Musical Salzburg

Both my daughters had visited Salzburg on separate occasions, and both had recommended the Sound of Music tour there, so that was the first thing on our agenda on Sunday morning. We expected to be picked up at our hotel by the bus company but when I read the fine print of our contract, I discovered that this was not the case. Instead, we had to make a mad dash to get to a central meeting place on time. We were fortunate to find a spot on a bus but we were unlucky that ours was the tour for those who arrived at the last minute - sort of a second class tour. We found ourselves in a small van, rather than a large bus, with an unenthusiastic guide, rather than an energetic one. Our tour lacked group singing, but I piped up anyway - albeit softly.

The rear of this home was a set for the movie

While we were somewhat disappointed with our tour, we did get to all the requisite sites. We also learned a lot of trivia about the film – the interior scenes were filmed in a studio, the Von Trapps could not "escape" into Switzerland from Salzburg, since the countries are not neighbours. and the captain never sang Edelweiss or anything else for that matter. Contrary to popular American opinion, it is not the Austrian national song either.

The gazebo - the set for "I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen"

The tour took us to the building that was used for outdoor shots when Maria and the children fell into the lake, to the gazebo which was used for two songs, and to the church in the the village of Mondsee where the wedding took place. This village is far outside of Salzburg; to get there, we travelled through the countryside full of mountains and lakes - very pretty.

An Austrian mountain lake.

The Church at Mondsee Abbey. Maria  and the captain were married here - in the movie only.

Returning to the centre of Salzburg, we finished the tour in the Mirabell Gardens, an important setting in the film. One of the other people on our tour, an Australian girl, was thrilled to be in this garden. Since she was on her own, Bob and I happily took photos of her in various Sound of Music poses.

The Mirabell Palace and Gardens

Doe - a deer, a female deer.... with my Aussie friend

The bridge is covered with "love locks".

By 13:30, we were ready to wander the streets of Salzburg. A pedestrian bridge led to a street market on the other side of the Salzach River. Eventually, we made our way to an elevator that would carry us up to the modern art gallery. More importantly, it would take us to a place with an impressive view over the city.

The view over Salzburg from the Modern Art Gallery

Mozartkugels among plastic dolls.

Mozart lived here.

We did not visit the art gallery, but instead travelled back into the city for further explorations. We sought out some of the local chocolates, Mozartkugels, were fascinated by a large circular item inside the Kollegienkirche, and we were delighted to happen upon a parade in the centre of town. There were a lot of marchers wearing high boots and regimental attire. Fur pieces adorned some of the uniforms.

This was like a large tuning fork. 

An Austrian band.

Marching Austrian youth fully attired

Nearby was a large square – Residenzplatz – which seemed very quiet compared to the area we had just left. I suppose everyone was watching the parade. Here we stood by the statue of Mozart (we had earlier seen his house) and took photos from every angle.

The white building is the Salzburg Museum

The Dom (Cathedral) of Salzburg

On one side was the massive Salzburg Cathedral. Twice we entered it, only to discover that it was packed for some sort of religious event - an evangelical weekend we thought.

Another view of the Dom. The white tent provided snacks and shelter to the evangelicals who were there on this weekend.

A very crowded church

We turned another corner and found ourselves on the other side of the Cathedral and in another square with an entirely different vibe, the Chapter Square. Large chess pieces and a golden globe with a man atop it were the highlights here.

Chapter square

As the day progressed, Salzburg got better and better. The weather improved and eventually, the sun came out. This coincided with our ascent on the funicular to the Hohensalzburg Fortress that looms over the town. What a great place it is!

The view into the castle from the tower

The view from the castle

The fortress was begun in 1077, and has an extensive history. We had been told earlier in the day that it has never been conquered. On this day the views from the heights were spectacular.  We were up there for some two hours taking it all in.

Entering the castle

An interior courtyard of the castle

The castle also houses a museum depicting many aspects of its history, a small chapel, and a marionette display.

One of the rooms in the museum

St. George's Chapel

Eventually we descended into a much quieter Salzburg. The excitement of the parade had abated and the streets were relatively peaceful. We poked our heads into another church, the Franziskanerkirche, before finding a traditional restaurant for an Austrian dinner.

Vaulted ceilings in the Franziskanerkirche

Salzburg street.