Salzburg Austria

 Austria has always been on my bucket list - I vowed this time we would not leave Europe until we toured Austria and did the Sound of Music tour (next post).  It did not disappoint!  After the tortuous night train ride from Rome, I managed to get a few good snaps of the countryside coming into Salzburg.

Sunrise from the train window

Exactly what I imagined an Austrian mountain village would look like

I was intrigued by the huge white fortress on the hillside as we entered the city of Salzburg.  We learned it is the Hohensalzburg Palace/Fortress.  It is one of the largest existing 11th century fortress complexes in Europe.  It is a remarkable sign of the desire for recognition expressed by the prince bishops - and a demonstration of the political authority and power they held.  I didn't know what a prince bishop was;  the term comes from medieval Roman Empire times.  He is a bishop who is (or was, I don't know if they still exist) also the civil ruler of some secular principality or sovereignty.  The fortifications were built to protect the prince bishops and the principality from attack.  This fortress never faced a real siege.  Most of the time the prince bishops lived in the palace at the heart of the Salzburg town, known as the 'Residenz.'

Salzburg is the city of Mozart

The Mozart family home; it is now a museum

Just inside the doors, before photos are prohibited in the museum

Born in 1756, Mozart grew up in a middle-class environment.  He traveled to Munich, Vienna and other European cities throughout his musical life but spent as much time as possible in his beloved Salzburg.

Leopoldo Horse Pond

This statue is located in Karajanplatz as you enter the city.  It was literally a horse wash for the prince bishop's stables and for travelers to clean their horse before entering the city.

We ate dinner at a beer garden our first night in Salzburg.  We liked it so much we went back the next night.  It was a beautiful outdoor setting surrounded by shops.  The food was very good; we each thought what the other had ordered looked delicious so the second night we ordered the same entrees and traded plates.

Cute waitress at the beer garden

John waiting for his dinner

Sauerbraten with spaetzle, bratwurst with sauerkraut

A delightful meringue dessert

And of course double fudge chocolate cake

We saw several decorated cows around the city.  This one is outside the beer garden.

It seems wherever there is a river and a bridge crossing it, you will find love locks.  These were on a pedestrian bridge crossing the Salzach River.

The beautiful Salzach River flows through Salzburg

One more of the Hohensalzburg from the bottom of the hill

Bosner sausage aka the Austrian hot dog

We were surprised but delighted to find a sandwich representing Bosnia in Salzburg.  It shouldn't have surprised us too much; Bosnia was part of the Austro Hungarian Empire for hundreds of years.  Bosna, or Bosner, is a spicy Austrian fast food dish supposedly created in Salzburg.  It is very popular in western Austria.  It consists mainly of bratwurst sausage and white bread.  The bun is cut only enough to stuff the bosner down the center, then a mixture of onion, mustard, ketchup and curry is squirted into the hole with the sausage.  It's pretty tasty!

Our last day in Salzburg was a Sunday.  We took a taxi to the chapel and attended Sacrament meeting before catching the train to Vienna.

Salzburg chapel

Salzburg is very clean and friendly and it is easy to find your way around.  It is a walkable city and many people also use bicycles for transportation.  It is a spectacularly beautiful setting in the Slate Alps.  I think I have found another favorite city in Europe.