PICTURESQUE TOWNS OF AUSTRIA PART 2: SALZBURG (AND A GIVEAWAY!)

This is a multi-part series about our Danube River cruise. 

River Cruise Day 6: Salzburg, Austria


A late itinerary change has us heading to Salzburg, known to most Americans as the home of the Von Trapp family from The Sound Of Music. No sooner do I think about the prospect of some interesting souvenirs for SOM fans back home, does our tour guide squash that idea. Ask any Salzburgian on the street about the The Sound Of Music, she says, and they will look at you like you have two American heads. True, external scenes from the movie were filmed in Salzburg, but apparently to the oblivion of the people who live there. More commonly, Salzburg is referred to as the City of Mozart, in tribute to quite a different musical talent than Maria and her singing charges.

The bus ride to Salzburg is about two hours, but traveling through the Austrian countryside is a pleasant way to pass the time. At about the halfway mark, we arrive at what may possibly be the most awesome rest stop in the entire world. It doesn't look like the Vince Lombardi service area on the NJ Turnpike, that's for sure! The backdrop for this rest area/gift shop/restaurant is the breathtakingly beautiful Mondsee (Moon Lake). I'm hoping for a photo worthy of gracing our holiday card this year, but unfortunately, it's extremely cloudy. Still, even with the thick cloud cover, the hills are alive with the sound of music, indeed. 

The Hohensalzburg Fortress, looming large over the city, announces our arrival to Salzburg.

Our walking tour starts at the very beginning, a very good place to start! It takes us through the Old City into Residenzplatz Square. The splendid Residenzbrunnen Fountain, a baroque beauty built in the mid 1600s, is the main focal point of the square.  In The Sound Of Music, this is where Maria and the children rode through singing I Have Confidence In Me. Oh, the irony! Confidence in my picture taking is currently lacking! I didn't have a chance to read up on Salzburg beforehand, due to the last-minute itinerary change. Half the time, I don't even know what I'm shooting, and I find that I have difficulty concentrating on taking in what the guide is saying. It's the old can't "walk and chew gum" syndrome, I suppose.

Behind the fountain, our feet get a rest as we take in the vastness of Dom zu Salzburg's interior, a 17th century baroque cathedral.

Onward we go to the courtyard of St. Peter's Abbey, located in the oldest quarter of Salzburg. The monastery was built in the mid-7th century. 

At this point, the tour guide releases us to explore Salzburg on our own for awhile. Our definition of "explore" means to find somewhere to have lunch. We settle on Cafe Mozartwinkel, which is tucked away in a quiet courtyard and appeals to our tired feet and rumbling stomachs. Apres-lunch research on Tripadvisor reveals less than kind reviews, but we enjoy our meals. My vegetable strudel is quite tasty; the waiter, however, is quite hasty. 

Souvenir shopping is the second priority for our free time. My friend and I walk over to Getreidegasse, a pretty, albeit touristy, shopping street (but, hey, we're tourists!), while our men prefer to find a bench and watch the people parade. I could be content just taking pictures of the shop signs, which are hung perpendicularly from buildings on wrought-iron brackets, giving the passageway a uniquely European feel. 

There is not a Sound Of Music souvenir to be had........ This is Mozart's town, baby.  

After a successful shopping excursion, someone suggests dessert, and I jump at the chance to sample a local treat. Cafe Konditorei Furst in Alter Markt Square is our choice. I order a sacher torte, the famed Viennese chocolate cake, while the others stick to ice cream. Oy, I will never understand the minds of non-foodies! My prior research prepares me for the fact that this cake is not rich and moist, but rather on the dry side. Ordering it mit shlag (with whipped cream) is the way to go. I enjoy trying one of the world's most renowned cakes, but between you and me, I'm stymied as to its fame.  

So Long, Farewell, Salzburg! Our guide plays the entire soundtrack of The Sound Of Music on the ride to the ship, which brings back clear memories from childhood of my cousin and I acting out the scenes in the movie for our families. I still know the words to every song, but out of consideration to my fellow passengers, I sing them inside the privacy of my head rather than out loud. Doe-a-deer, a female deer........

It's a tiring day, and the ship is a sight for sore eyes. We skip the cocktail hour with beer and sausages, preferring to relax in our cabin before dinner. Later in the evening, a group karaoke night in the lounge is so much fun!

Tomorrow will be a leisurely morning, as we will be sailing until early afternoon through the Wachau Valley, one of the most scenic stretches along the Danube River (more on this in a separate post).

I don't know it now, but our afternoon stop will go down in the books as one of my favorites of the entire trip. 

To be continued......... 

I've got some souvenirs from a picturesque town in Austria

that I'd like to send to one of my readers.

It's just a little something, 

but if you'd like to enter my giveaway,

you'll need to read the next post about a charming Austrian town,

as well as my post on Engelhartszell, Austria.

Yes, I'm being a tease! 😉 

You can enter the giveaway in my next post!

RESOURCES:
Cafe Furst Konditorei

This is a multi-part series about our Danube River cruise. 

Read 10 Things To Know About River Cruising here. 
 Read Our First Day In Prague here.

Read Day 2 In Prague here.
Read Day 3 In Prague here. 

Read A Day In Medieval Regensburg, Germany here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 1: Engelhartszell here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 3: Durnstein here.
Read Scenery of the Wachau Valley here
Read Vienna: Exploring The Old Town here.

Read Bratislava: Slovakia's Charming Capital here.
Read Budapest: The Pearl of the Danube River here.

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