Salzburg, Austria

For the Winter Holiday we decided to head somewhere warmer than Scotland, so the family flew off to sunny Austria and Germany. Our first stop was Salzburg, known to many as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as well as the home of The Sound of Music. Beautiful blue skies welcomed us as we spent a few days meandering through the town. We were surprised how compact Salzburg was, making it a great place to see on foot, with gorgeous scenery in every direction.

Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756 and you can't visit without being reminded of it at every turn. We saw the house he was born in (see above), and Christa took Will to tour the home he lived until moving on to Vienna. Walking the cobblestone alleyways of the town, you find stores which sell Mozart-related shirts, CD's, towels, figurines, and the ever-popular Mozart Balls (its a chocolate). Salzburg's favorite son was truly everywhere, except over the speakers at the gift shop of the Mozart Residence Museum, which was playing the best of Whitney Houston. Go figure.

Statue at the Mozart Platz, where a temporary ice rink was set up for the Christmas Market.

The Mozart Residence. Wolfgang lived here in this eight-room house until 1781. Much of the residence was destroyed during WWII, but the house was reconstructed.

Wolfgang working hard to sell Mozart Balls (originally called Mozart Bonbons). They have pistachio marzipan in the middle, surrounded by nougat, then dipped in chocolate. In all honesty, we did not get swept up in Mozart Ball fever. Sorry Wolfgang, we like your music more than your candy.

Sadly, I did not find any references to the 80's Falco song, Rock Me Amadeus. I was looking for a statue, or even a plaque- but nothing.

The Salzburg Fortress, or Hohensalzburg Castle, sits high above the city and offers spectacular views of the town and the edge of the Alps. A funicular takes you to the top of the mountain, where you can tour the castle and visit some smaller museums. This photo is taken from the Salzach River, which cuts through the center of the town.

View from the castle looking north.

The kids looking out at the city below.

Southern view from the castle towards the Alps.

Funicular coming to pick us up.

Suits of armor from the Palace Museum (Festungsmuseum Carolino Augusteum).

Mask used to torture/humiliate prisoners.

Marionette performances have been popular in Salzburg since the middle ages and Hohensalzburg has a small marionette museum as well. You can see examples of different puppets, read about the history of marionette theater, and try your hand at controlling a puppet. Not to be missed is also a cut-out for pictures!

The Salzburg Marionette Theater is one of the oldest theaters in the world, debuting in 1913. The theater currently hosts versions of The Nutcracker, The Sound of Music, and The Magic Flute. We had great seats (trust me, the place filled up after this picture was taken) for The Nutcracker, and were amazed at the detail of the scenery and the abilities of the puppeteers.

Inside the Salzburg Marionette Theater

Scene from The Nutcracker

Here is a link to the theater website, which has a short video of The Magic Flute (scroll to the bottom of the theater webpage):

 The Magic Flute

Parts of the 1965 film The Sound of Music were filmed in Salzberg. There are tours and singing dinner performances to be found throughout the city, as well as painted cows. The Mirabel Gardens was one of the filming location for the Do-Re-Me song, although not during the winter. The picture below is taken from the top of the stairs that the kids run up towards the end of the song. 

Mirabel Gardens

Old Town Salzburg is a maze of cobblestone streets and alleyways, filled with shops and cafe's. We were taken with many of the custom signs above the stores, as well as the holiday lights strung overhead. We had just missed the big Salzburg Christmas Market, which really wasn't such a bad thing, as we could do without huge crowds of people. Fortunately all the holiday decorations were up through New Years, so we were able to enjoy the Christmas vibe without the crowds.

Our very first stop in Salzburg. There is a farmers market every day except Sundays in the University Platz, behind Mozart's birthplace.

Shopping on the other side of the river.

The Old Town streets are filled with little passageways, many still selling their holiday wares.