Salzburg

Wednesday 29^th April

What a view to wake up to!

We said goodbye to Brigitta, who was off to care for her elderly mother for a couple of days, leaving us free access to her home.  It was time to explore.  Our route to the city went through the immaculate Mirabell Gardens.

Our first visit of the day was to Hohensalzburg, the hill fortress that dominates the Salzburg skyline. I was happy to find that reaching it is made easy by a funicular railway. Sarah went off for a guided tour of the torture chamber and observation tower while I sat in the beautiful sunshine in the courtyard.

Spotted from the observation tower!

Back down to the city for some lunch and then a look around some of Salzburg's beautiful cathedrals – firstly the huge Dom

 and then St Peters Abbey Church, 

both spectacular places where Mozart played and, indeed, he was baptised in the Dom. Then to explore the Petersfriedhof (cemetery)

where we hunted up Mozart's connections with the Haffner family (Symphony No 35 – “Haffner” – and also the Haffner Serenade). Apparently the fact that the cemetery was used in the Sound of Music is also worthy of note!
Sarah took the long route home, via the Monchsberg area, for a gloriously sunny woodland walk with views of the town and fortress.

After a meal in one of Brigitta's recommended restaurants – an excellent Italian – we wangled our way in to a “sold out” chamber concert at the Mirabelle Palace with music for violin, viola, cello and piano by Mozart, Schubert and Schumann. A truly beautiful setting with music by extremely talented people. 

 We rounded off the evening by going to the rooftop terrace of the tallest hotel to admire the view and enjoy a sumptuous hot chocolate.

Thursday 30^th April

Sarah went off out to investigate the local market, coming back with enough food for an army. Apparently it was all three meals for the day. Rolls, cheese, ham, bananas and cake for breakfast.

Using our go-anywhere, unlimited travel Strasse-Bahn card (the tram) we went out to Hellbrunn Palace. This is a beautifully preserved place that once belonged to Markus Sittikus, an Archbishop Prince who designed a surprising garden. He powered all sorts of eccentric garden features using water pressure. One of his less generous features was a small hole in the bottom of each seat for his guests when having a meal. On a signal from the archbishop prince, a spray of cold water would come up from the middle of the chair. There were some amazing features – no doubt Google can give you better pictures than ours!

All of these figures moved by water power

While we watched this, it took us a while to realise that water was hitting us from behind!

The interior was more conventional and beautifully decorated. 

 Sarah then raced off to the Monats Schlosschen (Month palace, supposedly built within a month following a bet) in the grounds – it contains a fascinating museum of local customs.

View back towards the main palace

Back on the tram for Sacher Torte in the Sacher Hotel – a deliciously rich confection in very swanky surroundings – not our usual scene!

After enjoying the luxury for a while, Sarah went off for an extended wander around Salzburg, investigating the shopping street and several churches ... and playing with the camera!

I went back to the apartment and listened to some of Brigitta's box-set of Mozart's Complete Works. A quiet evening cooking our own meal and watching the final episode of Poldark on the tablet!!!

Friday 1^st May

We made a reasonably early start with Sarah heading out to find some rolls for breakfast.  Not a shop was open, which allowed her to slowly realise that May 1st might be a Bank Holiday - none of this convenient "use the first Monday" that the UK has.  Breakfast of an apple and some biscuits and we went to Mozart's Birth House

and then to the house where he lived later in his life.  Fascinating places filled full of all sorts of Mozart memorabilia and giving some insight into the way that the cult of personality was pursued by his sister and wife after his death.

By then we were plenty hungry enough to take advantage of one of the many cafes for our "zweites Fruhstuck" - an excellent idea!  That left us time to visit the graveyard where several Mozart family members are buried (but not Mozart himself, he was buried in a mass grave in Vienna as was customary in the year he died - great pains were taken to refute the "pauper's grave" rumours!)

before collecting our cases and heading off for the next train journey.

During the afternoon we left the mountains around Salzburg, travelling through to the wider landscape near Vienna.