Sunday, October 22, 2006

Salzburg on Sunday


What a glorious day we just spent in the very charming Austrian city of Salzburg! I think it was at least 18 degrees Celsius in the afternoon and people were peeling off their jackets, scarves, and sweaters, and sitting out in the autumn sunshine eating lunch and drinking beer. It was an unexpected joy because we had checked on the internet a few days ago and the weather was supposed to be rainy. How fortunate we have been so far. Walking is so much nicer in the sun and with dry feet and heads.

Salzburg is lovely, not too big and very walkable. And on Sunday when the shops are all closed it is a very pleasant place to stroll around either on your own or behind a tour guide with a silly red umbrella (like we did!).

There is a lovely main shopping street where all the shop signs must be in keeping with the historical tradition of ornate metalwork designs- even the local MacDonald's has a very discreet golden M.



I loved the quaint cemetery- one of my favourite places to walk through in any place we travel. And the unusual churches built into the sides of the cliffs were quite amazing! Salzburg has been the seat of the Bishop for a long, long time and is sometimes referred to as the German Rome. The 17th c. Italian influence is everywhere, especially in the Baroque Dome of the Cathedral and in some of the fortifications.



The city is most famous because it is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the yearly Salzburg Music Festival held in August. Music pervades in this city, with the unexpected sound of classical musicians often heard in beautiful corridors.

In 1997 Salzburg was officially placed on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Cities and over 6.5 million people now visit it each year.

We really loved it and had such a special day!

4 comments:

hockeyman said...

so is it mandatory for you and peter to humm "the hills are alive with the sound of music" as you stroll through Austria

Ginnie Hart said...

Exactly, hockeyman! Most Americans see this as the Sound of Music city. Most Austrians see it as Mozart's city! You DID see some of the same things we saw last year. So glad you liked the city. I knew you would.

Anonymous said...

Interestingly, the "sound of music" phenomenon will end soonish as that old production is an increasingly insignificant piece of pop culture which a great many Americans have never seen or even heard of. Time's a-changin'.

Meanwhile, Mozart will live on.

MsDemmie said...

Looks beautiful