Salsberg & Vienna
Trip Start
Jul 05, 2008
1
17
25
Trip End
Aug 17, 2008
Vienna,
Austria
Monday, August 4, 2008
Monday 4/8/08 - Wednesday 6/8/08
4/8: Through the forested landscape of southern Bavaria to the Austrian border and on to Salzburg. A pleasant stroll with your Local Guide takes you through the historic centre of Mozart's hometown. Admire exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, ST. PETER'S CHURCHYARD, and the monumental Domplatz. Then browse in the shops of the charming Getreidegasse or visit the birthplace of the musical genius, if you wish. Afternoon drive along the Danube Valley to Vienna.
5/8: Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide features vistas of Prater Park with its Ferris wheel and the United Nations City on the Danube. Pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards and famous Heldenplatz, and visit awesome ST. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL. An optional excursion to Schonbrunn Palace is available. Tonight you may want to visit Grinzing for a taste of Heurigen and the merry wine village atmosphere.
6/8: Scenic Semmering Pass, stately Styrian crossroad towns, Carinthian lakes and resorts provide the ever-changing Alpine backdrop to today's journey through the loveliest parts of Austria "
Salzberg is beauiful this time of year, with a Music Festival and beautiful gardens. And if that's not enough, touring the city is like Walk-a-Long-a-Sound-Of-Music!
We had a lovely guide named Monica wearing the traditional dress known as diendal (spelling?) show us around her home town. Salzberg actually refers to the salt mines that made the city rich centuries ago, and buildings here tend to cluster in age groups some from the 17th century, some from the 12th, and still others from as long ago as the 7th century! The city of approximately 150 000 people is home to 123 churches including the baroque style 'Dom' and is the birthplace of Mozart and Christian Doppler (1803).
There is a pharmacy that has been operating for 350 years (it is so quaint inside but they ask no photos be taken) and also the oldest functioning monastery and oldest restaurant (since AD 803) in Europe! We walked through the Mirabell Gardens, the squares or plazas, saw the outside of the Festival Hall (which is where Edelweiss is performed in the Sound of Music), wandered through St Peter's Churchyard where Mozart's sister is buried and where the von Trapps hide from the Nazis, and learned about St Peter's two keys in statues of him. Afterwards we had a lovely wander through the streets where I looked in a bookshop, a toyshop, the pharmacy, and bought a couple of Mozart's balls (no, really) which are marzipan and chocolate and don't have the same connotations in German, apparently!
We headed to Vienna in time for a drive to Grinzing (Vienna Woods) with beautiful panoramic views over Vienna, and then on to dinner in a 'Heuringer' restaurant - one licenced to serve its own wine from the most recent season (traditionally when they ran out they had to close until next season's wine was ready). We ate some cold meats and cheese, then schnitzels, pork and sausages, followed by the most beautiful apple strudel and coffee, all washed down with the wine from the restaurant's vineyards, and accompanied by some musicians on violin and harpsicord playing traditional and guest music (including Waltzing Matilda when they heard Australians were on the tour).
Next morning I went chasing a photo shop again to transfer one of my four memory cards to DVD - no one can in Europe, so I just have to keep buying cards! Very inefficient, but it's better than the alternatives.
I wandered down to the station to work out the Vienna subway/underground. As with all subways in foreign languages, it's easy when you know how! Luckily there was a gentleman who spoke English and could help me out.
I suspect we're currently staying in a bit of a dodgy area of town, lots of Mitchell-type shops close by, and rumours of suitcases in hotel rooms being searched through during the day when their owners are away. However, luckily I've followed some good Mum-advice throughout the trip and never leave my suitcase unlocked when I'm away from the room. I haven't yet had problems (touch wood) and we check out tomorrow... fingers crossed that continues to hold!
However, we headed into town for a guided tour. From the bus window, we saw beautiful art nouveau metro stations, the Nashen (spelling?) market which in German means 'snacking between meals', Stadtpark, the Austrian Mint, and the Museum of Applied Art from the bus windows. We traversed the bridge over the Danube (and I honestly couldn't tell you if it was blue or green - my best answer is that it's both, which is confusing), and saw the UN building.
Vienna have a new metro/streetcar called the ULF (Ultra Low Floor) which means there's no steps from the platform. While it was built by Siemens, it was designed by Porsche, which makes it kind of a cousin to my car, right?
Then we went for a tour of the beautiful St Stephen's Church which has parts dating from different times due to disasters that befell the church and cash availability. We then took a quick walk along the side of the Hofburg Palace towards the Staatsoper (or Vienna Opera House).
Unfortunately the famed Spanish Riding School near there is currently on their summer holidays until September, but might just have to be something I return to see. :)
When we were left to our own devices, I took a seat at the famed "Sacher Hotel" - home of Sacher Torte, the delicious chocolate cake concoction. Of course I had to sample the fare!
Then I joined a tour of the Opera House, where I saw the Emperor's Tea Rooms, beautiful Intermission Halls (apparently a conductor became frustrated that attending the Opera was too much 'see and be seen' and not enough about the music, so invented the Intermission!), the massive backstage area (1800m2) as well as the theatre itself. Just amazing, with incredible acoustics.
I couldn't leave Vienna without having Vienna coffee, but the poor waitress looked blankly at me - they don't call it that here. So I ordered the equivalent and spent a lovely half-hour people watching and keeping cool in a coffee house called "The Central".
To conclude our stay in Vienna, our Tour Group went to a lovely restaurant with the most incredible wine cellar I have ever seen, before heading to Hofburg to see a Mozart and Strauss performance by an orchestra and opera singers. It was simply wonderful.
Tomorrow we head to Venice - can't wait! More soon...
