A Walking Tour of Salzburg

Salzburg quickly became on of my favorite cities as we walked with our Go Ahead tour guide all over the Old Town. I had been looking forward to this part of the trip since, as a family tradition, we watch The Sound of Music each Easter. I have no idea why this became a tradition but it did and I'd come to love it like a favorite Aunt. The views of Salzburg seemed memorized due to the film but I just had a feeling it would be even more amazing in person. How right I was! (as always, just click on the little picture to see the larger photo!)

 Open to pedestrian and bike traffic  made walking around the Old Town very nice. Being there on a weekday in May we didn't encounter too many crowds except on the main shopping lane.

 While I didn't ever see him give anyone a ride it was fun to watch him care for his horses while we waited in the shade. You could tell that he really cared for them very much since every touch was gentle and loving. I could imagine his family doing the same thing for generations.

 At once beautiful and wicked, this fence line had us all lining up trying to capture it's beauty. Unlike the other cities we visited, Salzburg incorporated color into their ironwork creating these beautiful works of art. 

 And views of the Castle were everywhere we looked. Settled high up on the hill, you could see the Castle from almost every arch or walkway that faced East.

 The inside of the Salzburg Cathedral is amazing. I will cover that in another entry because it deserves one of it's very own. But the outside was beautiful too. One of the spires that you first notice from the other side of the river I was thrilled to go inside. 

 As soon as our tour was over we were starving so we started looking for somewhere to catch a light lunch. The windows of this seafood cafeteria had us sold in under a second! 

 While the lobster was a better price than we could find here at home, it was still over our budget. Still, it looked amazing in the window! We went with the shrimp instead and it was simply perfection!

 My absolute favorite lion. I have a weakness for them anyway but dress one up in armor and give him a shield with the family crest and I'm just a puddle! I just loved the attitude. I was thrilled to see him featured in the opening titles of The Sound of Music a few weeks later when it was brought back to the Big Screen. 

 Shopping in Salzburg is big business. We did a little bit of it ourselves, visiting a particular Christmas shop where I had to go home with a few ornaments including one of a 5 inch chandelier that hangs from our mantel still.

 The medieval style doors were everywhere. Heavy metal and wood doors that looked like they could be on any castle were enchanting. I loved the dancers leaping over this doorway!

 I first noticed the metal sculpture over this door first but it took me a moment to realize that it was a carving of the Castle and still an extra few minutes to notice the gargoyle like creatures at top and bottom of it. I love it when art gives you hidden treasures to find.

 Everyone had been telling us about this little cafe near Mozart's house and how we had to try the Apple Strudel. We ordered iced coffee and were treated by this enormous glass filled with coffee, ice cream and even a cookie! And, yes, the Strudel was amazing!

 We didn't actually go on the tour of Mozart's birth place but did enjoy this bright yellow home from our comfortable cafe chairs as we rested our tired feet after walking around a good part of the morning and most of the afternoon. We headed back to our hotel after this and got dressed up for dinner.

 We crossed back over the river on our way to our group dinner and stopped for a few moments to just soak up the river views. Beautiful.

 Notice the bicycle parking area! With our tour we get a few "included" dinners where we get to sit with our entire group and talk about our day as well as enjoy a 4-5 star meal. The inside was all dark heavy wood, the complete opposite of it's simple facade. However the roasted turkey dinner we had here at Sternbrau was amazing! One of the very best we had on this trip.

But the food was completely overshadowed by the sunset over the river after dinner. We were walking back from the restaurant, most of us stuffed from the wonderful food, all of us exhausted after a long day of walking, when I took a moment to turn around and look back at the city. I was transfixed. The view literally took my breath away. This is one of my top favorite photos from this trip simply because I am taken back to the beauty of this moment and that feeling of awe immediately.

Next week, as promised, I will share with you all the amazing Salzburg Cathedral. See you then!

Cat