have seats facing both ways,

meaning you could be facing backwards at times on a journey?
How did I not know this until recently?

Riding backwards happens to really do a number on my stomach.

I go a crazy shade of grey and my insides start making awful noises.

(I told you I was a bit of a princess nightmare.)

 I do get really sick so TE always tries to make sure he books seats for us facing forwards.

The challenge on this journey was that for part of the trip, we were facing one way.
Then after a particular stop the train reversed and we were facing the opposite direction.  

TE thinks he deserves lots of sympathy that he had to try and make sure I was facing the 
wrong way for the least amount of time. 
I think I deserve the sympathy for having a wonky stomach.
  

 It's a good thing we had the extra room because I actually spent part of the trip 

sitting in my seat on my knees facing the back of the seat.

TE just pretends he doesn't know me.

 

 After less than an hour, I was happily facing in the right direction with a settling tummy

so I could focus on the amazing views along the way.

Crisp, blue skies and pristine snow.  Majestic mountaintops and charming cottages.

Fuzzy evergreens and floating clouds.

It was just beautiful.

 There is something so relaxing about watching these views flash by

and thinking about the people that live and work in these places.

From Innsbruck to Salzburg we were in standard class.

The train had a hallway along one side of the carriage.

On the other side were compartments with glass doors that each seat six people.

Three facing backwards including TE and three facing forward (me).

There is plenty of room above for storage and the seats are comfy.

Everyone just settles in reading or watching the world go by in comfortable silence.

It was five wonderful days and I think it was one of my favorite trips so far.

We had really good weather, just a few random showers.

 There was plenty of this.

And a daily serving of this.  

Pork Schnitzel with a nice squeeze of lemon, parsley potatoes and cranberry sauce.

So nummy!

Over the next few weeks I'll be posting about each of the places we visited

and some of the things we did along the way.

 I hope you will follow along.  

And please tell me I'm not the only one that gets sick from facing the wrong way on a train!

xoxo

Selena

Sorry about the quality of the pics taken from the train windows.  And as usual, this is not a sponsored post.  However, if anyone would like to sponsor a future excursion, please make yourself known.