Early start on day four with Breakfast "Fruhstuck" in the hotel lobby then on to our tour.
This was a continental breakfast, which included hard boiled eggs, kept at room temperature, with little knitted hoods to keep them warm. Someone at the hotel had a good time drawing faces on all of them!
We started our walking tour at Mirabell Palace, which as the running theme of the tour would remind us, was the filming location of many scenes in the classic movie "The Sound of Music." We didn't spend a lot of time on the interior, but the giant aerial view of the city on the floor was a cool detail.
The real draw is the gardens outside. These are the most iconic and recognizable of the filming locations.
Most of the locations in the garden will be recognizable during the part of the film where Maria teaches the Von Trapp children the song “Do-Re-Mi”.
There are dozens of "Sound of Music" Tours in Salzburg. You can do walking tours, bike tours, on-and-off bus tours, there's no shortage. If that's what you want to do, its available.
Next we crossed the river on the Marko Feingold Bridge which is covered in locks, giving it the nickname, "Love Lock Bridge."
We crossed the bridge into the center of town into the Getreidegasse shopping center., which is where the house that Mozart was born in is located.
The popularity of Mozart and the fact that he has no living descendants means that everywhere you look there are Mozart Chocolates. Our local guide told us that the “Original Salzburger Mozartkugel” are only available at “Confiserie Fürst” shops. All the other shops are using the name and likeness for similar mass-produced products.
Our Tour guide, Jana, snuck away and got us each a Mozartkugel to try!
Next up the Salzburg Cathedral.
Our Tour guide, Jana, snuck away and got us each a Mozartkugel to try!
Next up the Salzburg Cathedral.
The exterior of the Salzburg Cathedral is massive. It sits at one end of a large courtyard in the middle of the Getreidegasse shopping center.
We were not there at a time when there was a performance. The cathedral has a total of five pipe organs. There are four in each corner and one main organ in the back.
After the Cathedral tour, we walked to our next experience. We had a cooking class and lunch at The Edelweiss Cooking School located inside a cave that was carved into the mountainside!
The unassuming exterior does not prepare you for what's inside!
Once the demonstration was over, we put our apple strudel in the oven. We were starting on our meal when the baker's assistant announced that she would be providing entertainment in the form of opera while we ate!
After lunch and the show, we had a free afternoon and evening. Wendy and I had tickets to see a string quartet perform at the Fortress Hohensalzburg. This is sitting atop a formidable mountain that dominates the skyline of Salzburg.
The best way up the mountain is via the Funicular to the Fortress (FestungsBahn). This was not my favorite, I don't care for heights, or enclosed spaces!
The view looking down on Salzburg from the front of the Fortress is pretty impressive. You can just make out the gold sphere near the white tent.
Before the concert, we had reservations at the restaurant at the back of the fortress. I don't remember what we ate, we just kept staring at the view the whole meal!
The one item I do remember from dinner was the desert, it was a soufflé in the shape of the Alps!
Did I mention the view is amazing?!
The waiter was nice enough to take our photo
On to the concert! We walked into the Fortress proper and wound our way inside up several flights of stairs. There were multiple signs that said keep going you're almost there!
Photography and video recording were not allowed during the performance. It's one thing to hear a recording of classical music. We've all seen an amateur musician perform something. This performance was on a different level. It was somewhat astounding to witness human beings perform at that level. It was like watching a professional athlete, effortlessly winning in sports. Just amazing.
One last look down to the city as the sun set. Then back down the Funicular and a good walk back to the hotel.
Did I mention I'm not fond of heights? Or enclosed spaces? Down might have been worse. Oh, and it stopped halfway down and we were stuck for a while!
